wave making devices

[ghostrida3]

how important is it to use a wavemaking devices(controllers, wamevmakers, squirts, 4ways, ect.....) in ur sps tank? is anybody sucessful w/out these devices. pics would be great if ur using them or not.

 

[acrodave]

can say how important it is .but any thing that makes random water flow is what is key. the wave in the ocean dont just go one way

 

[ghostrida3]

but wouldnt bouncing powerheads off of glass and rock work cause a random flow pattern w/out the wave devices?

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10135476#post10135476 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ghostrida3
but wouldnt bouncing powerheads off of glass and rock work cause a random flow pattern w/out the wave devices?

Yeah.


I'd say that the vast majority aren't using any sort of random water flow device.

 

[bugitup]

No wave makers in my tank. But def. lots of flow.

 

[ghostrida3]

just to play devils advocate, are u saying the people who are buying these extremely expensive devices are blowing their money?

 

[leveldrummer]

i think the wave makers (if done right) can add alot to a tank, it would give the coral the feel of home, random flow bouncing around from powerheads is good too, but its constant, water fluctuating back and forth might just help the coral out a little better. (and it looks neat)

for the record, i dont have any wave makers, just 2 seio 1100's and a mag 12 return, thinking of putting the return on a scwd though. just to help with a little more wavey action.

 

[dhnguyen]

You guys might want to rethink that thought on the random flow.

Apparently a recent study by a scientist suggests that this may not be for the best.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/6/aafeature2/view
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/8/aafeature/view
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/9/aafeature2/view
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/11/aafeature/view
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/1/aafeature

And I quote from the last article "aquarists should be more focused on producing faster unidirectional flow."

Something to chew over no doubt.

 

[ghostrida3]

that pretty much contradicts everything we have been taught great article. next thing u know we will be throwing the controllers out w/ the bio balls. this is such a young hobby. there is so many things we still cant pinpoint.

 

[dhnguyen]

Yep. definitely intersting to say the least. I think I'm going try this out in the new 125g

 

[ghostrida3]

i would have to skip the ugly divider though.

 

[A.T.T.R]

from diving the flow is mostly unidirectional with a soft backsurge. ( alil stronger back surge in shallow water)

but the direction changes afew times a day i think ppl who sue power heads to pulse water arnt helping but ppl with like 15 seconds on 15 seconds off along with a strong returna re doing the rightthing

 

[dhnguyen]

I don't know if 15 second interval would keep the fluid dynamic going in the tank enough to be efficient according to that article. One hour intervals maybe.

 

[ghostrida3]

i wish there was more concrete answers about this. it would be great if like water parameters there was a set way to measure if u had the flow correctly setup.