Ocean currents oscillator / rotator
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Forum Name: General Discussion
Forum Description: Posts that don't fit in any of the other categories.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1495
Printed Date: July 02 2026 at 9:18pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Ocean currents oscillator / rotator
Posted By: ssilcox
Subject: Ocean currents oscillator / rotator
Date Posted: December 16 2003 at 8:26am
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Anyone used one of these for a return oscillator? Champion lighting is clearing out the oscillator for 54.99 and the rotator for 44.99. (Difference?) Just wondering how they compare with a sea swirl... -Shane
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Replies:
Posted By: tomason
Date Posted: December 16 2003 at 9:08am
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I haven't used them before, but Marine Depot has more information:
http://www.marinedepot.com/a_wm_oceancurrent.asp - http://www.marinedepot.com/a_wm_oceancurrent.asp |
Posted By: SSpargur
Date Posted: December 16 2003 at 9:12am
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I have only had personal experiences with a Seaswirl and I'm all for them. It does a great job changing up the current. Try to do a search on RC to see what you come up with. ------------- Sean Spargur West Valley, UT |
Posted By: ssilcox
Date Posted: December 16 2003 at 10:52am
Yup. Did a search on RC and I guess the Ocean currents lose a lot of pressure, and get stuck alot. Oh well. Guess I'll save my pennys for the Sea swirl! If it makes my tank look half as nice as Seans I'll be set! 
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: December 16 2003 at 11:07am
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Sea swirls don't even compare to my tunze. -Cody |
Posted By: SSpargur
Date Posted: December 16 2003 at 9:07pm
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Thanks Shane!
------------- Sean Spargur West Valley, UT |
Posted By: tom-
Date Posted: December 17 2003 at 2:01am
| Actually I think that a sea swirl is a better add to a tank than a tunze. tunze are great wave pumps but way overpriced. And if you want your curent to constantly move a Sea swirl is the way to go. unless you get a Neptune to control them but they still only go in one direction unlike a sea swirl. JMO |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: December 17 2003 at 7:11am
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Come and take a look at mine and I'll bet you'll change your mind. Plus the tunzes have a wavemaker controller that usually comes with them, so you don't need a Neptune. Also with the seaswirls you need a separate pump to run them anyways. -Cody |
Posted By: Carl
Date Posted: December 17 2003 at 8:05am
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You know, I never understood the fascination with these swirlie things. I have found in my tank that the current alternates enough on it's own. Are these just gadgets or are they really necessary? ------------- In Syracuse "I believe that forgiving them is God's function. Our job is simply to arrange the meeting." - Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf |
Posted By: ssilcox
Date Posted: December 17 2003 at 8:46am
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Personally I feel that with an oscillating device it makes it a little closer to what it would be in the ocean. I guess we'd need some sort of "surge" device for that though. Tunze's are waaaay to expensive!! Cody - have you really noticed that much of a difference? |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: December 17 2003 at 10:14am
| Come and see it, it has a setting to alternate its speed every few seconds to create waves. Plus it does 2000 gallons/hour of water movement, my corals open up more at night, my corals are thicker and happier, and makes sure that every part of the tank has water movement. I figured with the seaswirl that you also have to buy a pump and they don't do that much water movement comparitevly, plus I've read that they don't last long. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: December 17 2003 at 10:19am
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Heres the one I have http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PA&Product_Code=T6010.000&Category_Code=Tunze_pumps - http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen= PROD&Store_Code=PA&Product_Code=T6010.000&Catego ry_Code=Tunze_pumps |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: December 17 2003 at 5:02pm
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It appears to do the job it says it can and I'm glad to hear that cpearce is happy with it, though at $295 there are few of us that would or could do it.
For just a few dollars a surge device is a fun and very effective piece of equipment. Many different plans are on the web. Adam and I have both used one and Julian Sprung told me he has one, a Carlsen type I believe, on his Acropora tank. He also described that this tank is connected in series to two other large tanks! The Sea Swirl in my [friends] tank has been running for 3 years and no extra pump is needed because it is directing the water from the pump in the sump/RDP Refugia. It cost $125 I believe Shane H has had a Sea Swirl for a long time too. How many years, Shane? Tom- ? ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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Posted By: Marcus
Date Posted: December 17 2003 at 5:35pm
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Tunze wave pumps are very high gph and they work great for what they are meant to do. But Sea Swirls can run at whatever gph you put through them. Plus Tunze pumps point in one direction so you need two of them to get different directions.
Mark, I think what cpearce meant by needing another pump is that the sea swirl itself is not a pump and you need to use a main pump of some sort with it. cpearce, where have you read that sea swirls don't last long? I have seen them run on tanks for very long periods of time without failure. The problem is when the user tries to change the direction improperly and strips the gears. ssilcox, as for your original topic: Ocean Currents do get stuck and need to be cleaned very often. They are driven by the water pressure as to where the Sea Swirls move by a motor that plugs into the wall. IMO, I would be a Sea Swirl over a Ocean Current. There are many circumstances where a Tunze or other wave pump may be very useful so I would not rule them out. |
Posted By: ssilcox
Date Posted: December 17 2003 at 5:41pm
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Congrats on the 1000 posts Mark! I was looking into doing a DIY surge - but I have heard they get quite noisy. Not a viable alternative for a front room tank. I will have to agree with the sea swirl. It is probably going to be the best way to go. I just couldnt justify the cost for the Tunze. Although - I am quite interested in seeing it in action, Cody. I want to see if the extra $200 is worth it! :) -Shane |
Posted By: Shane H
Date Posted: December 17 2003 at 6:18pm
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I do have a SeaSwirl and I'm very happy with it. I've had it for about four years. I run my return pump through it. It is centered with a "y" fitting to sweep both sides of the tank. I did have to return it after two years because the motor failed.
If money is not a factor, then get two SeaSwirls and mount them on opposite ends of your tank. IMO, this is the best thing short of a surge device. If money is a factor - which it normally is - you may want to check into a SCWD. They are only about $40. I've heard good things about them - don't have any personal experience though. |
Posted By: ssilcox
Date Posted: December 17 2003 at 8:39pm
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Already, lets throw a new option into the mix. What about these ZooMed power sweep power heads? They oscillate and the top one pumps 270 GPH. It is a pretty fast oscillation, though... Maybe 2 of these in the back corners? I have heard good things about the scwd's also. |
Posted By: jfinch
Date Posted: December 17 2003 at 8:52pm
I didn't like my ZooMed at all. It swept for about 4 months then stuck in one position  .------------- Jon https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6y_EzjI_ljbIwf2n5uNzTw" rel="nofollow - What I've been doing... |
Posted By: ssilcox
Date Posted: December 17 2003 at 9:03pm
| Sea Swirl it is! |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: December 17 2003 at 9:47pm
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Mark, yes it was expensive, but compared to a one inch seaswirl and an extenal pump to run it, the tunze was cheaper. Plus the tunze runs at a high flow rate compared to the seaswirls 550, 850, and 1100 gph, at only 15-17 watts of power and no extra piping needed. Also a seaswirl costs 120, 160,180 respectively and doesn't come with a pump or a wavemaker controller like the tunze did. Marcus, no you can't have any flowrate into the seaswirls, their max flowrates are 550, 850, and 1100 gph. Probably why I read a few reviews of them breaking down is because people were trying to go higher then what they were rated for. I also don't think you need two of them to get a different direction because of the way it is designed. The tunze has a high enough flowrate to hit a wall and come back, thus changing its direction. Also, since the tunze spreads out, the flow its all parts of the tank unlike a seaswirl that only hits the direction that the pipe is aimed. Here is one review that I saw before, and I have seen a few more.
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Posted By: tom-
Date Posted: December 18 2003 at 12:00am
| I actually have wave pumps kinda like the tunze but the moter is external and sits on the tank and the impeller is what goes in the water. |
Posted By: KeoDog
Date Posted: December 18 2003 at 5:37am
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You did not mention what size tank you are going to use. I am using a SCWD $40 on my 72g and love it. Also stay away from the powersweeps. Mine failed also. ------------- Kevin Kunz (Sandy, UT) 300g reef "A trade by which one gains and the other loses is a fraud." Ayn Rand |
Posted By: ssilcox
Date Posted: December 18 2003 at 7:21am
| Keodog - it is a 75. What size pump do you use to power it? |
Posted By: KeoDog
Date Posted: December 18 2003 at 9:49am
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I am using a mag 9.5. It is just plumed in the same loop as my sump return. So no extra pump. ------------- Kevin Kunz (Sandy, UT) 300g reef "A trade by which one gains and the other loses is a fraud." Ayn Rand |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: December 18 2003 at 3:13pm
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The effect of a Tunze pump appears to be very beneficial.
The major noise my surge device made was a swishing splashing sound as the water gushed out. The short gurgle sound as it finished was easy to muffle. The sound and look made me feel that I was at a tide pool that gets splashed with water as each wave hits. And just as Cpearce has described of his Tunze, my coral grew and looked spendid in this environment. The next tank I do will have a surge device. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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