a break-through!

Ok, so on my 12g I've been trying to find a cheap DIY tidal/wave maker so to make it more realilistic and maybe make the corals happier. All I've found have been big contraptions or totally overkill for a 12-24gal tank. So here is my idea. But first I have been searching online for an hour and haven't found a non industrial version of what I need so tomorrow I'll check out Home Depot.

Edited by Humuhumukununukuapua - January 15 2009 at 1:34am

I have the answer and it costs practically nothing.
Now you are probably saying, "Hey if it costs nothing, then how could it possibly be any good?"
It is an idea that came from our resident Chemical Engineer, JFinch. I call it the Poormans Wavemaker to describe the low cost. For efficiency, it can give any small tank the same kind of variable flow of any of the high priced stuff that the "big boys" use on their big tanks.
Looking for the link...here it is:
http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=21646
I believe that any size Maxijet will work for this. The smaller sizes for the smaller tanks. Probably a MJ600 for your 12 gal.




Edited by Mark Peterson - January 15 2009 at 6:55pm

So a little update. The valves are too difficult to find that will meet my needs without paying alot to have a specialty one ordered. I looked into garden auto sprinkler control valves which are solenoid controlled. The problem with those is they a latched valve and will need constant current to remain open.

ok, problem solved. I was looking at fish food and came across this!

You shortened your name
The reason nobody suggested that device to you was because it will not work for your application. It requires a pretty high flow to make it work. Much more flow than you would want for a 12 gal. And to tell you the truth, I've never seen flow that I liked come out of a SCWD. It takes so much energy to do the switching one side to the other, that the flow coming out of it is dismal. Also, it often switches sides too fast. It just starts to create a good flow when it switches and has to start all over to create a decent current within the tank.

As JFinch pointed out in the other thread, good flow in one direction is not all that bad. Yet it was he that showed us the "Poormans Wavemaker". It is awesome. Perhaps I should call it the "Tidal Flow Maxijet". There are four advantages:
 - The flow that comes out of that larger hole where the nozzle is cut off is actually stronger.
 - The directional flow changes by 90 degrees each switch.
 - The frequency of switching is set by you. (I like it to mimick the tides, switching every 6 hours.
 - The Maxijet is the only pump I know of that can handle the on-off cycle without wearing out or failing prematurely.

This strong flow from opposing directions is a benefit because coral need water flow from one direction for long enough to wash away their waste and bring them food and then need the same from the other direction. Dana Riddle extolled the benefits of this in his first book, The Captive Reef.


Your interest in coming up with something revolutionary is admirable. Keep at it.


Edited by Mark Peterson - January 16 2009 at 9:29am

I'm very familiar with a 555. Luckily I'm a electronics tech/engineer. But the 555 or 666 will only do one time cycle period. A micro process would allot complete programming of lighting and water controll for a complete seasonal cycles. I've been thinking about messing with one on my bored time.

The ocean cycle is the lunar cycle or to make it simpler, the tides. There are programs for that somewhere. But we have found that the tank doesn't need it that special. Just set it to alternate 4x/day, approximately every six hours is how often the tide changes direction.

jfinch wrote: Teach me about the timer (I'm a chem e not ee, know little about circuit design, but really like this stuff).  I built a circuit in the past to control a servo using it, but I just following someone else's schematic.  I'm partial to relays mainly 'cause that's what I know.  I don't know about ocean cycles, but I think if you could just make it cycle you'd be doing better then most.

The reason for both transistors also, is they have over current protection in must of them...