![]() How- ever, they do have a problem with adding bubbles to the tank during surge initiation. A smaller version of the device may be easily built by most hobbyist. The Carlson Surge device is a good example. The syphon surge system is more popular and practical for the home aquarium. ‘The Reef Aquarium’, Vol 1, page 160 describes some of the problems with dump buckets. They are generally impractical for small home aquariums but have been used with success by large public aquariums where they can be accounted for in the system design and maintenance schedules. The device can have problems, most of which involve maintenance and splashing. One is described by Delbeek and Sprung in ‘The Reef Aquarium’, Vol 1, page 148. The dump bucket system has been used in conjunction with turf scrubbers as well as tank wave motion generators. There are two basic surge designs: the dump bucket and the syphon surge. Often there are two surges, one on either side of the aquarium and this has the effect of creating wave energy that runs back and forth across the length of the aquarium. This cycle continues over and over and is the basis for creating waves.Īs the water enters the aquarium from the surge tank it tends to be very turbulent throughout and this turbulence is much appreciated by our inverts and fish. When all or nearly all of the water has left the surge tank this same mechanism will shut flow off and the tank will begin to fill again. A mechanism is used to cause the start of water flow out of the tank and into the aquarium and is usually based on water level in the surge tank. The greater the height of the surge tank above the display tank the more energy there is available to the surge flow (and the larger the pump needs to be for the same fill flow rate). The device itself is a water holding tank located some distance above the aquarium water line that is supplied by a pump pushing water up from either the aquarium or a sump. The action is in bursts or pulses of high flow rate water into the aquarium and this produces a wave- like effect. The purpose of a surge device is to introduce into the aquarium a measured amount of water for a relatively short period of time after which there is no flow for another (usually longer) period of time. I hope this page will help you to build one if you are so inclined.įor more information on wave energy use by corals see the following link. Finally the use of this wavemaker will be described along with some helpful hints. This page will briefly discuss surge devices in general and will present my design of a DIY wavemaker I call ‘The WavePulse’ that as been in operation on my (and others) tank for several years. In the reefkeeping hobby there are two ways to create wave motion: wavemakers and surge devices. For more information about wave motion and wavemakers as it relates to our aquariums see the following link. The only way to satisfy both requirements is through some mechanism that will vary the rate of water movement past the animals. The first requires relatively slow or even still water motion while the second requires rather brisk, turbulent water flow. Unfortunately these two requirements need different types of water motion. However, pulsed wave motion is more efficient and provides added benefits for inverts and fish.Ĭorals, sponges, anemones and other marine invertebrates have two requirements related to water motion:ġ) They need to capture food from the water column. Many hobbyist use their main return with submersible pumps running continuously to provide this water motion. It behooves the hobbyist to create this same water motion.įor the captive system, water motion is important for moving food around and in preventing local dead spots that can build-up toxins. The natural reef enviro- nment sways in the ‘breeze’ caused by surface waves and under-tows and the fish and invertebrates that evolved there depend on such action. Even fish do better in this environment as dead food products appear to come to life and they are forced to regain balance in the changing currents.įrom my own experience I can attest to the effectiveness of such devices. It has been known for some time that marine invertebrates such as corals, sponges and anemones do better in an aquariums outfitted with some form of wavemaker or surge device.
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