scwd"s

[jelwyoming]

Can anyone share with me there experience with setting up alternating flows? Is it benificial? I have a wavemaker on a 60g that I am not sure is worth expense. I am setting up a 130g now and am wondering if a SCWD on my sump return is a good investment. My alternative is just to make a ported return header that spays along the whole back (or possilbly a ring.).
Opinions?

[asmujica]

Well, it will make your pump that is powering it loose about 50% flow. Also, it is clogged easily and you can not open it to dislodge it.

[jelwyoming]

Good point. What do you use instead?

[asmujica]

I bought a Tunze Stream 6000, it had variable output which created a nice variety in flow in the tank.

There are quite a few products now that divert the flow to different outlets with little head loss, they are not quite cheap though.

Here you can look at one that will probably give you the effect you are looking for
www.oceansmotion.com

[jelwyoming]

Those sound great, but too expensive for me. I was thinking of putting in a pair of Seio 1100's and leave it at that...plenty of flow but now variation.

[Ironsheikh]

they dont clog easily if you run it after mechanical cleaning --anyway -- #1, i love the idea #2 I had it hooked up after my rena xp3 canister and it sucked for out put. #3 so I made pvc spray bars and have it running intank after my cap2200 pump, but again it isnt strong enough to reaqch the bottom of the tank in a 75g

so really, unless you have like 3 scwds running off a huge pump and construct some sort of pvc set up kind of like those oceans motions they suck for big tanks --probably only good for 10 -55gallons

the idea of it is great though--wish it didnt cut flow so bad.

i was even considering making something I call the wave cube --you could put it in tank coming from a submersible pump then then construct pvc box w/spray bars elbows shooting water in all directions cover it up w/ live rock


i used to own an eheim 2229 canister --that thing acted great as a natural wavemaker. it fills up and the tanklevel drops about an inch in my 60 then it shoots all the water out in a big surge and repeats --very nice but it would effect my hang on skimmers bubble level and its only good for bio filtration so I sold it