Best product to alternate & agitate water flow

[jaydub74]

I'm setting up a new system complete with closed loop.
What product or products should I be considering to alternate and agitate the water?

[dustins]

I think the OceansMotions products are great (4 way or squirt etc.). Ive also seen Hydors recommended alot. Or you could go with a wavemaker device such as the Red Sea Wavemaster.

[jaydub74]

Thanks Dustins.
We should almost make this into a pole. What do others think.

Oceanmotions:
Squirt:
SQWD:
Hydors:
Wavemaker device:


What is everyones preference and why?

[Brenden]

I also like the OceansMotions.

[chrisd1009]

OM 4 way

[jaydub74]

What about SQWD's, I understand these to the same thing as oceanmotions but without the need of electricity.

What is the downside?

[pledosophy]

I use my hydors on a DIY wavemaker. O.K. it's a couple of $8 timers from target but they go down to ten minute intervals. :D

[jaydub74]

Who makes hydros and where can I read more about them online?

[sjm817]

SCWDs have huge flow restrictions, clog, stop switching, etc. Not a great product, but they are cheap. OM are far superior, serious equipment, not cheap toys.

[Sk8r]

I use the Sea Swirl, medium cost, good effect in a pie-slice sweep, durable and easy to install.

[pledosophy]

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=HD01401

[jaydub74]

The Sea Swirl seems to do the same thing as hydros only the Sea Swils are electrically automated.

pledosophy what size of tank & type of animals are you keeping? and what kind of flow can those hydros handle?

I would like to keep a full reef will these provide the kind of flow I need?

[plandy]

The interesting part about reef technology that no single system fits best for every case. You need to take into consideration the aquarium configuration, bio-life you are planning to raise, maintenance, barebottom or sand, and - budget :D

Personally I chose ocean motion's four way/revolving nozzle squirts and Tunze's water pump/controller. They fit my needs best.

[tkeracer619]

OM all the way. Great product.

[hahnmeister]

Tunze Streams and the Tunze Wavebox

Also the Sea-Swirls and WavySea units.

[pledosophy]

Hydors can go up to 310 gph. I have kept them in several systems, including seahorse, softie prop tank, lps tank, sps tank, mixed reef. Kept with several different species of fish. Kind of bulky on a PH IMO. They are able to connect directly to a bulkhead with a plubing attachment IME.

I just like the random flow they provide. Whether or not they could handle all of the flow depends on the size of tank. I have always used in conjuction with some other flow as well.

JME

[Ooulophilia]

if you have the cash, look into electronically actuated ball valves (Hayward) - there are ways to hook them up to wavemaker power strips. Probably the most high end way to do it

[daveverdo]

Anyone know if the Hydors can fit on a maxijet1200 (300gph)?

Dave

[plandy]

"Anyone know if the Hydors can fit on a maxijet1200 (300gph)?"

Yes they can fit on any maxijet.

[hahnmeister]

I scored a Hayward actuator and 3-way valve on ebay for cheap ($50 compared to the usual $350-400 for one, and you still need the power strip). I would not consider it as good of a product as the Oceansmotions. The only advantages of it are that it is an absolute on or off valve, and powerful enough to run flow eductors w/o wear on the motor. OTOH, they are not quiet, and they are large. When they switch, they make a loud 'whirr/buzz', then a 'click/snap' into place. Its a powerful motor with a mechanical swingarm trigger system like to stop it every 90 degrees. If you have a basement sump room or 'tank room', or something to insulate the noise from the actuator, great... you will need it. It also isnt small... the actuator itself is as large or larger than 90% of the Oceans Motions products. This may or may not be a problem for many since its external, but all that space, and it only has two exits? The oceansmotions is still the better buy.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8494532#post8494532 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ooulophilia
if you have the cash, look into electronically actuated ball valves (Hayward) - there are ways to hook them up to wavemaker power strips. Probably the most high end way to do it

[jaydub74]

Thanks all I think I may consider the oceanmotions as they seem to have the best following.

I appreciate everyones comments

[hahnmeister]

I would say that Tunzes have the best following actually...

[xtrstangx]

Closed loop with Oceans Motions
Return pump through a Sea Swirl
Tunze pumps on a multicontroller

Thats about as random as you can get... if your tank is big enough, get a Tunze wavebox (6' tank necesary I believe)

[hahnmeister]

You can put a wavebox on a 50g (3' long) FWIW.

My suggestion would be to mind the overall flow. While the three methods mentioned by xtrstangx used together would make for many random timed combinations in flow, many of them would be in fact working against each other at any given time and cancel each other out. Rather than have 10 outlets with random outlets and directions, it would be better to just have 2 or 3 that move the water back and forth. After all, in nature, waves go back and forth, and in a rather steady interval... not north, east, south, up, west north, west, sideways... lol.

I would also suggest using fewer, larger pumps/outlets rather than many smaller ones. I have a friend with dual hammerheads on a 210g. Thats over 10,000gph, but with 20 outlets all around the tank, the overall flow is much less than a single 1000gph pump would provide for the tank. Many of the outlets are less than 500gph and intersect each other's paths. The tank is rather calm overall. If those two pumps each only had one or two outlets each... whoah... that tank would be a whirlpool.

[samsfishnchips]

thread ? Best product to alternate & agitate water flow, well that's simple wavebox, no thing currently can do what it does, eliminates 100& dead spots,

the rest is just opinion, for example hahnmeister's comments about flow, nice idea supported

while you can see another with the opposite idea supported

go figure,

good night

sam

[jaydub74]

Do you need less or more flow if you decide to go bar bottom?