“Budget” wave maker

[Tathamet]

You can buy the 3D printed random flow generators online fairly easily. You don’t need to print them yourself. Most of my lfs offer them too.

also take a look at the hydor Flo. It hooks up to a pump like you’re referring to and spins/spreads the flow in all directions around the tank. @Nano sapiens brought it to my attention a few days ago and seems to have been using one successfully in their 12g nano for years. It’s pretty cheap too.

 

[Soren]

3D printing is kind of out of the equation here, but I see the idea. So I guess those pumps only provide static and concentrated flow in the tank? Was is enough to cover the tank? Or did you need multiple pumps to do so.

Flow will be static unless the nozzles are made to move to allow for random flow. Concentrated or spread flow is controlled by nozzle shape.

In my QT with pumps instead of wave makers, I put one near the top back of the tank on the left and one near the lower front of the right of the tank to generate circulation, but flow was not very random except where the circulation crossed over with the flow out of the HOB filter and had some random turbulence. I only have fish and hermit crabs in the QT, so specific flow characteristics were not really important.

I have not yet printed and utilized nozzles to control the flow, though I have plans some day to do so.