Advice on surge devices.

[Sm51498]

I'm looking into seting up a 20 long as a bit of a grow out tank and i got to thinking about doing it with only a surge device for flow. I'm thinking of a reverse carlson device as it would allow me to do it with out a dump tank and I could set it up in an aio style tank and the length would really accent the surge wave.

I'm looking for people that have experience with running a tank with only a surge device for flow and Any thoughts? Design tips? How does one size the surge device correctly?

It's a pretty freaking easy thing to build and an air pump is super low wattage so cheap to run for massive flow. I just think this would be cool to try.

 

[Rick.45cal]

Following along. The big Carlson surge makers at the aquarium in Waikiki are amazing devices. I've always wanted to build one

 

[Tori]

Following! This sounds interesting

 

[Sm51498]

So To keep this thread at the top and provide some useful info. Here is an example of the reverse carlson device:


This is a rather large device and not likely to be what I need for a 20 gallon but a good way to do this with PVC. I will likely use a long thin Tupperware type container for the surge vessel.

These work through a siphon the same as a Carlson device but as you might expect from the name, in reverse. you submerge the device filling it with water and then pump air in. once the air pushes down far enough the air is forced out through the stand pipe by the water pressure and the device fires, violently refilling with water.
This video demonstrates it. I will need to work on quieting this down considerably but I don't think that will be too big of a challenge.

 

[Rick.45cal]

That's interesting I have never seen a reverse design like that, it doesn't generate the same kind of surge as the orginal carlson devices.

For anyone who is interested in what the carlson devices at the waikiki aquarium "coral farm" are like here is a video of them. There is also a very interesting internal standpipe design at about 2:40 seconds into the video from the aquarium in Atlanta. It might be interesting to use on a tank. (I guess I don't see the benefits of the reverse design).


Not trying to derail your thread, just trying to add a little background to it. Carry on!

 

[Sm51498]

If you use a low baffle in front of the device, it creates more of a wave. If I can get this built, I will post video of it.

Not derailing, good info!

 

[Rick.45cal]

Ok, that makes sense! Do you have a solution for the violent burp of air and salt spray that it's going to generate?

 

[Sm51498]

I will be using an iterative design process to overcome that challenge. I have a few ideas for silencers but I will need to test to see what ultimately works. I also will use a better design to start. The longer the straight pipe at the bottom is, the more water will need to be purged. Limiting that will allow the system to fire with less water in the air stream.

 

[CC13]

I will be using an iterative design process to overcome that challenge. I have a few ideas for silencers but I will need to test to see what ultimately works. I also will use a better design to start. The longer the straight pipe at the bottom is, the more water will need to be purged. Limiting that will allow the system to fire with less water in the air stream.

Was this ever made? Interested to see if it worked and how it was designed to prevent the violent burp of air and salt spray

 

[MRRBW]

I know it's not necessarily a surge device, but the x-aqua in/out gives a pulse via the return. For a 20g long I think this may be interesting. I am getting one assembled for my IM 25