Long tanks: what is your wave maker configuration?

[Willbiker]

Those of you who have long tanks..

1) What wave makers do you have?
2) On what mode/speed?
3) Positioned where?

I'm struggling to get the correct flow in my 6 foot tank viewable from 3 sides and would love to know what your setups are

Thanks!

 

[saltyfins]

Those of you who have long tanks..

1) What wave makers do you have?
2) On what mode/speed?
3) Positioned where?

I'm struggling to get the correct flow in my 6 foot tank viewable from 3 sides and would love to know what your setups are

Thanks!

I swear I was JUST going to post this! I lost my Jebao crossflow wave maker...but have 2 other power heads...super strong. Trying to decide if I should buy another crossflow or not. can be pretty busy in there as it is. Have mine on the back, one angled upwards, and one down...ish. seems ok, but I am not sure either...planning on coffee and youtube soon.

 

[Willbiker]

I swear I was JUST going to post this! I lost my Jebao crossflow wave maker...but have 2 other power heads...super strong. Trying to decide if I should buy another crossflow or not. can be pretty busy in there as it is. Have mine on the back, one angled upwards, and one down...ish. seems ok, but I am not sure either...planning on coffee and youtube soon.

Great minds think alike! Do you create a gyre with your 2 remaining powerheads? Are they on random mode?

 

[saltyfins]

Great minds think alike! Do you create a gyre with your 2 remaining powerheads? Are they on random mode?

well, they're just powerheads...not wave makers. so for now, until my new one arrives....I'm just hoping for the best and trying to not blast everything. You?

 

[Willbiker]

Ah cool. Ive just put in to my 6 foot tank a cross flow at one end at the top and a wave maker at the other. Both blasting across the surface clashing above my sps. Crossflow is pulsing on 40% and the other wave maker turns on and off in 5 second increments at 10%.

I cant turn them up any higher without it moving the sand from the centre to the end. I also get single directional flow which I cant seem to avoid. I wondered how others deal with flow in a long tank.

 

[saltyfins]

Ah cool. Ive just put in to my 6 foot tank a cross flow at one end at the top and a wave maker at the other. Both blasting across the surface clashing above my sps. Crossflow is pulsing on 40% and the other wave maker turns on and off in 5 second increments at 10%.

I cant turn them up any higher without it moving the sand from the centre to the end. I also get single directional flow which I cant seem to avoid. I wondered how others deal with flow in a long tank.

my crossflow, was my wave maker, and it didnt even last a year. prior to, I had it at the upper end and shooting about 2-3 inches above the rocks...make everything wave, and seem pretty happy. I considered 2, but then I feel I'd be mopping up a lot of water. So the "plan" is to repeat that...put new one back on the end...and then keep the powerhead at the other end...plus probably add another one somewhere else, I'm just not sure yet. I ran mine about 20% and still found dead spots at the other end, but if I turned it up, complete sandstorm. which is why I added the other powerhead.

 

[Willbiker]

How long is your tank. How was the other powerhead positioned? How close to the surface was the crossflow?

Sounds like you had it spot on. I cant get any form of wave action from my lps. Torch is either one direction or not moving. I want to achieve the sway like you said but just can't get it to sway.

 

[jblasi]

I have a 6 foot peninsula as well. I have 2 MP60’s and 2 MP40’s. They are positioned on the ends of the tank alternating each other. They are set on nutrient transport during the day and they create random wave patterns which my acros love. Below I posted a picture of how it looks. Yes there are pumps on one side of viewing but it works awesome.

 

[Willbiker]

Looks fantastic! When you say they alternate, do you have both left on then both right on? Or do you create a swirl around the tank by having one from each end on?

 

[jblasi]

Looks fantastic! When you say they alternate, do you have both left on then both right on? Or do you create a swirl around the tank by having one from each end on?

If one power head is up high, on the other end of the tank it’s towards the bottom. Yes all pumps are on at the same time. I guess you could say it creates something of a swirl.

 

[Matt1997]

On both my 5’ peninsulas all flow is on the overflow side. 3 mp40s on the sps dominant tank and 2 neros on the mixed tank.

 

[315wall]

I have a 7 x 3 x 2 tank and I use 3 Gyre's (3k,4k,3k) across the back, my tank is viewable on two sides, with the overflow on one of the 3' sides. Plenty of flow but just starting to grow corals.

 

[SteveG_inDC]

I've been struggling with this too. I have a 6 ft. tank viewable on 3 sides and do not want junk on the viewing panes.

It's a relatively new tank, no corals yet, so I'm ramping up slowly with flow to figure things out with my aquascape. I have deep sand (don't ask), so I have an extra challenge.

My configuration right now is a single Tunze 6255 on the non-viewing side (coast to coast side overflow). I also have two returns which actually supply a lot of steady flow. Each is attached to a separate Mag 12 right below the tank and provides a constant stream. The Tunze is on a high-low pulse. So all three sources are coming from near the top on one side. They actually create a powerful top left to top right gyre that returns along the bottom.

Trying to figure out if this will be enough, but following this thread to see if I'm the only one pushing all the flow from one side.

 

[Willbiker]

On both my 5’ peninsulas all flow is on the overflow side. 3 mp40s on the sps dominant tank and 2 neros on the mixed tank.

What type of flow patten do you get? Are they all pushing in one direction?

 

[User1]

Personal opinion here but with longer or wider tanks they are a good fit for Gyres. You can get a pretty steady surface flow with rolling water effects about half way depending on the side. Opposite sides it is even better. Gyres are wide so you get a wider water movement compared to prop type wave makers since they are smaller, round, etc.

Flow is a bit of a challenge and it will change as the tank matures. Corals grow, fill in space, reach new heights, and every part of it breaks flow. Flow is part of the tanks maintenance at least in my opinion because of this and needs to be watched for success.

I do not have as large of a tank as mine is only 210 gallons but it is 54 x 30 x 30. So not really wide but I use two larger XF 250 gyres. Two built in programs are more than enough but I also rotate through manual and automatic (timer) settings. Usually after a cleaning of the units do I need to swap to a single unit or pair them up at lower power.

I'm also partial to Sea Swirls and use two of those with random flow nozzles.

 

[Willbiker]

Personal opinion here but with longer or wider tanks they are a good fit for Gyres. You can get a pretty steady surface flow with rolling water effects about half way depending on the side. Opposite sides it is even better. Gyres are wide so you get a wider water movement compared to prop type wave makers since they are smaller, round, etc.

Flow is a bit of a challenge and it will change as the tank matures. Corals grow, fill in space, reach new heights, and every part of it breaks flow. Flow is part of the tanks maintenance at least in my opinion because of this and needs to be watched for success.

I do not have as large of a tank as mine is only 210 gallons but it is 54 x 30 x 30. So not really wide but I use two larger XF 250 gyres. Two built in programs are more than enough but I also rotate through manual and automatic (timer) settings. Usually after a cleaning of the units do I need to swap to a single unit or pair them up at lower power.

I'm also partial to Sea Swirls and use two of those with random flow nozzles.

I agree the gyre is best for peninsula tanks. I only have 1. Do the two you have work together or against?

How do you achieve multi directional flow? My torches , kenya trees etc just lean to one side. I have put another wave maker at the other end pointing across the surface which causes turbulence but I cant get the direction of flow to be random. I may get a second cross flow pump and have them alternate in 1 or 2 minute Intervals

 

[User1]

I agree the gyre is best for peninsula tanks. I only have 1. Do the two you have work together or against?

How do you achieve multi directional flow? My torches , kenya trees etc just lean to one side. I have put another wave maker at the other end pointing across the surface which causes turbulence but I cant get the direction of flow to be random. I may get a second cross flow pump and have them alternate in 1 or 2 minute Intervals

The gyres are unique compared to other pumps due to how it can be placed and blade use. You get the random flow either by using different water movement modes or a properly setup unit and oceanic gyre cycle (OCG). That alone is one of the more interesting aspects of users with this system in that they don't properly use OCG. If you look at the pattern you will notice that it requires a different blade and cage as it will run in reverse. Just one example. If it isn't placed or positioned properly you will shoot water out of the tank or it does nothing and only runs half the time...

When I run OGC I have to swap blades and cages. Other than that it is a matter of testing the gyre in your tank with placement and power while using the different modes such as pulsing, gradual, and random. If you have two then the linked up modes are what give you the left, right, and other forms of alternating current.

It can be as simple as automatic mode with A running pulsing and B set to 0 so you get one side working and pulsing. Then an hour later or more you can switch to B running the pulsing and A set to 0. Now the other side is working.

Not sure if this makes any sense but while they are great and move a lot of water they are a bit tricky to get set up initially. Once set though it works great and only a matter of maintenance.

 

[Willbiker]

Any other peninsular tank owners care to share?

 

[Thetankdoctor]

My tank is in wall. But it is 8' long I use 4 wav pumps. 2 on each size opposing each other. I use the stock apex settings for them both and it works excellent. I also have an oceans motions 8 way on my return and that alone creates a TON of flow in my tank. I cannot recommend the oceans motions enough. That being said I am pushing 7000gph with my return. So I have a ton of flow and movement to be honest in a 6' tank 2 or 3 wav pumps would be perfect.

 

[Willbiker]

My tank is in wall. But it is 8' long I use 4 wav pumps. 2 on each size opposing each other. I use the stock apex settings for them both and it works excellent. I also have an oceans motions 8 way on my return and that alone creates a TON of flow in my tank. I cannot recommend the oceans motions enough. That being said I am pushing 7000gph with my return. So I have a ton of flow and movement to be honest in a 6' tank 2 or 3 wav pumps would be perfect.

Sounds like an awesome setup. Are all 4 wave makers on at the same time or do you alternate?