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Pump on a timer. DIY wave maker.


Joshifer

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Picked this up for $6 at harbor freight was in the clearance bin.

 

Think If I set this on a timer. On 5 mins off 5 mins. Or shorter intervals I'll get some random flow? Or waves. Or am i gonna turn my 6G into a toilet bowl. It has an attachment looks like a funnel. Might. Make the flow wider. f6efb27867c775cb0f6316fd9fc271bf.jpg

Edited by Joshifer
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The main things I would consider here are; 

-the extra heat added to the water (since it's a small volume it might be an issue)

-how often the strainer/filter will become clogged

-whether or not the flow can be diffused or aimed the way you want

-available room in the tank

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The main things I would consider here are;

-the extra heat added to the water (since it's a small volume it might be an issue)

-how often the strainer/filter will become clogged

-whether or not the flow can be diffused or aimed the way you want

-available room in the tank

I'm already using two of these. 92GPH each. Facing each other. Was gonna remove both and use this one.

 

They don't heat the tank up very much. Quiet. Haven't clogged yet in the month I've been using them but the cover comes off and just clean it under the sink.

 

the flow is adjustable. As for aiming. Their is none. It's just straight across the top bouncing off the walls.

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I would guess it wouldn't last long with on and off... most AC pumps will start backwards sometimes and also wear out quickly... but for $6 give it a try

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I love HF. I have gotten pumps from there, which did very well for refugium returns (with a high flow sump return). They have lasted probably 8 or 9 years; one cracked at the output because of the way I screwed in a pvc piece, but still, it works.

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I would guess it wouldn't last long with on and off... most AC pumps will start backwards sometimes and also wear out quickly... but for $6 give it a try

How does an AC pump reverse flow?

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I would guess it wouldn't last long with on and off... most AC pumps will start backwards sometimes and also wear out quickly... but for $6 give it a try

 

 

How does an AC pump reverse flow?

 

Most AC pumps don't reverse flow. The pump is designed to either tolerate turning in reverse or it restarts. In the former, the volute is shaped so that the impeller can turn either direction and still direct flow in the intended direction (as is the case with centrifugal pumps like the one Joshifer has shown above). Or, in the case of the latter (e.g. propeller pumps), there is an self-restart function built into the pump that stalls the pump if the impeller is turning the wrong direction to allow it to restart in the right direction (such as with Hydor's Koralia pumps).

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Picked this up for $6 at harbor freight was in the clearance bin.

 

Think If I set this on a timer. On 5 mins off 5 mins. Or shorter intervals I'll get some random flow? Or waves. Or am i gonna turn my 6G into a toilet bowl. It has an attachment looks like a funnel. Might. Make the flow wider. 

 

 

I can't imagine that you'd get "waves" from 5 minute intervals but you may change flow so that you have two specific patterns. If there's a dead zone in both patterns, it will remain dead, though. A nozzle, if properly designed, will make flow wider. If used with loc-line, you can even direct it.

 

The pump that you've pictured looks like it's intended to sit on the bottom of a tank, not stuck to a wall. If you have sand in the tank, be aware that those suction cups can easily fail leading to the powerhead dropping into the sand and blowing it all around, or banging around while hanging from a power cord. Power heads like the maxijet often come with a hanger that allows you to mechanically hang the pump on the side to avoid this. Other, more expensive pumps, often come with magnetic attachments to secure those to the glass pane.

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I can't imagine that you'd get "waves" from 5 minute intervals but you may change flow so that you have two specific patterns. If there's a dead zone in both patterns, it will remain dead, though. A nozzle, if properly designed, will make flow wider. If used with loc-line, you can even direct it.

 

The pump that you've pictured looks like it's intended to sit on the bottom of a tank, not stuck to a wall. If you have sand in the tank, be aware that those suction cups can easily fail leading to the powerhead dropping into the sand and blowing it all around, or banging around while hanging from a power cord. Power heads like the maxijet often come with a hanger that allows you to mechanically hang the pump on the side to avoid this. Other, more expensive pumps, often come with magnetic attachments to secure those to the glass pane.

 

I must agree with Tom here that the little suction cups almost always fail and the last thing you want is a sand storm in your tank. You could use some egg create and lots of imagination to make a shelf for it and could potentially hang it on the side of the tank. 

 

Second issue I see with that pump as a wave-maker is the size of the nozzle to provide a broad-enough current, thus it might end up blasting a spot on the rockwork with 200 gph.

 

You could however place the pump somewhere in the tank and make a DIY flow diffuser from PVC pipes (HD has all sizes) and create some nice surface flow... Just an idea. This will also help aerate the water. 

 

Having said all of that, I must admit that I LOVE a good bargain and the challenge to make it work. 

Edited by Reefoholic
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I have only played around with waves a little in a 24 x 24 x 14 frag tank and it seems like the pulsing (on/off) of the pump had to be like 5 to 6 seconds. I assume the size of the tank makes a difference, bigger tank longer pulse?

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Vortech pumps pulse every 10 seconds in my 29 gal and they move quite a lot water around. However, I am not sure how to replicate that with a regular pump. Maybe try 10 sec too and see what happens then move it to the display tank?

 

Will there be rock work in front of the nozzle?

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I would guess it wouldn't last long with on and off... most AC pumps will start backwards sometimes and also wear out quickly... but for $6 give it a try

 

How does an AC pump reverse flow?

 

Most AC pumps don't reverse flow. The pump is designed to either tolerate turning in reverse or it restarts. In the former, the volute is shaped so that the impeller can turn either direction and still direct flow in the intended direction (as is the case with centrifugal pumps like the one Joshifer has shown above). Or, in the case of the latter (e.g. propeller pumps), there is an self-restart function built into the pump that stalls the pump if the impeller is turning the wrong direction to allow it to restart in the right direction (such as with Hydor's Koralia pumps).

 

I have a few Hydor Koralia propeller style pumps lying around and those are the worst when it comes to starting backwards. Maybe newer ones are better, I don't know, but every time we had a power flicker or if I turned the pumps off for some reason those things would start up and run backwards. I've even seen a couple in displays at pet stores running backwards. So for propeller pumps I think DC is the way to go but I have limited experience...Hydor, Jaebo, Marineland, Danner, Maxpsect & Ecotech...or well, maybe it's not that limited now that I  have typed those all those, but I haven't had any other brands and I've heard great things about some other brands.

 

In the Danner Mag centrifugal pumps they put a little rubber flapper thing in the volute which I assume is to compensate for possible impeller direction changes, so no troubles there. 

Edited by Rob A
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I have a few Hydor Koralia propeller style pumps lying around and those are the worst when it comes to starting backwards. Maybe newer ones are better, I don't know, but every time we had a power flicker or if I turned the pumps off for some reason those things would start up and run backwards. I've even seen a couple in displays at pet stores running backwards. So for propeller pumps I think DC is the way to go but I have limited experience...Hydor, Jaebo, Marineland, Danner, Maxpsect & Ecotech...or well, maybe it's not that limited now that I  have typed those all those, but I haven't had any other brands and I've heard great things about some other brands.

 

In the Danner Mag centrifugal pumps they put a little rubber flapper thing in the volute which I assume is to compensate for possible impeller direction changes, so no troubles there. 

If the Koralia didn't auto-correct, then the prop-stop was broken. It's supposed to have a stop in the front of the cage that stops the prop from rotating when it jumps forward (from reverse rotation). It's then drawn back into the cavity and starts again. They can chatter if they repeatedly rotate the wrong way. I once put a Koralia on a Red Sea Wavemaker (which turns the AC on/off) and quickly nixed that idea when, half the time, the pump would start in reverse, making one or more clacking noises before evening out. With that going on several times a minute, it was really annoying. The newer Koralias are DC, I believe.

 

AC motors can be designed for more reliable rotation (think of your power tools or Reeflo pumps or even a regular house fan), but the implementation is more complex and expensive, especially for magnetic drive. Pan World, for example, uses an AC motor with magnetic drive. 

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