The next endeavor that I am still working on is the Wave2k from the company Wave2k. This device is also shown in the section graphic above. I am excited  about the Wave2k's potential to keep particles in suspension, specifically food particles, Zooplankton and Phytoplankton. I am setting up a Mono Specific tank consisting of Gorgonian as well as Dendronepthea.
The tank will be bare bottom, with only shelving exposed and it will consist of some live rock, however I'm not sure where I will locate that. One of the interesting features of the Wave2K is that it has ejection points at the top and bottom of the device. So in operation a surge pushes along the water surface like a wave, and then one at the base of the unit, and in my case the base of the tank. In some initial experiments I was able to keep detritus suspended in the tank for hours.
I'll be excited to see what kind of results I get when the tank is stocked. Below is a photo of a Gorgonia colony inside a 110 gallon tank. The surface of the water resembles chop in a tide pool. Even with the Gorgonia unsecured, the branches were thrashed back in forth like on the reef. This will create an ideal environment for the Dendronepthea as well as the Gorgonia. By keeping food in suspension as well as great circulation for the branches and polyps which typically encourages the coral to extend the polyps and feed.
I'll be posting some mpg moves to this section so people can take a look at  these devices in operation. Neither unit was complicated or time consuming to install. Once this system is complete, I plan to revisit the current issues in the Zoanthus and Sponge tanks where the Ocean Currents had originally been installed. Because I feel they were undersized I had sold them and I am awaiting a new piece of hardware made by an independent company called ReefTec. This unit is assembled in acrylic and works on a readily available pump that will take a few minutes to modify.
 Adding the propeller to the pump creates an entirely different output pattern, and is said to more resemble ocean waves than the laminar flow from a powerhead. I have ordered two units and expect them in by the end of the first quarter in 2003. I believe from what I have read these will be perfectly suited for a 110 gallon system. I'm certain that my Zoanthus tank will benefit from the strong flow. The other tank I plan to use this on is one consisting of primarily sponges, I'm not so sure what the result may be in that circumstance. Sponges do enjoy high water turnover but not necessarily high flow so this is yet to be determined. If this unit moves too much water I will move it to a system designed for Large Polyp Stonys.
The last device I look forward to working with (however have not ordered yet) is the Stream from Tunze. The stream is said to outperform the ReefTec by so much that the current model is not recommended for small tanks 100 gallons. A new model is on the horizon however. I feel the ReefTec will suite my needs for my smaller 110 systems, and I will be purchasing two Tunze Streams for the two 140 gallon systems. The  Tunze allows you to modify the intensity of the output as well as the cycle time. The unit is always running, but you could have it run at 50% capacity for a portion of the day, or two so it resembles the different current that corals are exposed to during the tidal fluctuations throughout the day. I am assuming these products will make way for many others over the next two to three years and bring a whole new level of performance in the way of water circulation to the home aquarium. |
