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Surge tanks? Ala Tropical Paradise?

Vincerama2

Vincerama2

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Remember the surge tanks at Tropical Paradise? (Yes, of course you do!)

Has anyone tried to DIY one? I'm thinking of giving it a shot... They were so cool. I'm sure the sounds will eventually drive me insane, but it was just so very cool! I have a nice sturdy shelf next to my tank that I think can easily hold a tank off to the side and above my tank.

Any other DIY surges devices built by any BAR members?

Anyone know what this particular type of device is called? (So I can "google" it?)

V
 
I remember them well! They were sweet and I wish my wife would have let me set one up, but the noise .... They were a great design, which I kinda,sorta remember but not sure of any name they had. It was essentially an inverted /. As the water returned to the surge tank it would eventuall fill the / and create a siphon inside - stoping once the shorter end started to suck air ...
 
For another example on a smaller scale, Lucky Goldfish in Oakland has one on it's main display tank. I don't recall it being very noisy; but, it's only spilling into one tank.

At least you could study that one and talk to Hunter about how it was built and how it works.

Best of luck,

Roy
 
Calson Surge Devices.

There's plenty of plans on the net, and the concept is simple. I'll bring one to show you at the next meeting, if you'd like.
 
Ahh yes my foray into surges. I tried the flush valve one personally, and got a design down that released miniscule amounts of bubbles into the tank (usually none), still had the sound problems but I think that's a given. Andy has a siphon (TP kind) of surge I believe, it produces a ton of bubbles but I dont think he cares terribly much about that. When my tanks go downstairs definately going to be looking back into the surge dept :)
 
Here's a breig google for yah :D

http://www.masla.com/reef/csm.html

http://www.homestead.com/geosreef/surgediy.html

http://ozreef.org/component/option,com_weblinks/catid,88/Itemid,4/

http://avdil.gtri.gatech.edu/RCM/RCM/Aquarium/CirculationSystem.html

http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/surge_device.html

http://www.breedersregistry.org/Reprints/MFM/v11_aug96/simple_surge.htm

http://www.tidalgardens.com/greenhouse.html (nice greenhouse!)

http://www.aquatouch.com/surge_b.htm
 
Eddie made his surges a bit differently the Carlson Surge Device original plans. Eddie made his using a 45 at the top of the "bell" so it would span the tank. That makes it breach a bit easier, making for a quieter (relative) surge. It's still pretty loud.

We can always go take a look at ASAP's at the next meeting I'm sure. Eddie made it for them ;)
 
I think I once had a movie of my surge in action in a thread on RC, unfortunately the search function has become practically useless there so finding it won't be easy. I checked various directories and the only one thing I can find is a picture of the whole setup in my junk room, it doesn't really show much except the overall plumbing.

surgemk1.jpg
 
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=5cffda39239c0706d08890c82a50ed17&threadid=507732&perpage=25&highlight=surge%20movie&pagenumber=4

The link to your movie is on page 4. It didn't work for me; but, maybe you'll use it to figure out what you called it and where you saved it.

Best of luck,

Roy

PS: This was my second attempt to post this info for you, the first time, this forum caused me to lose everything I had typed. http://www.bareefers.org/bar/viewtopic.php?p=5019&sid=239c7d2c6b2bca5ca8feb8fd2bbfeb19#5019
 
There's another design we used to talk about at BARE meetings using a solenoid valve, I think a guy named Greg who used to be in BARE actually built one, but I never got a chance to drive up and look at it.

Simply put:

Have a container above the tank, connected to a solenoid controlled valve. Keep the outlet submerged, and have a float switch that controls the valve actuation. Never allow the water level to drop below the outlet from the container, and never let the outlet of the surge come out of the water.

This should result in a bubble free, fairly quiet surge tank.

Drawback? Those valves aren't cheap. I tried one with a Home Depot $19.99 lawn care system valve but I couldn't get the valve to open with the power sources I tried. I wasn't going to pony up for the whole system, and didn't put much effort into it.
 
And the seals don't last for ever on them either :D Most tend to last two years or so.

I used to work for the premier surge aquarium builder around (no longer in business). We did a 1/4 million dollar job for a restuarant that was a 680 display with a 300g surge "fuge". The surge was divided into two, but with a electronic BV connecting them so you could have one giant surge. Those two outputs went to a couple 3 way EBV that each went to their own EBV, although a few t'd off into 2 EBV. All in all I think it had 15 EBV and 5 3 way EBV. All of this was run via a controller built in house, and run on software designed in house. The funnest part was making programs. I loved the flow controll it offerred.

Greg had a nice set-up, I just bought that tank/stand/canopy :D

Chris (H20Engineer) on RC who lives up in Napa also has such a set-up.
 
can someone please post the spec to build the surge tank? looks like noone has an extra 10g that I can buy back. Do you know where I can get a "cheap" 10g plexi tank. TIA
 
I helped build some of the surge tanks at TP and I think between all of us, we might have a fun, DIY roundtable coming up. I've been meaning to revisit the Calfo style O/F DIY anyway.
 
A surge would be a nice DIY, I could do one, although just have not had the time/effort/desire to set one up (that and I don't have the bulkheads).

As for the Calfo overflow? Bah, external coast to coast overflow! why waste prescous tank space. :D
 
[quote author=bookfish link=topic=564.msg15608#msg15608 date=1170821318]
I helped build some of the surge tanks at TP and I think between all of us, we might have a fun, DIY roundtable coming up. I've been meaning to revisit the Calfo style O/F DIY anyway.
[/quote]

DIY surge tank would be really cool. ;D
 
I know where a few surges are that I could bring as examples of how some people do the Carlson Surge. We could also invite Chris down from Napa, he's king at this kind of thing :D After all, he is a stationary engineer :D
 
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