DIY Wavebox! (With modded MJ)

[xenon]

I am VERY interested in doing this myself.

I would rather wait to see how yours holds up and how it performs with the $34 Taam MVT Wavemaker. If all goes well I am so building one out of black acrylic.

[Daemonfly]

Hrm, for such short duration timing, I beleive a rather simple 555 timer (very cheap IC chip) circuit driving a 120v relay (or solid state relay..) would work just fine for the timing. 555 timers are very versatile and can easily be built adjustable, yet still very cheap.

[smcnally]

Originally posted by natual
smcnally,

I am about to drill a 125 and putting in a wave-type box one of my goals I was just curious where is your overflow(s) located in relation to the back do you have dimensions? and How low is it from the lip on the plastic rim of the tank is the entrance of your overflow.
Is it a standard tank?
Lookin good!

My tank is a standard 125gal AGA with dual overflows in the back. I'm not sure of the distance from the lip of the overflow to the top of the tank, but I would guess maybe 1/2"

Originally posted by Daemonfly
Hrm, for such short duration timing, I beleive a rather simple 555 timer (very cheap IC chip) circuit driving a 120v relay (or solid state relay..) would work just fine for the timing. 555 timers are very versatile and can easily be built adjustable, yet still very cheap.

I thought of this too, but I thought the TAAM timer looked easy enough and it is only $34. All I want is something simple that doesn't make a loud relay click everytime it changes state.

[RandyStacyE]

Originally posted by scott324
Randy,

Thanks for the post. I didn't see any floats on the mod in this thread, did I miss something.

I also didn;t see any floats on the Tunze site...

Here is where I saw the float switches:
LINK

I found it on this page:
http://www.aquariumpros.ca/modules.p...&op=nextoldest

[funior]

helllo

what pomp You use ????

[rrodd89]

how is the pump doing i would think it would die real quick but you have had it for a few days how is it doing? any noise?

[crs751]

Just tagging along...great work on the box. Now I know what to do this weekend with some of my scrap acrylic.

[scrager]

what about using float switches in the box. high switch turns MJ on, low switch turns it off. no need for a timer at all and you always have the same levels even if the MJ performance degrades.

[smcnally]

rrodd89--I haven't had it in the tank for the last day. I need to get my new timer before I continue testing it. I'm not afraid of the MJ1200 failing. I think if anything fails it will be the propeller.

scrager--Using just float switches would be extremely difficult to calibrate. The timing has to be just right for it to produce waves.

[waverz]

Not that i know anything about electricity, but would a curcuilt similar to a strobe light has work? Wish strobes all you need to do is turn a knob to control how fast it turns on and off.

Kind of makes me want to tear apart my stobe light.....

[smcnally]

You can build a timer to control it. I'm not sure what a strobe light uses.

[Sentinal]

I have been following this thread with great interest. It is totally awesome what you have been able to accomplish so far. On your propeller casing mod have you ever considered modifying a Penductor? I know that they pretty much both do the same thing but I was thinking about water volume in and out. Just curious! Also could you give me an idea as to what thickness your acrylic is that you used? Also you might want to check out this site that CurrentSea has in regrads to timers.

http://www.currentsea.com/index.htm

There is another thread in Reef Central discussing this unit and its mods. Will try and track it down and send you the link!

[RandyStacyE]

I wouldn't necesarilly want to 'try this at home', but here is a basic variable speed strobe light:


I'd try and find a controller of some sort too rather than try and solder one of these unless someone found a cheapo to hack very easily.

[goda]

i did somthing like this using a magdrive and a 6 inch pvc tube on the intake i was more goofing aroudn then trying to build somthing but the effect was probobly similar ( i was plugging and unplugigng by hand so i didnt get a nice wave but it was still kinda cool .... till the impeller shattered )




i dont think a strobe will wrk because the strobe flash is always the same length . all you change is how often it flashes

[douggiestyle]

Originally posted by goda
i did somthing like this using a magdrive and a 6 inch pvc tube on the intake i was more goofing aroudn then trying to build somthing but the effect was probobly similar ( i was plugging and unplugigng by hand so i didnt get a nice wave but it was still kinda cool .... till the impeller shattered )




i dont think a strobe will wrk because the strobe flash is always the same length . all you change is how often it flashes

that and i believe all you are changing is the rate that the capacitor charges.

this is more of turn off then turn on. would likely need a timer and relay, if doing the electronic way. otherwise you could use a plain timer as long as it has the right resolution.

[Sentinal]

Here is the thread that I was referring to before. Interesting read, might help!


http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...5&pagenumber=1

[ieatqiue]

awesome thread.. ive been waiting too learn exactly how the tunze waveboxes worked for some time...

this is what im thinking..

a resivoir just like yours uses.. you could drill the tank to make the box hang on externally like an overflow..

no internal pump-

bulkhead from resivoir.. to pump.. to OM 2-way.. (this idea is only legitimate if the 2ways timing can be adjusted...) then..

2way - 1 to tank, 1 back into the wavebox...

swell no swell(

get it?

this basic design has the danger of slowly reducing its resivoir over time or whatever.. the kinks could be worked out....


i just throught of and wrote this in a very rushed manner.. so please excuse me if this is completely wrong hahaha...

just throwin it out there - frank

[ieatqiue]

i left out that there would have to be an adjustable valve between the tank and resevoir
..

[RandyStacyE]

I like the external box idea and that would be ideal to say the least. It could be particularly interesting for the DIY plywood tank builders. Acrylic tank builders too of course .

One Tunze pump/MJ mod should do the trick though.

[ieatqiue]

yea def.. would someone tell MJ to make some dc pumps.. i dont understand.... everyone wants cheap but relatively decent dc pumps to play around with.. wheres the supply?! damn!

[smcnally]

Originally posted by ieatqiue
this is what im thinking..

a resivoir just like yours uses.. you could drill the tank to make the box hang on externally like an overflow..

no internal pump-

bulkhead from resivoir.. to pump.. to OM 2-way.. (this idea is only legitimate if the 2ways timing can be adjusted...) then..

2way - 1 to tank, 1 back into the wavebox...

swell no swell(

get it?

this basic design has the danger of slowly reducing its resivoir over time or whatever.. the kinks could be worked out....


i just throught of and wrote this in a very rushed manner.. so please excuse me if this is completely wrong hahaha...

just throwin it out there - frank

That's pretty interesting. I was thinking the other day that if I moved, I would have my tank drilled and externally mount a nice large reservoir on the outside for a wavebox. I think an externally mounted box would work killer.

Originally posted by Sentinal
On your propeller casing mod have you ever considered modifying a Penductor? I know that they pretty much both do the same thing but I was thinking about water volume in and out. Just curious! Also could you give me an idea as to what thickness your acrylic is that you used? Also you might want to check out this site that CurrentSea has in regrads to timers.

http://www.currentsea.com/index.htm

I thought about a penductor (or eductor), but they won't speed up the amount of water exiting the box. I think that to successfully get these waves, you need to focus more on the water displacement and not necessarily flow (GPH). I checked out both timers you referenced, and don't think they would work (at least in my tank). My tank has needed me to set the timer to 9/10 of a second on and 9/10 of a second off.

Originally posted by RandyStacyE
I like the external box idea and that would be ideal to say the least. It could be particularly interesting for the DIY plywood tank builders. Acrylic tank builders too of course .

One Tunze pump/MJ mod should do the trick though.

I agree!

[ARNETT]

I found the controller http://myreefcreations.com/tunze.htm
Wave Controller 6091
for Tunze Wave box extension 6212.50
$US 80.76

This unit will turn the Tunze wavebox extension into a fully operational wavebox.
So why not buy this controller and make the wave box use a mj mod are a tunze ??pump

[rufio173]

Simple enough question with a simple enough answer The Tunze wavebox uses a 6200 Tunze Stream sooooo, it is a DC pump which is much more easily controllable than AC pumps.

The Maxi Jet mod being an AC pump, it cannot use the controller designed for a DC pump.

Peace,
John

Originally posted by ARNETT
I found the controller http://myreefcreations.com/tunze.htm
Wave Controller 6091
for Tunze Wave box extension 6212.50
$US 80.76

This unit will turn the Tunze wavebox extension into a fully operational wavebox.
So why not buy this controller and make the wave box use a mj mod are a tunze ??pump

[sweetpea355]

Originally posted by rufio173
Simple enough question with a simple enough answer The Tunze wavebox uses a 6200 Tunze Stream sooooo, it is a DC pump which is much more easily controllable than AC pumps.

The Maxi Jet mod being an AC pump, it cannot use the controller designed for a DC pump.

Peace,
John

Okay the MJ Modded wont work on that controler what about Seio 2600, They now have a controller that drops the pump to 50% and revs back up to a 100% so wouldn't that make them a dc pump?

[AndyL]

Seio's aren't a DC pump - theory is they're probably modulating the frequency of the AC voltage (60hz to 20-30 maybe?) to control the pumps.