DIY Wavebox!

[smcnally]

So after looking "Delta's" Tunze wavebox, I realized they are very simple devices. The basic concept is that it pushes water from a box into the tank and then shuts off. Once off, the tank water fills the box back up which causes a constant displacement and replacement of tank water. So I thought "hmmmm...I bet I can make one of those". So I built a box (6" x 6" x 14") and mounted an oceanflo modded MJ into it. I'm going to have to play with the timing a lot to get it right, but I thought this was pretty good for about 2 hours worth of work.

Here's a video of it in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwIF1Mi-KyA

 

[Liam]

wow,that looks awesome steve.
Do you find the maximod starts in the right direction consistently

 

[Pat H.]

Wicked cool Steve!!!

 

[Pat H.]

wow,that looks awesome steve.
Do you find the maximod starts in the right direction consistently

Oh please

 

[BrianMac]

So after looking "Delta's" Tunze wavebox, I realized they are very simple devices. The basic concept is that it pushes water from a box into the tank and then shuts off. Once off, the tank water fills the box back up which causes a constant displacement and replacement of tank water. So I thought "hmmmm...I bet I can make one of those". So I built a box (6" x 6" x 14") and mounted an oceanflo modded MJ into it. I'm going to have to play with the timing a lot to get it right, but I thought this was pretty good for about 2 hours worth of work.

Here's a video of it in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwIF1Mi-KyA

Very cool!!!!

 

[smcnally]

wow,that looks awesome steve.
Do you find the maximod starts in the right direction consistently

Pretty much. It makes a clank, but it is one of the older prototypes and when it does start in the wrong direction it is only for about 1/4 of a second.. I'm going to try it with one of the newer mods, but thought I'd try it with an old one first.

Wicked cool Steve!!!

Thanks Pat, I htought you'd dig it

 

[Pat H.]

I'm diggin it for sure

Are you just plugging it in over and over by hand or do you have a timer hooked up?

 

[delta]

Looks good Steve

Try flipping the shroud so the solid part is facing the bottom of the box.

 

[Liam]

when will mine be ready for pick up

 

[~Flighty~]

I would like to order one for a 6' tank. How much?

 

[smcnally]

I'm diggin it for sure

Are you just plugging it in over and over by hand or do you have a timer hooked up?

I'm using my home control system to time it. I can change the on/off time by 1/100th of a second on my touchpanel (seems like just under 1 second on and the same off works best so far). I think I'm going to go with an outboard timer though because the relay device I'm using isn't meant to go on and off that often and it acts up every now and then.

when will mine be ready for pick up

Dude, these are super simple to build. Here's some pictures:

Thanks for the comments Brian and Greg!

 

[Kevin McG]

Get some drawings up so we can all make one

EDIT: beat me to it

 

[Liam]

i'm not sure my poor old 180 could tke it

 

[smcnally]

i'm not sure my poor old 180 could tke it

Really? I've had this going for about an hour and I'm getting about a 1" swell at the end of the tank. It doesn't seem to be rocking the tank in the slightest.

 

[Liam]

Really? I've had this going for about an hour and I'm getting about a 1" swell at the end of the tank. It doesn't seem to be rocking the tank in the slightest.

get ready for the 3 am post by smcnally "OMG huge crash"

some folks claim that the large localized pressure variation caused by waveboxes is not good for a glass tank.
that could be the folks that can't afford em saying that though

 

[smcnally]

If that does happen, then it will be your fault for Jinxing me

 

[Liam]

If that does happen, then it will be your fault for Jinxing me

i touched some wood before i posted it

 

[BrianMac]

So your wave box is just a box with a hole for a modified MJ is it? MJ off the box fills up. MJ on it drains the box.

 

[delta]

If you were to run it at full blast I could see it adding some stress but thats
a tunze wave box with a 6200 in it. I have mine throttled back to about 1\4
1\3 of its full power

 

[smcnally]

So your wave box is just a box with a hole for a modified MJ is it? MJ off the box fills up. MJ on it drains the box.

Yup...Exactly.