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Simulation of Tides: Gradual Surge Tank?

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Post by Brent October 8th 2010, 2:18 pm

What is the process of (is it possible to) gradually rising and lowering the water level rather than have it drain and then gush rapidly back in every so often? If I were to do this, I would rather simulate the tide going in and out as opposed to a wave crashing into a tidepool.

Thanks,

Brent
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Post by Michael Milligan October 8th 2010, 5:27 pm

The model of both systems would be the same (as i'm conceiving them, anyway) except for speed.

Perhaps have a vessel for your water with a pump in it. Run the line into the tank and have the end of the water line at the level you want your "low tide". The rate of the "incoming tide" could be set by the pump you pick or the elevation of the pump v. the tank level. Put the pump on a timer.

Here is the part that would take the trial and error. When the timer on the pump shuts off, the water should backflow through the pump until it hit the "low tide" end of the return line and breaks the siphon. Then when the pump turns on again off it goes.

Concerns... none really, seem like a plan to me, but I think you have to make sure that the water has stopped flowing though the pump in the opposite direction or it likely won't start refilling the tank while the rotter in the pump is spinning backward.

Some tweaking and a valve here or there sound right?
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Post by AquaticEngineer October 8th 2010, 7:03 pm

Found this here.
A pump transfers water from an aquarium into a top container and an overflow container that are inserted into an aquarium, lowering the water level within the aquarium, and thereby creating the effect of a tide pool at low tide. Water is pumped into the overflow container when the top container is filled, while drainage holes in the overflow container continue to allow some of the water to flow back into the aquarium. As the overflow container fills with water, its increasing weight pulls down a lever connected to a flapper, uncovering a drain in the top container, thereby draining water pumped into the top container through the drain, and completely draining the overflow container, in turn raising the water level in the aquarium, thereby creating the effect of a tide pool at high tide. When the overflow container is completely drained, the lever is raised, closing the drain, and the cycle is repeated. The tide pool device may be incorporated into any aquarium, for example a wall-mountable aquarium, in which one interlocking piece is affixed to the aquarium and another mounted on a vertical surface, such as a wall; or a coffee-table aquarium in which a transparent aquarium cover is kept flush with the aquarium water surface during intervals that simulate a high tide.
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Post by AquaticEngineer October 8th 2010, 7:14 pm

Also Found THIS Maybe you could replicate it on a smaller scale?
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Post by AquaticEngineer October 8th 2010, 7:30 pm

Or you could use two medical pumps, one in and one out set at the same rate on timers into a container to hold the water for low tide. Maybe go with two cheaper peristaltic dosing pumps on the same timer? That way it would transfer in and out the exact same amount from the tank over like a 12 hour period.
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Post by Michael Milligan October 8th 2010, 9:51 pm

Clearly, no shortage of plans!

How much water? What is most practical?

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Post by Brent October 8th 2010, 10:50 pm

Wow, thanks for all the suggestions guys!

I think, in reading those, that my best bet would be to have a two-tank system in which both are displays. Using dosing pumps set to a 12 hour cycle (just to keep things simple- I won't try to mimic nature in this case) I'll have the system drain water out of tank 1 and into tank 2 over six hours and then from tank 2 to tank 1 over another six hours. In one tank I will likely keep a native sea grass biotope / shelf biotope with less rockwork and in the other a more rocky biotope. This would allow for a more natural look as the two environments would be separate rather than, like they would be in a single display, crammed together.

I hope that made sense. I can barely hear myself think over whatever is on TV and the loud laughing that seems to only come from my nan... Wink
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Post by moto826 October 8th 2010, 10:53 pm

AquaticEngineer wrote:Also Found THIS Maybe you could replicate it on a smaller scale?
that looks cool but im not a AquaticEngineer Suspect
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Post by Brent October 8th 2010, 10:54 pm

Michael Milligan wrote:
How much water?

I'm not quite sure yet. I'm working on maximizing wall space in my room right now (AKA getting rid of 3/4 the current furniture and custom building new, more compact furniture to fit my design), and until I get that out of the way I'm not sure how much room I actually have to use for this. We'll see.
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Post by Hero October 10th 2010, 11:46 pm

Some British guy is on here that had surge tank. I forgot what his name was, he joined recently though!
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