Originally Posted by Lampshade (Post 577005)

Looks like you made it work. I built automation equipment for many years, Never minded puting products on that have been tested to run for millions of cycles in horrible conditions, even if they where made for something different. Why re-invent the wheel when someone has made something to work.

You have however found a way that will not have any issues with salt water buildup and should run great. Good thinking with the mag. sensors.

I've been looking at doing something similar to my return, but i have a PLC on my tank, so should be much easier.

Originally Posted by StirCrazy (Post 571282)

I am actualy planning this for my next tank.. I have been looking into it for about 4 years now. you need two valves, one pump and a bunch of plumbing to do it right. this also includes drilling both ends of the tank with several holes.

what I am planning is about 6- 1" bulkheads on each end which combine into a manafold on each end. then 2" line splitting to two actuated valves one on the suction side and one on the discharge side of the pump.

with this set up you will actualy get complete lamaner flow across the whole tank so when in operation the bulkheads on one end are the discharge and the ones on the other end are the suction, when the ballvalves change this suction and discharge change ends.

this is the ball valve if you notice the one configeration has no "off" so during change over water flowes through both outlets.
http://www.haywardflowcontrol.com/pd...Way_Valves.pdf

here is the actuator
http://smsnet1.smsmktg.com/~hayward/...s_Actuator.pdf

the only other thing to do would be to come up with a controler that would alternat power on a timed basis to open one as it closes the other, then after a set time reverse the process. this could be done with an adruno based micro processor or what ever.

Steve

Originally Posted by Red Coral Aquariums (Post 577009)

Mitch;

To clear things up for me.

You want a higher flow pattern at the upper part of the tank with less flow on the lower part of the tank?

* to accomplish this with Vortechs you would need 2 x MP60s up top on each side and 2 x MP40s below.

* to accomplish this with a closed loop you would need 2 pumps and really good timers and ball valves on your output piping to control amount of flow. You would also need reliable check valves.

What is your closed loop hole placement in your tank?


Kevin

Originally Posted by MitchM (Post 577616)

Another issue I thought of is that as well as having the OM unit work, the pump supplying the OM unit would need to be synced to turn off and on at the correct time.

Originally Posted by golf nut (Post 577642)

This is a standard revolution (albeit upside down)I dreamed this up to get more random flow with a 4 or 8 way, it indexes 8 times to 45 degree firings, each time the flow goes off it rises, or in your case would fall (by gravity) and part index, when pressure resumes it would be forced up and rotate again, you can see the 8 position cam in the pic below, you need a similar version to this that you might be able to build yourself.

You only need 4 position index, pump runs and water is sent to the right, pump turns off shuttle falls and partly indexes, 1 hour later pump turns on forcing spool up to the left output location and stays there till the pump turns off again.

If I get a moment I will sketch up a quick paint picture to make it clearer.

Paul

Originally Posted by StirCrazy (Post 577734)

thats not going to give you a left/right flow though.. to get that you would need a 2 position index and the angle would be to shallow requiring a huge force to switch it. with 4 positions it will rotate 90 degrees each time the pump starts.

Steve