Yes I've considered a number of options... some are good, some only decent...
Wavemakers seem great off the start, and are relatively simple... all you really need is a pair of powerheads or pumps with the outputs at either end of the tank, and a short-cycle timer. PROS: reasonably priced, no moving parts (depending on the timer). CONS: Boring. LOL.
Sinusoidal valves are really cool in terms of 'geek' factor, work very well, and can produce some interesting flow patterns... more interesting (IMO) than wavemakers. This is still a semi-viable option for me, since I can DIY the heck out of it. PROS: interesting flow patterns, reasonably priced. CONS: requires seals and has moving parts.
Both of these have one problem in common: the fact that they rely on the flow from the pump to move the water. To move the amount of water in 2 seconds that I would need the pump to move would require a pump way larger than I'm willing to hook up in this system. I'm not sure that what I have planned can even do what I want it to
What I want to do is dump 1l of water in less than 2 seconds... every 4 seconds.
The solenoid is looking better and better now that I'm looking into an Arduino microcontroller to control my lighting...
Solenoid valves work awesome and would be perfect for my application... PROS: little in the way of extraneous junk hanging around, easily DIYed CONS: moving parts,
notorious for sticking.
So I'm sticking with my modified CSD. Until I prove whether it will work or not. And whether the baffle chamber will break the bubbles that seem inevitable, though I wonder if the bubbles aren't associated with the design of the siphon? I guess I won't know until I try my siphon design. I will be trying my siphon design first to see if I am satisfied with it before I finalize my design and order the glass that I'll be needing. I may still end up doing a backwards overflow and having surge from opposite ends, though I worry that this setup would be too turbulent.