Modified Carlson Surge

[Otty]

Originally Posted by reef_guru

another method that would benefit a large tank would be an algae scrubber

I seen one of those over at Inland Aquatics when I was there with Inwall's local reef club. That is neat how it works.

Break out the plans for your wave maker Roger.....

[Tangster]

I'll call my son when I get out of the hospital in a few days I think I have a couple setting in the shed .. I pulled down all but one tank back in Va after I got back on my feet a couple of yrs ago.. I gave one to Richmond Aquarium as a display and they are making them now also.. But I'm pretty sure I have one or two if they are still around I'll send you one up.. may need a new feather gasket I have them also.. They are used in a Sloan Flush valve

[Scott Osborne]

We tried the flush surge. With the small plunger we could get it allow 35 gallons to blow before the Dart pump caught up.

Do they make those valves in either 4" or 3". When we tried it, it kept hitting equalibrium.

[Scott Osborne]

There is going to be a tidal algae scrubber on this tank. But thats adifferent video.

[Tangster]

My very first one was a old 6 gallon wall hung closet tank changed out the brass flush valve with a plastic one worked for many yrs and slim profile (: added a air seprater at the end of the 2 inch pipe from tank to catch 80% or more of the bubbles but really not that many as when the flushvalve set down the water stops and not sucking air to break the siphon.. the air serparter just remobed the little locked air at the very start of the flush. not that much depending on pipe run lenght. Mine flush just like a water closet and not any noise at all to speak of.

[Matt Rogers]

That is really cool Scott. Well done.
Some Carlson's can get rather loud. How did you deal with that?

(I fixed the video on the 1st post)

[Scott Osborne]

Theres not that much noise involved because there is a muffler on a oneway air valve that is built into the surge tank. With the canopy closed and the tank room door shut theres very little noise. Another bit help is the air vent on the surge tube. It allows the bleed to be fine tuned.

In this system the bubble aren't a concern. The Tank owner wants them. He wants the tank to be full of bubbles. Nor is the potenial salt creep a concern. Theres so much room in the canopy it doesn't really matter. When ever I bring the two up...I am simply told neither will affect the tank. This is apparently a "different" kind of reef tank.

[Scott Osborne]

Originally Posted by JasonSquared

Yeah Kent -the guy who built this has had difficulties getting the air mixture just right... If it's not just right it doesn't work and equalizes. I personally think that the flow, ( one of Kents engineer friends estimates 75 gpm ) will keep a bubble trap from working.

The air balance is touchy. When we first built the surge it used a 2" tube. That wasn't enough flow potential and the system kept finding equalibrium. It took a bit before I figured out the pipe size was the problem. Really you could even go with 4" at 3" their is very little room to play with. I believe thats why the air is such a factor. But the nice thing is that the adjustable bleed valve quiets it up quite a bit.

[Matt Rogers]

Thanks for the info Scott. This will be a good reference. Thanks.

[JasonSquared]

Update... The dual tank Willistein-Carlson Surge... First tank drains into a second tank, then that hooks up to a bulkhead -eliminates bubbles!