Quote Originally Posted by ratboy View Post
Ive seen pictures of large public aquariums using paddles to simulate waves so its definately do-able.

Ive used the SQWD before and for smaller tanks - you cant beat the switching current and price (~40$). Mine ran continuosly for several year before it stopped switching. I ran mine on mag 9/12's with excellent results.

Ive also used surge tanks before and helped install one on the giant reef tank at Westlake Medical Ctr ( I think I still have a nice 8 gallon acrylic one - i'll look for it and post it cheap if so). They work great but you will have lots of microbubbles which drive some people and corals nuts. Tolerable on big tanks but smaller tanks probably cant realistically handle a 8 gallon change in volume without exposing corals...
I think my auto topoff might be going crazy if I was pulling and dumping 8 gallons of water. my display is only 125gallons. I would think more like a 1 or 2 gallon one would suffice. How does the dump box work? Is it spring hinged and as it fills up it dumps out and springs back up? Or does it "flush" with a bulb and flapper?