Surface Agitation definitions / photos?

[shoggoth43]

Ok, after doing a search, AND spelling it right this time so I don't look like a lazy idiot , does anyone have any photos they can post to show different surface agitation?

I know I need some and an overflow will give me some gas exchange unless I cover it up and feed it with a airline from the sealed sump to recycle any CO2 ( theory and haven't tried it yet ). I keep reading different things about the surface exchange but no photos to go with them. So beyond the "powerhead at the surface" which gives excellent surface agitation and high gas exchange, can anyone post some other photos with a rough idea of what to expect?

I keep reading "slight ripple" or "pillow of water" but I can't really wrap my head around what is meant by that. Is that a barely breaks the water surface at all kind of "slight ripple" or does this ripple extend across the entire tank or what? Is there some sort of extends across the tank but no higher than a few mm over the tank length kind of ripple with an idea of medium or med/strong gas exchange? I'm guessing "pillow of water" is a slight bulge to the surface of the water when it hits the tank wall? Maybe a couple of photos like minor CO2 outgassing, medium, and then the obvious powerhead at the surface would give max.

I think I've got good flow for what I have in such a small tank but I'm working on it. There's not a lot of ripple and anything on the surface moves around the tank a bit before the overflow grabs it. I don't want to overdo it but don't need to be blowing through some ridiculous amount of CO2 in a few weeks if I don't have to. The CO2 system will eventually end up on the big tank and then I'll just use this for quarantine and whatnot. I'm just trying to get some more experience on the small one before I sink money into the big one.

Thanks for your time.
-
S

 

[crystalview]

Vaughn gave me this link

http://www.barrreport.com/general-plant-topics/5085-how-much-surface-ripple.html

 

[shoggoth43]

Awesome! Just what I was looking for. Apparently I need to start cramming in every search term I can think of so I catch more of the obvious.

-
S

 

[Russ]

No pictures at the moment, but here's what I do. I use a very small power head (TAAM Rio 50) in my 58 gallon at one end of the tank and direct it from back directly to the front so it doesn't blow over where my co2 is diffused into the water.

What I look for when adjusting it, is a large ripple that produces no splash what so ever. That is: no individual water droplets flying and splashing. This is much less than the tank long agitation I saw in the above referenced thread. I've found this small amount of agitation works well and keeps my fish happy/alive. The damn Rio clogged last month and I didn't discover it for 10-12 hours and I lost two lovely filter shrimp.

Russ