All Tunze setup for my 180 gallon

[Michael White]

Hello, I'm deliberating on a flow setup for my 180 gal sps build. I really want to maximize flow in this tank because I plan to keep Acropora Spathulata and millepora primarily, but I also dislike cluttered powerhead setups and pumps on the side panels.

Tank Specs

• Acrylic 180 gal, 72x24x24
• center exterior overflow box had the Weir teeth made extra tall because I want to use my 6214 wave box.
• 3 Maxspect Ethereal Infinite fixtures
• Aquascape is a branchrock style coral rack/sculpture from Aquarocks
• barebottom (considering using TLF Reborn large size in a thin layer for a more natural look)

My thoughts for flow:
Option 1:

• is 2 tunze turbelle Stream 3+ on the back wall/bottom of tank, alternating flow for a gyre
• My Tunze 6214 wavebox in the right corner
• AND 2 Orcas (Size reccomendation please). Mounting options: centered on the side panel top/eurobrace -OR - on the back panelsection at 1/3 and 2/3 tank length

Option 2:

• My Tunze 6214 wavebox in the rh corner
• 4 Tunze 6255, one in each upper corner on custom standoffs from the acrylic top/eurobrace(to hide cords), alternating patterns to create variable gyre

Please chime in with any thoughts.

 

[rvitko Verified Sponsor]

I honestly think 2 6105 ORCA models alone could cover you and much less clutter. As much as I like the Stream 3 we are months from a major update and I wouldn't buy now. These have been around since 2016 and we can and will optimize them and get more flow for less power consumption and this has been in the works for some months and when that is done we will get the WIFI controllers in the US. We are also very close to all HUB edition pumps switching to the app, this is not a huge issue as existing ones will get an update and switch, but it is a difference for now having 2 systems, one older and more difficult and they don't interact. The Wavebox a lot of people were fans of but the reality is you can make a wave with much less noise with 2 Stream 3s or 2 6255's so if you wanted to keep a wave, that is the way I would go. The Stream 3 makes a particularly useful wave as they cannot turn off and on, so you set 5% and 100% and this results in a wave that has a sort of continuous low drifting current so you get both types of flow. I would start with 2 6105 ORCA's and consider adding the Stream 3's after the update. One caveat is the next gen Stream 3 is likely to be on the order of at least 25% stronger, you likely would have turn them down considerably.

 

[Michael White]

I honestly think 2 6105 ORCA models alone could cover you and much less clutter. As much as I like the Stream 3 we are months from a major update and I wouldn't buy now. These have been around since 2016 and we can and will optimize them and get more flow for less power consumption and this has been in the works for some months and when that is done we will get the WIFI controllers in the US. We are also very close to all HUB edition pumps switching to the app, this is not a huge issue as existing ones will get an update and switch, but it is a difference for now having 2 systems, one older and more difficult and they don't interact. The Wavebox a lot of people were fans of but the reality is you can make a wave with much less noise with 2 Stream 3s or 2 6255's so if you wanted to keep a wave, that is the way I would go. The Stream 3 makes a particularly useful wave as they cannot turn off and on, so you set 5% and 100% and this results in a wave that has a sort of continuous low drifting current so you get both types of flow. I would start with 2 6105 ORCA's and consider adding the Stream 3's after the update. One caveat is the next gen Stream 3 is likely to be on the order of at least 25% stronger, you likely would have turn them down considerably.

Thanks @rvitko. I used gyres with the wavebox in the past and liked the massive flow it created, but there were spots in the center of the circulating flow pattern that actually remained a low flow area. Trying to fix that on this build.

 

[rvitko Verified Sponsor]

I think between making a wave with a pair of Stream 3 and 2 ORCA's dead spots would be possible only under rocks, their just would be no real possibility.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

i dont have much to add except that i love that scape. A 180 is on the cusp of what I can afford in terms of up front costs and maintenance.

 

[rvitko Verified Sponsor]

I agree, the scape is very nice, I can't imagine any dead areas as it is so open. On my end I am too old school and worried that so little rock would not be enough bio filtration, I was talking to a friend the other day after seeing the Serious Reefs video on the Berlin method that back then we used to joke it was the Berlin Wall method as a couple pounds of rock per gallon inevitably made a wall like structure. I've toned down to around a half pound per gallon but nervous to go full minimalist.

 

[Michael White]

I'm using a lot of real Australian branch rock in the sump and a refugium in my basement sump. Kind of a shame to not use the branch rock in the display but the aquascape piece came our a little bigger than anticipated. The bioload handling is why I'm considering adding reborn as a substrate.

 

[Michael White]

i dont have much to add except that i love that scape. A 180 is on the cusp of what I can afford in terms of up front costs and maintenance.

I ran my 500 gallon as a reef for a bit until I had a breakout of velvet kill many fish. The cost and time to maintain was a lot, so I decided that tank is good for freshwater. I agree that 180-240 gallon is really the sweet spot for large reef tanks.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

yea i decided that if all goes well with my 100 in the next 2 years, i will buy an eschopps mariner 180 for my 50th birthday.

 

[rvitko Verified Sponsor]

The Mariners are really nice, for me the main issue is time, but if I set up another tank I would get a Mariner, seeing one at RAP it really is a well made tank.

I had my own velvet nightmare, my old 215 was fine, disease free from what I could tell, once I moved everything, I added no new animals at all, just the stress triggered an outbreak and at the time I hadn't really mastered catching fish out of a reef, but from that experience I learned that a very bright flash light at 2am works wonders, you just stun and scoop but you don't get a second chance often if you miss.

 

[rvitko Verified Sponsor]

Obviously it would make more flow obstacles but what about making a sort of nest placing the aussie rock across the structure, it would give more reclusive fish shelter and more mounting places for corals. I think it would look pretty cool with something crossing those uprights, it would look like a reef that was broken up by a storm.

 

[Michael White]

Obviously it would make more flow obstacles but what about making a sort of nest placing the aussie rock across the structure, it would give more reclusive fish shelter and more mounting places for corals. I think it would look pretty cool with something crossing those uprights, it would look like a reef that was broken up by a storm.

That's a good point, I may try some variation of that.

 

[CoralNerd]

I've had a Aqua Rocks structure like yours for years and I had him add caves. Even the caves he added didn't provide enough hiding places so I wound up doing something like what Roger suggested but with Tropic Eden branch rock. Following along this looks like a nice tank.

 

[Michael White]

What about using three stream 3s behind and under the structure pointed towards the front, on a surge/pulse cycle? I'm trying to mimic the upwelling and surge cycle of a reef crest.

 

[rvitko Verified Sponsor]

This only depends on the timeline, assuming you can wait for the Gen 2 models, I think this a good solution. The Gen 2 will also be able to run backwards and forwards.

 

[Michael White]

What's the timeline on the gen 2 units?
Separately option, to work out an alternative, are the exterior magnets on your pumps rated to be submerged? I have a thought on a 3d printed spacer to mount some turbelle stream 6105s under the top/eurobrace of my acrylic tank, one in each top corner, but it would require the exterior magnets be submerged to not modify the pumps normal mounts.

 

[rvitko Verified Sponsor]

Hopefully May/June.

Both magnet halves have the same waterproof construction.

 

[Michael White]

Thank you for answering my questions, I'll be sure to share the build progress.

 

[Marcus1212]

Just curious how well does the tunze 6214 work? I am considering unburying one for a 360gal 8ft tank.

 

[rvitko Verified Sponsor]

It should work on this tank, the main reason they were discontinued is noise and the fact that as pump efficiency has increased, 2 6105 or 6255 pumps can accomplish almost the same wave with less noise and about the same power draw. Proper set up is critical, the whole basis of making a wave is resonance frequency and you need to get the pulse timing exact so that the energy of the first pulse is half way back to the wavebox when the second pulse hits it, this is down to the thousandth of a second and varies with tank size and layout. You also want a minimum of obstacles and the wavebox has to be able to get air, the top has to be above the water as it is combining the pulse with displacement to maximize the efficiency. Wave height is largely a function of tank length, the longer the tank, the bigger the wave that is possible, conversely, wider and deeper tanks will have shorter waves and end overflows will rob the wave of energy as it will spill in and reduce the wave height.