my new tank build comments and suggestions welcome

[nkelr]

tank will be a perfecto 110 show tank. it will be set in the wall about 5". it measures 4'Lx18"Wx30"D. has three 1" holes in the bottom that are currently sealed with glass. 2 of the holes are in the center and the other one is in the back on the right side. it will have 200+\- lbs of rock and about 3 inches of sand.
im open to suggestions about the flow, but here are someof my ideas....

idea 1: i will build an overflow in the right rear corner. a pipe will run down and fill the sump through the bioballs. fuge will be in the middle and will be filled from the bottom and flow over the top and into the return part. for return i will have a hole drilled in the top left corner and a pipe comming across the top with holes drilled along it as sort of a spray bar.

idea 2: i will use the current overflow i have in the top left corner and have a pipe running down the back of the tank into the sump. sump design will not change and the return will come up through the hole in the right corner. once again a spray bar will come up to the top and be covered in foam with random holes drilled through for flow.

the return pump will have to be a submersable style because im limited for space under the tank with the huge sump. if i can find some space i will try for a blueline pump. of course i am open for suggestions on pumps and gph.
lighting will be my coralife 175 halides upgraded with lumatek ballasts and 250w bulbs with 10k 50\50 pc bulbs.
wow i think this is the most i typed in one post ever. more pics to come!!!

 

[customcolor]

i dont get this line----lighting will be my coralife 175 halides upgraded with lumatek ballasts and 250w bulbs with 10k 50\50 pc bulbs.---- so your running 250w bulbs on 175w ballasts???

any way you will have to upgrade your reflectors to atleast a lumenbright or an lumenarc for the light to reach the bottom of that tall tank.

 

[jandlms]

I don't know about needing new reflectors. My 92 has 2 250 wattt MH over it and the lights are at least 25" from the sand bed. My reflectors are terrible but the bottom of the tank is very well lit. My guess is as long as you're not planniing on SPS corals on the sand bed you would be fine.

 

[nkelr]

these are the ballasts Lumatek 250W 120/240V Dimmable / Multi-Wattage Ballast Kit

the fixture is the coralife elite series. eric will know this fixture since he sold it to me. there is the option of getting rid of this fixture and getting a retro kit for inside the canopy. that might be the better idea so i can keep the top of the canopy open for airflow and just mount 2 pendants or reflectors inside the canopy.

 

[nkelr]

im thinking the lights will be about 3' from the bottom when im done building the canopy. i dont plan on sps at the bottom. thats reserved for the lps and clams. as long as a clam will live in the sand i should be ok.

 

[customcolor]

trust me, since i started with 175w in spiders and went to lumanarcs in my 125....the lumenarcs at least dbl the light that goes into the tank...175w in spider reflectors dont grow sps very well...remember lps like light too...some dont like lots but some do...so since you have that ballast you can run 250w bulbs..you may want to invest another $50 or so in 250w bulbs atleast....so the clams will get more light..

 

[nkelr]

250 watt bulbs are absolutly in the works as soon as the tank gets out of my basement. i know you got ideas on plumbing dave. also looking foward to one of jeremys super long posts about every aspect on plumbing a reef tank

 

[Bri Guy]

JMO, but I havn't seen bio-balls used in a new reef system for a long..... wait ive never seen any body use them.

Maybe for a FO tank, but not a reef, they do nothing for nitrAtes, so you would be better utilizing that space for other equipment or part of the system (a fuge or carbon reactor comes to mind)

otherwise good luck with the build, following....

 

[Jhildebrand]

+1

I was assuming bioballs were coming out.

 

[nkelr]

thats what you guys are here for. i didnt know you dont need bioballs. they came with the sump, so i thought i could use them. i was going to have them on one end and hve the water flow through them and back up the middle through a fuge and over the top for the return chamber. since i dont need them im open to suggestions on what to use that space for. i still need to find a place for a skimmer. maybe the fuge will be first in line, then water will flow up to the middle for a skimmer chamber.

 

[jlinzmaier]

250 watt bulbs are absolutly in the works as soon as the tank gets out of my basement. i know you got ideas on plumbing dave. also looking foward to one of jeremys super long posts about every aspect on plumbing a reef tank

Long post?? Me?? Are you sure you got the right guy??

I second the idea of 250 watt halides, great idea!

I also agree on getting rid of the bio balls. They just trap debris which will leach phosphate and nitrates.

There are a couple of aspects of flow to consider:
1) flow through the sump
2) direct flow in the tank from return pumps, powerheads, or closed loop outlets.
3) indirect flow caused by inertia of a flow pattern
4) the concept of random chaotic flow
5) what types of corals you want to keep
6) do you want to focus on efficiency of flow to limit electrical cost (higher front end cost) or do you want to focus on lower initial cost of pumps and powerheads which may draw more wattage?
7) How much room do you have for pumps and plumbing? Can the tank be drilled for a closed loop?
8) do you want all flow devices hidden or are you OK with having visible wavemakers or powerheads?

#1 Flow rate through the sump should be determined by your filtration within the sump. How much input your skimmer will need, flow through a refugium area, flow through filters like fluidized reactors for GAC and GFO etc... The exact calculation of the flow through your sump is a controversial and debatable topic. If you wanted all water to flow through each aspect of filtration then you'll need to set up your equipment in sort of a lined up fashion and the flow rate through the sump will be determined by the piece of equipment requiring the highest flow rate (likely the skimmer). To take this a bit further, you can slow the rate even more (if your skimmer isn't fed by the overflow) and run the rate even slower. This will mean water that has already gone through the skimmer may go back in the skimmer so that the flow of water through the sump absolutely passes through each method of filtration. You can never guarantee every ounce of water will always go through every filter but a slower flow rate through the sump certainly aids in that concept. If you wanted water to flow through the sump, but not necessarily be picked up and run through each of of the filtration sites, then you can run your flow a bit faster through the sump. In that scenario some water will go through the skimmer but nothing else, some will go through only the fuge, some will go though mulitple filters and some may simply pass through without getting any filtration. The most efficient and thorough way of filtration is to run the water through each means of filtration, but that doesn't mean it's the best way. That method may very well polish the water too clean and strip all desireable nutrients from the water column.

Tell us what skimmer you decide on with it's recommended flow rate (and if you plan to gravity feed it from your overflow). Also tell us what other filters you'll utilize in your sump. That will all be very helpful in guiding you towards the right flow through the sump which is determined by your return pump flow rate. There is a long detailed description of how to most efficiently use sump space for flow and filtration but start with giving us the details on what you plan to use for filtration (in the sump) and I'll give you some basic recommendations of flow rate through the sump.

I'm at work now so I'll comment on 2-8 tomorrow or the next day.

Jeremy

 

[nkelr]

definately want to get an inline skimmer. i think if i get a sump skimmer it will be too tall and i wont be able to get the catch cup off. also if i get an in line i can pass all the water going through the sump into the skimmer. bioballs are out. sump will be set up as follows. water be gravity fed from the tank through chamber 1 which will have a floss carbon floss layered setup, then it will go back up through chamber 2 which will have floss on the bottom and be a fuge, then it will flow over the side and into chamber 3 which will be the return with all the heaters and a pump. i was thinking about getting a Ecoplus 1267 GPH Submersible Pump from BRS. ill be in on a group buy if i get that one. im still fitting everything right so i might just be able to find room for an external pump and ill more than likly get a quiet one pump since they are the smallest sizewise i can find. im going for no power heads or flow devises in the display. as stated my return will be a pipe that comes up the back right side with random holes drilled in it and covered in foam to disguise. i wont drill any holes until halfway up the pipe so the bottom can be relitily low flow. i think i will build the over flow on the back left side just to avoid having a pipe running down the back of my tank. i am working with a very limited space. the overflow will also be covered in foam. ill have to talk to dave since hes the king of foam and find out where to get it and what to get. i think 1" plumbing will be fine for size (correct me if im wrong). i plan on keeping all my livestock for the new tank so it will contain sps and lps. some of the stuff i want to get are an open brain, pearlberry acro, birds of paridise, basicly anything i can get my hands on and keep alive.none of my tanks have ever had any set stocking list, just what ever i come home with.

 

[Bri Guy]

Bioballs still make good bubble diffusing traps for drain pipes as they hit the sump though....

 

[ken_wied]

+1 on the bioballs for bubble catchers. I use them in the last set of baffles on my sump to catch any bubbles before the water hits the return. Nitrate/Ites are always at zero.

 

[jlinzmaier]

Did I overlook somthing or are you planning to go with only the flow from your sump return pump as the only means of flow??

Jeremy

 

[Fishcrazy06]

Nick your going to need more than just your return pump for flow in the tank! I tried going this route and ended up putting in a Maxi-jet with the sureflow mod!!! There just wasn't enough flow throughout the tank. I eventually (when the money tree starts sprouting) plan on buying a MP40 for flow! I would highly suggest you plan a powerhead for sure. I am only running 2 for now which seems to work good but plan on adding a second one and alternating them on and off on a cycle if they don't click too loudly with a new wavemaker I picked up!

 

[nkelr]

i want to try and avoid all extra flow. i HATE the look of powerheads and everything else stuck to the glass. if i have to i will get a 2000gph pump for the return. any advise on plumbing size??????

 

[Fishcrazy06]

I went the same route you did Nick. Thought my Overflow could handle all the extra flow and it couldn't. so if you do decide to go that route make sure your overflow can handle all the extra flow!

 

[Jhildebrand]

You're going to need double 2" drain lines and a giant box to get the flow you need from a return pump. It'd be a waste because there's no need to run that much water through your sump hourly. You could make a manifold for your return to spread the flow, but it's not going to be random unless you get SCWDs or do an OM squirt or something. Another option is a closed loop and the outlet ports can be out the back or bottom and hidden by rocks. Either way that pump is going to suck a lot of juice. Very expensive to produce flow. It's not a practical decision, IMO. Tunze makes rocks to hide powerheads and if you get controllable ones you can have nice hidden flow at a lower to produce price and better quality. If you're painting the back black you can attach vortechs and on the back you can hardly see the wet side. Just my $.02

 

[Jhildebrand]

How are you stocking this tank? You need to figure out what's going in it and plan your flow and equipment accordingly...