my new tank build comments and suggestions welcome

[nkelr]

i want alot of stuff. theres no way of me knowing exactly everything that i want to get. its whatever i come across that i like, so i want to build it to handle what ever. i think if i drill enough holes in the spraybar in different directions it will give me a nice current. i really dont have room behind for a vortech. even though if i had to that would be the pump of choice. i can always run a dedicated wire from the breaker box just for the pump if need be. after talkin with jason he seems to think that if i had a double 1 1\4 feed pipe to my sump it would be fine considering it will be less than 2 feet from the sump to the tank. ebay has submersable pumps that run all the way up to 3700 gph and some run as queit as 30 db. im not going to run that much. i think right around 2000 gph would be fine. then its only 2 feet from the top of the pump to the tank and another 2 feet to the top of the spraybar and its straight up so theres not too much head loss factor.

 

[jlinzmaier]

Limiting your flow to only your sump return is a big mistake IMO. I agree 100% with you Nick in regards to disliking the look of powerheads and waveboxes in a tank. It takes away some of the natural feel of a tank. There are many ways to produce adequate flow without running it all through your sump, as well as keeping the equipment hidden.

Remember all the PVC I had in my big 420? (page 8, post 180 shows great pics of my closed loop internal plumbing) Jeremy's 420 gal DT build - Reef Central Online Community

I've been working on covering the internal plumbing for the last 3-4 weeks. When I'm done, you won't see a spec of all of that 1.5 in PVC, as well as not being able to see any glue, and it will entirely blend in with the aquascaping. After 6 months of corraline algae growth you won't even be able to see that the PVC was covered with small peices of rock. I'm nearly done with it and I can then do the aquacaping and get the tank cycling. That will be three hammerhead gold pumps powering 3 closed loops (pumping about 5500 gph each) and each one is on a OM 4-way. The 4-ways allow for distribution of the flow to many areas (in any pattern you mind can envision). Including my return from the sump, I'll have a constant flow of nearly 13,000 gph as well as the third closed loop used to occasionally turn on and create random flow. The third closed loop is also pushing 5500 gph and it will turn on for about 5 minutes then off for 20 minutes (not positively set on the on/off pattern yet - need to have the tank up and running to see the effects and deterimine the best frequency). All that flow will be generated by pump outlets as well as pump intakes and none of it will be visible from any angle. If you would just calculate the constant flow and don't take into consideration the inertia that my flow pattern will create and don't add in the third closed loops random flow, then my flow turnover is just over 30X. A general rule of thumb for flow is to shoot for 20-30 gph of DT turnover. If you're keeping a lot of delicate LPS with long tentacle extension (something like gonioporas) then you would likely want to stay on the lower end around 20X turnover (or lower depening on a few variables).

Improper flow amounts as well as improper flow patterns can allow detritus to settle in the tank and create a nutrient swamp. When I was designing my flow pattern I literally spent hours on the phone with Paul from Oceansmotions Oceans Motions and we thoroughly discussed many concepts of what flow can do if implemeted properly. I spent over 6 months reading up about flow patterns, equipment to create flow, how to use interia/momentum to increase total flow, and learned how to generate the most desireable flow for most corals which is indirect flow. Since your tank is still dry, just stop and take some time to do some research. I don't have the energy and time to reiteate all I've learned about flow, but I can tell you that if you rush it and cut corners on flow you'll regret it. Also, you don't need to have closed loops to implement the concept I've created. If you can't drill the bottom of your tank you can easily use internal pumps and powerheads and still easily disguise them with some clever aquascaping.

The only other concept I have time to touch on right now is how you can make a flow patterns inertia/momentum work for you and create more flow than just what the pumps put out. For a visualizatio of my point, try this simple little experiment. Fill up your bath tub with water and move your hand through it circling the inside of the tub. You'll eventually get the water moving in a circular pattern. Now take your arm out and see how much the water is still moving after you've stopped applying any energy towards moving it. That same concept can be applied inside a reef tank. It will increase overall indirect flow and you can create a pattern so that detritus is swept up into the water current and forced towards your overflow. That increases filtration as well as increases total water movement. If your interested in the concept, you can read through my build and you'll see how I implemented my flow pattern to create a great deal of inertia while focusing all of the swept up detritus towards the overflow. To test my plumbing and flow pattern, I filled my tank about a month ago and the flow pattern is spectacular as well as working in a barrel roll fashion just as I'd envisioned.

Ok. Back to glueing more rock!!

Jeremy

 

[jlinzmaier]

I consider Jason a very advanced reefer and any input he gives you should be well considered. He's a spectacular resource with far more experience than many of us!

Here's a handy little calculator to figure out overflow size.

Drain/Overflow Size

Keep in mind, you'll always want a back up overflow line that can handle as much flow as your primary line. This is in case a fish, anemone, or a half a dozen snails get stuck in your primary overflow and clog it up. Dont' think it won't happen!!! It is inevitable and a failsafe will prevent any overflows and related damage.

There is also a very clever way to create a siphon overflow which will allow the overflow to move much more water while limiting noise and salt spray as it enters the sump. That's the concept I'm using for my overflows in my new tank. This overflow concept implements a siphon for faster overflow rates as well as a built in failsafe. Here's a detailed thread on how to build it.

Silent and Failsafe Overflow System - Reef Central Online Community

Jeremy

 

[nkelr]

alright after talking with the "oh holy one" (as brian would say) he talked me into having two 1 1\2 pipes for the feed and one for the return, so thanks to jason i have 3 big holes in the bottom of my tank. more pics to come as i get the overflows built. (i know you guys love pics).

 

[nkelr]

finally found a pump that i like. its the magdrive 24. 2400 gph found a great price Mag Drive 24 Pump By Danner
i will be using 2 derso standpipes in the overflows as well.
the skimmer will be jasons nautalus TE. i love the drain so it can drain into a jug idea. that will go in the third chamber of my sump. stay tuned more thoughts to come.

 

[nkelr]

ok in the past few days my whole idea changed. im gonna add a 20 gallon fuge to the system. its a little hard to explain so i drew it out. one of the drains will feed the fuge and gravity will return the water back to the sump. the dotted line is the return pipe. a shutoff will allow for a low flow fuge. the pink lines are 1 1\2" pipe, the purple lines are 1" pipe and the orange line is 1 1\4" pipe. the overflow will house two durso stand pipes. let me know what yall think

 

[Fishcrazy06]

Nick is your sump and ETC going to be incorporated in the stand? Or is the filtration aspect going to be in a basement?

 

[nkelr]

sump will be in stand and fuge will be in a cabinet next to stand

 

[Fishcrazy06]

The only reason I ask is always try to go bigger! WATER VOLUME WATER VOLUME WATER VOLUME! With that being said if your building the cabinet I would go as big as you can for your fuge etc.....

 

[nkelr]

sorry i can only house a 30" tank in the cabinet that will be built. that means 20 gal or 29 gal. since a got an extra 20 gal laying around thats what i can use. unless anyone has a 29 or even a 38 they can part with???? anywho, just got done with the intank plumbing. here it is. ofcourse everything u see here will be covered with foam and overflows. and also its laying on its back on my work bench with the front up.

 

[nkelr]

also what type of pipe glue works the best??? being that ive never plumbed a reef tank i dont know if the glue will harm the fish or if they make special glue.