65Gal Flow Recommendations

sdesi2005

Member
I'm setting up a 65 Gal, will be mostly SPS. Just a question on flow recommendations.
I'm kind of torn between a few different options:
1. Closed Loop with and Oceans Motions WaveMaker
2. Closed Loop w/ SCWD
3. Sea Swirl
Anyone used/recommend any of these? I'm thinking a Tunze box will be too big and too much for a 65Gal
 
Ditch the SCWD, they have long term maintenance issues and cost too much in pump performance (backpressure, high head loss, flow loss...)

I would prefer the Ocean Motions over the Sea Swirl, but both options are good and it is just opinion.

I agree the Tunze box may be too much and is rather bulky, I belive the smallest tank they recommend is a 50 so you are near that limit.

Chris
 
Agree on the SCWD. Current restricting, and IME, after some point - will fail [esp in high Ca dosed tank].

Wavebox IMO is too large, too overkill. Sure is a neat product, but I wouldn't put one on my 58 [too much space lost, might still want more movement].

I ran a closed loop on my 58 for a while, but found the pump added heat to the tank [and noise to the room] and combined with seeing PVC in the tank ... was easy to replace with silent, less-power using Streams/etc.

IMO, a Sea swirl might also be quite bulky, IMO, for what it does. Also, it can make canopies/etc problematic - depending on your light setup [would have had to majorly modify my own canopy to fit the one I got on ... so I sold it].

Personally, while they're bulky in-tank - I find it hard to get past the low-wattage stream-type powerheads. Esp with the mini-streams coming out around this X-mas - IMO a pair or 3 would be the ideal water movement.

That's my take - but when it comes to seeing a powerhead + couple cords vs. PVC - I don't feel the PH's are that annoying [I don't like seeing PVC]. Nevermind the silence, the low power use - two factors that have me running my 58 [36 x 18 x 21] with the return, a 6060 stream, and a turbelle controllable.
 
I've got a 58, like mark.


I run 300gph or so through my overflow, run 2xSeio 820s, and 2x Maximods.

No heat problems from closed loop pumps, lots of flow, and pretty easy to hide. Thats roughly 5000gph of flow in a 58 (and yes, I do have a sandbed, adn so can you).


As to Oceansmotions/scwds/etc. I agree with mark..its hard to fight the efficiency of the in-tank sources. I've got a modded scwd (check the "total scwd rebuild" thread in DIY) and I think its probably pretty similar as far as back pressure goes to a OM, and is certainly a lot mroe reliable than it was. Just have to move it back onto the tank now. (its been running in a bucket)
 
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