Closed Loop Intake question

[Afishianado]

ok here is a question for you closed loop gurus...

I am putting a closed loop onto my system this week, I plan to use the same basic design that meleev uses here

http://www.melevsreef.com/closedloop.html

This is going onto my Oceanic 58Gallon RR system. My return pump is a mag 9.5 and the loop will also use a mag9.5(also will have a SCWD in the loop).

So, the question... I want to put the intake of the closed loop inside the internal overflow if possible to get it out of the main tank. Do you think the overflow would handle it? I am sure it would surge a little but the actual overflow pipe(Durso in this case) wouldn't be stressed since the closed loop would push it back into the tank not down the overflow. I wonder if the actual flow over/through the teeth would be too much. Currently the flow doesn't quite come to the halfway mark on the teeth. Right now the Durso is setup to allow about a 4" drop behind the teeth.

Any thoughts before I try this?????

thanks in advance for any input

 

[mr.wilson]

I don't think it's a good idea. Your overflow will be loud and skim the surface less efficiently.

The surge in the overflow will also push air into your Durso overflow.

I like the intake in the tank where I can monitor and clean it.

 

[Afishianado]

My overflow is basically silent now, I could handle it being a little louder, but not a lot louder. If the overflow can handle it then it wouldn't be more than an inch of additional height maximum, but there would be more flow.

I hadn't considered that it would decrease the efficiency of the surface skimming, I wonder how much of a difference it would make, I would still always be removing surface water from the tank. Can anyone else comment on this as well?

I am not concerned about air in the Durso. Actually it has to allow air through it in order to work. This Durso intake has an adjustable air breather vent so I can adjust it accordingly.

I'm mostly concerned about the teeth no being able to handle the total volume of water.

 

[Konadog]

By putting the intake in the overflow, you will be introducing a lot of air into the pump by way of the overflow keeping up. This is going to be a micro bubble machine before you know it. It would be best to put the intake in the tank well away from the surface.

 

[mr.wilson]

The noise will be from water splashing into the overflow as well as some cavitation in the Durso. It may overflow over the teeth entirely. You'll have salt creep as well.

Those overflows are designed for about 700 GPH max. Your return pump should only move 3-5 times the volume of your tank (175-300 GPH). You're already way over that amount. You lose filtering efficiency at greater turn rates.

If you're making this a hang-on unit, you could try it in the overflow, but I doubt it will work for you.

Why don't you want it in the tank?

 

[Afishianado]

I just don't don't like seeing plumbing in the tank. The ouputs don't other me so much becasue they are small and unavoidable, but the intakes are large.

Every intake I have ever had inside the tank has grabbed an animal or something at some point.

having the intake in side the overflow could even allow me to put the closed loop pump in the overflow, reducing the possibility for leaks and such, although it would increase the temp of the system.

 

[mr.wilson]

You could cover the pump & or plumbing in shotcrete to make it look like rock. Add a tee and two 1.5" strainers or a sponge to diffuse the intake, and avoid sucking up your critters. You can attach some fast growing colonial polyps or leather corals to it as well.

Take a look at the shotcrete used in this thread. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=993625

 

[supervdl]

Your overflows are rated to a certain maximum capacity (think 800 gal or so) and any additional intake might be difficult to handle for the overflow. Don't think this is an option for you.

 

[Afishianado]

Mr Wilson, that shot crete is very cool, I wish I had seen that before the system was up and running. I would have considered it an option then.

Looks like I will just have the intake inside the display and do what I can to hide it behind rock.

 

[mr.wilson]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8879081#post8879081 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Afishianado
Mr Wilson, that shot crete is very cool, I wish I had seen that before the system was up and running. I would have considered it an option then.

Looks like I will just have the intake inside the display and do what I can to hide it behind rock.

If you score the PVC intake and return pipe with a saw blade in a grid pattern, you can adhere shotcrete directly to it. The pipes will look like rocks or corals.

 

[rreddick]

Other option would be to use clear acrylic piping, which is what I used to go to the bottom of the tank (about 3" above the sand bed) to a tee (also clear) to the arms of clear with numerous slits and covered in clear screen. Works great, and as the back of my tank is black you do not even see it.

Ron