Closed loop questions and other questions?

[Scuba Steve]

What would make the sps go crazy! A bunch of flow or what?
I'm going to be ordering tank. So i need to know how many holes bulkheads they need to put in the tank to have really good flow? To make really good closed loop system. Tank will Probability be 72"x36"x20"tall! Is this considered as a shallow reef? Or does it need to be under 20"tall to be a shallow reef?
How many holes bulkheads do you put in bottom of the tank?
How many holes bulkheads do you put in the back of the tank or if any at all?
How many pumps would I need to run this closed loop. What kind of pumps and what gph?
Any ideas would help out a bunch! I know a lot of people on this forum have closed loop systems!

 

[flyyyguy]

well, I am a huge closed loop junkie, and have built quite a few pretty complex ones that can accomplish some pretty impressive things, but there are soem things you need to know IMO before installing them/deciding to go that route.

1. If you arent going to use a OM unit(4 way or preferrably 8 way) and or use a bunch of supplemental controllable powerheads with it, save the effort and the electricity as using a basic uncontrollable loop on its own really isnt good enough regardless of how well you may design it.

2. On that size (sps) tank, even using a larger pump such as a hammerhead, you are still going to want to use supplemental powerheads unless you go all out on the electricity and install multiple loops

3. As far as costs go, a OM/hammerhead powered closed loop is far more expensive in both set up and operating costs than a army of quality powerheads (vortechs/tunze) that will give you far more total flow bang for your buck

Closed loops arent for everyone. I love them, and love what random and variable flow can do coming from 8 different directions as well as how well they can do one of their most important jobs (for myself anyway)in sweeping a BB floor............ but dont kid yrouself thinking you can get away with just using a single loop so you wont have to look at or use powerheads at all. Becasue you will, unless you have low expectations for flow, and or install mulitple loops, OR jump up into the realm of using a pump that sucks 2-3 THOUSAND watts. I have never actually seen any one do the latter, but the pumps are available and I have mulled over doing it more than once. Even then on a tank that size with one of those juice suckers I would want supplemental assistance from controllable powerheads, but it would still be pretty cool to get 10k + said and done out of a single loop.

Currently on my 240 which is my main display I am running a hammerhead powered 8 way, 2- 6125's and 2- 6205's on a controller. Those 2-6205's retail for roughly the same said and done as the 8way/hammerhead and give twice the basic flow. Its not really comparable as its coming randomly and variably from 8 different directions on the loop, but my point is bang for the buck powerheads are superior if you only want to do one or the other

the above is JMO of course