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 a 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!

 

[Scuba Steve]

I guess no body on here has closed loops systems or doesn't want to share any info or knowledge. I thought is forum was to gain info and ask questions. All so help out other reefers. I guess I put this on the wrong forum. I guess this forum is to show of what you have. (look at what I got) Keeping up with the jones's 

 

[Kache]

Or they don't want to help out. Sounds like you will have to figure it out for your self

 

[flyyyguy]

I spent several minutes answering the same question you posted in the other forum

You never replied. I gotta say, it does strike me as a little funny that you act all miffed that people havent jumped all over answering your question here, yet dont even acknowledge it in anyway when someone has already went out of their way to give you thier insight on the topic.

Im not saying you need to like or even possibly agree with what I wrote, as I coulld actually see how what I did write isnt what you wanted to hear

Im just sayin


http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1977545

 

[Scuba Steve]

No your knowledge was greatfull and really helped out. Just need to know how many holes or over flows? I heard you about the hammerhead pumps and using mp40s. Just want to kinda know more about it before I order a $2500 dollar tank and not have enough holes for closed loop. I read everything you posted twice. Just thought more people would post sum more info. You were the only one that took time to help and Thank you. Sorry didn't know I posted the same thread twice stupid computer. Just didn't want to bug you with a ton of questions through pm's.

 

[flyyyguy]

without knowing what kind of loop you are intending on building on what kind of tank, its pretty hard to answer anything further

You are going to want 2- 1.5" intakes on the back wall, merging at a 2" T to go down into the pump. Depending on how this tank is oriented next to any walls you want to make sure you can reach them easily so the spa cover strainers can be accessed periodically for cleaning. No huge deal, but you might as well maek them easy to get to as it really doesnt matter where they are. If you have a sandbed you want them slightly above center on each side where you can reach them. Other than that, need to know if you are in fact planning on going with a OM unit and if so, which one. Whether or not you are going to have sand, as if you arent this for sure changes how I would orient the ports, as well as what I would actually do with the ports in the first place. On my 6 foot tank I actually dedicate 4 of the ports to cramming flow into the floor of the tank and with those 4 ports completely eliminate having to ever clean crap out from the back floor fo the tank anywhere. 2 in the center, and one on each side with a omniflex anged sharply down cramming and spreading the flow across the entire floor fo the tank. Its pretty sweet action really watching it work with the OM unit. If any sand lover were to watch it in action I guarantee it will make them consider losing the sand(like they should . lol)

As I said before, If you arent planning on a OM 4 or 8 way I wouldnt even bother with a loop in the first place.

There is nothing better than omniflex nozzles for the ports regardless of anything else. Not cheap for what they are, but once you use them you will never use anything else

 

[Scuba Steve]

As I said before, If you arent planning on a OM 4 or 8 way I wouldnt even bother with a loop in the first place. What does this mean.

 

[flyyyguy]

OM=Oceans Motions

go check out their website

Paul makes these manifolds that via a motorized mag drive spins a drum that creates random and variable flow coming out of your closed loop ports. This is what takes a simple closed loop from costing just the pump and plumbing/bulkheads to well over a grand said and done as you have to add the OM unit and a bunch of unions and ball valves. You will also find those omniflex nozzles I described at his site

 

[Scuba Steve]

Didn't really know there were diffent kinds of closed loops systems???
I want to go with a 72"x36"24"tall or
A 72"x36"x18"-20" tall tank. Shallow reef.
I guess I need someone to tell me I need 6 holes on the bottom of the tank and 4 on the back glass and you need 2-3 mp40 or whatever powerheads for this to run perfect. Never done one of these before. It seems nothing is cheap in this hobby.

 

[Scuba Steve]

Thanks i will check out that website. Do a little more research. Just almost eaiser to ask then spend hours online reading. Rather ask someone that has already done it before.

 

[flyyyguy]

Didn't really know there were diffent kinds of closed loops systems???
.

That was kind of my whole point of my first post in your other thread.

Makign sure you understand before you commit to the effort of building it, and pretty much burning the electricity that a large external pump uses, that unless you do use an OM unit you are wasting your time and money as you can accomplish your flow needs much better and simpler with using controllable powerheads alone.

Om units, especially the 8 ways are the cats meow as far as creating some serious random and variable flow, as well as accomplishing the floor sweeping thing I described, especially if you are BB. But they are a luxury item and suck a lot more juice than powerheads for the total flow you get. And unless you are talking a small tank, you are STILL going to want additional supplemental flow from some powerheads in a sps tank.

 

[evsalty]

Didn't really know there were diffent kinds of closed loops systems???
I want to go with a 72"x36"24"tall or
A 72"x36"x18"-20" tall tank. Shallow reef.
I guess I need someone to tell me I need 6 holes on the bottom of the tank and 4 on the back glass and you need 2-3 mp40 or whatever powerheads for this to run perfect. Never done one of these before. It seems nothing is cheap in this hobby.

There is just way too many ways to skin a cat or in this case to plumb a tank to give you the answers you are looking for. With todays props type pumps that are avail which use such little wattage it is becoming less and less advantageous to use a closed loop. I incorporated a closed loop into my 40br build only because I did not want any visible powerheads in the tank. My holes are all in the bottom of the tank. Where you place your holes and how many and what not is entirely up to you. For someone to say that you NEED 2 1.5" intakes on the back wall that merge blah blah blah on your tank is merely just their opinion as to where the holes should be. For an example you could have those two drains on the bottom of the tank and be just as good as if they were on the back wall. You could even use 4 1.25" drains or 6 1" drains etc etc etc. Do you see where I am going with this? There are TOO many variables for any one idea to be the BE ALL END ALL to your question.

 

[flyyyguy]

Where you place your holes and how many and what not is entirely up to you. For someone to say that you NEED 2 1.5" intakes on the back wall that merge blah blah blah on your tank is merely just their opinion as to where the holes should be..

I never said thats exactly where they HAVE to be

I was just suggesting a good place for them as you really dont want them anywhere near the floor of the tank if you have sand, (I suppose it wouldnt matter if you had horrible flow and the sand never moved) and you want them accessible.

also, many people dont understand you want to provide as much water as possible to the pump to make its job easier and provide maximum flow out of it. It is easy to plumb in such a way that is restrictive if you dont get this

putting 4 extra holes andmakign them 1" as you suggest doesnt exaclty make a lot of sense. While it is true there are many ways to skin a cat, 2- minimum 1.5" holes is the ideal beginning to feeding any external closed loop pump. where you put them is optional. But you dont want them where you cant reach them easily since you can put them in many places. Might as well build it with ease of use in mind

 

[evsalty]

I never said thats exactly where they HAVE to be

I was just suggesting a good place for them as you really dont want them anywhere near the floor of the tank if you have sand, (I suppose it wouldnt matter if you had horrible flow and the sand never moved) and you want them accessible.

also, many people dont understand you want to provide as much water as possible to the pump to make its job easier and provide maximum flow out of it. It is easy to plumb in such a way that is restrictive if you dont get this

putting 4 extra holes andmakign them 1" as you suggest doesnt exaclty make a lot of sense. While it is true there are many ways to skin a cat, 2- minimum 1.5" holes is the ideal beginning to feeding any external closed loop pump. where you put them is optional. But you dont want them where you cant reach them easily since you can put them in many places. Might as well build it with ease of use in mind

I wasn't bashing your post. I was just stating that there are far TOO many options and possibilities to call one the BE ALL END ALL like the OP seems to want to have someone state.

BTW there are a few external pumps that are only 500gph-800gph. There is absolutely no NEED for a bare minimum of 2 1.5" drains for those pumps. Obviously it will all depend on the pump in question and the tank dimensions and rock formations and coral growth and so on and so on. Oh and there are also many pumps that can be used both internal and external like the Sicce 3.0 that I have on my closed loop for my breeder. It only puts out a max of 750gph or something close to that so do you really feel that 2 1.5" drains would be bare minimum for such low flow. Again I am just trying to convey that there are too many ways to skin a cat.

 

[flyyyguy]

BTW there are a few external pumps that are only 500gph-800gph. There is absolutely no NEED for a bare minimum of 2 1.5" drains for those pumps. .

this is the large tank forum isnt it??

 

[evsalty]

AGAIN in general. SHEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZ get over it dude


And just because it is the Large tanks forum does not mean others will not look to this thread for advice on smaller tanks.

 

[flyyyguy]

AGAIN in general. SHEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZ get over it dude

with all due respect, you pipe in saying it could make sense to drill and plumb 6 - 1" intakes instead of a couple of larger ones, and then post "blah, blah, blah" in response to detailed options I was describing, and then start talking about silly little pumps, and then get all rude telling me to get over it

ok