pledosophy
Active member
I use strainers on my CL intake and have never had a loss from the intake. I have lost a fish, and a couple inverts to powerheads.
I still use both.
JME
I still use both.
JME
closed loop versus powerheads
- Thread starter Fishingpcola
- Start date
ToledoTang
New member
My tank is not drilled for a CL...that being said, could I just place a submersible pump behind some rock work and plumb that to various outlets throughout the tank? Pros and cons?
LOTUS50GOD
Active member
I have both in my tank.
Sequence dart on a OM 4 way...
3 seio 1500s
a couple of small maxi jets to move water in some small places.
Sequence dart on a OM 4 way...
3 seio 1500s
a couple of small maxi jets to move water in some small places.
LobsterOfJustice
Recovering Detritophobe
See, this is what kind of confuses me. You think 4 PVC fittings/locline nozzles (outlets) plus two 1.5" intake strainers (plus your 1.5" overflow plumbing) is going to look cleaner than two vortechs or tunzes?
this is my issue also. I have a couple closed loop tanks that are just hideous from all the visible plumbing, and one that is pretty well hidden. Neither system is better only diffrent, but power heads and whatnot are much cheaper and easier relocate and hide. Closed loops are for the hobbyist not the animals.
psteeleb
Team RC
A lot depends on if and where you can plumb and hide stuff
here is a picture of my tank with returns, 4 Korilia#4s, and closed loop
My closed loop intake is inside the rock that's behind the the yellow tang in the center of the tank. This rock is a piece of lace lava that was shaped like a dish. I added legs to the rock and placed it in the tank over the pump suction, completely hiding it. The CL returns are Penductors hidden behind other pieces of rock but are pointed out, up and toward the front of the tank. If you zoom in real close you can barely make out the one on the right, just under the "L" in CL. It has a frogspawn on top of it.
The large green numbers are places I tool videos to show flow on SPS & LPS polyps
I think both have there merits, I went with both, Closed loop low in the rocks and PH's high.
here is a picture of my tank with returns, 4 Korilia#4s, and closed loop
My closed loop intake is inside the rock that's behind the the yellow tang in the center of the tank. This rock is a piece of lace lava that was shaped like a dish. I added legs to the rock and placed it in the tank over the pump suction, completely hiding it. The CL returns are Penductors hidden behind other pieces of rock but are pointed out, up and toward the front of the tank. If you zoom in real close you can barely make out the one on the right, just under the "L" in CL. It has a frogspawn on top of it.
The large green numbers are places I tool videos to show flow on SPS & LPS polyps
I think both have there merits, I went with both, Closed loop low in the rocks and PH's high.
virginiadiver69
New member
Could you please restate this? It may be my hang over but...I've read it several different times and I don't get the advice your giving.
FirstContact
Active member
I definitely see the advantage of just $ for the powerheads. But for me half the fun of the hobby is learning and tinkering. So, I like the idea of closed loops. I also see how it might be very frustrating after lots of planning, effort, hard work and $ if a closed loop doesn't turn out right. I just transferred my 46g tank inhabitants to a 20g so I can play around with the 46g. It was a freshwater hand me down and needs an overflow. I'd like to learn more about drilling, plumbing, and closed loops by using the 46g as a test model for a larger tank. From some of the posts I've read, I'll probably practive drilling on some glass discards before I try drilling the tank.
robertifly
Premium Member
I think he means just a delivery through the bh with no linelock or such.
LobsterOfJustice
Recovering Detritophobe
Yes. I would have no plumbing inside the tank for the CL outputs, just water blowing into the tank through the bulkhead.
UrbanSage
New member
I think that is a highly opinionated point of view.
As for myself, I CHOSE Vortechs over closed loops.
With two wave makers I have more random flow than I know what to do with.
I sorta disagree here.
Say you have 1000 gph CL moving from left to right.
Now you have a 1000gph powerhead moving 1000 gph from one end of the tank to the other. But the added benefit here is that the water you move from one side to the other also has to come back through the tank and not through a diverted pipe.
So, in theory you get 2000gph from the powerhead......
In reality the effect will be much less though. for one, why count the gallons being jetted to the other end.....
psteeleb
Team RC
I have no argument with your disagreement, but maybe I didn't make my point; I was referring to being able to locate the source of suction in a different place then the discharge (takes advantage of a push and pull in different locations).
To your point the PH's recirculating their own water from the discharge; I don't see how you could push even close to 100% across a large tank, and if the tank is long enough you may not even get 10%. But if you were using a CL with one side opposite of the other you would be be 100% cross tank flow. I do see you point on the return rercirculation. And it would be an interesting study to see just how far water actually travels before recirulating.
Again I use both and they both have their advantages. In my case the CL pulls water in through rockwork on the bottom of my tank.
kwaters
Premium Member
Yes I do...that is the beauty of individuality.
I think someone else had said it earlier...it all depends on how it is put together and hidden from the eye.
I have a vision of how I want my tank to look and have seen it done many of times. I am just trying to get ride of power heads in my tank, increase the flow and overall, provide a healthy environment for my inhabitants.
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LobsterOfJustice
Recovering Detritophobe
I didn't see this the first time, but...
This is kind of weird you bring this up... as most CLs are the ones providing laminar flow from one direction... I would say most people with powerheads have more random flow (via plug-in wavemakers). It's a lot easier for someone to incorporate wavemaking into powerheads than into a closed loop.
This is kind of weird you bring this up... as most CLs are the ones providing laminar flow from one direction... I would say most people with powerheads have more random flow (via plug-in wavemakers). It's a lot easier for someone to incorporate wavemaking into powerheads than into a closed loop.
Mr. Brooks
MASVC Member
I don't know about Tunzes, but Vortechs create an under tow. So you get a circular effect close to the powerhead. It just wouldn't be over a long distance if that's the effect you want.
At RAP one of the speakers, Jake Adams, showed a video of a really nice 1200 gallon reef where all the flow is achieved by 8 alternating vortechs on one end of the tank. Extremely clean looking.
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh6Cz_H8Uhg
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh6Cz_H8Uhg
