closed loop vs tunze

[logans_daddy]

hi everyone

i am starting to gather all of the components to put together my new tank and i have a dilemna. closed loop or tunze. i thought i had my mind made up with a couple of tunze and a multicontroller but now im not so sure. they each seem to have their own pros and cons. this will be for a 250gal FOWLR(i know that flow is not critical but i want in case the tank mutates into a reef in the future )all inputs or suggestions welcome.

btw...i understand the basics of CL system but does someone know of a good thread where the construction is described in detail. and what exactly is a 4 way that is always being mentioned in these threads.

shawn:bum:

 

[wds21921]

I think there are a few posts in the DIY forum. The one I saw today was for a standalone system (no tank drilling) by Melev. He might be a good one to ask.

 

[wds21921]

Here is the link I was reading

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=898714

Might find the info you need from one of the posters?

 

[logans_daddy]

yeah. ive actually seen that setup before. i really dont like the look...i really only want to see black locline in my tank so i think i will go with the driled holes. also doesnt that scwd get really mixed review as far as quality and performance?

shawn:bum:

 

[wds21921]

Yeah I saw that as well. There are quite a few complaints about leaking along the seams and a few that had to be returned also because they simply didn't work after a short run.
I guess the best thing would be to even out the pressure by also evening the lengths of the feed pipes?
You would also gain back the 25-30% pressure loss by eliminating the scwd.
I've not used one but I saw enough of the same complaints that there's more to it than someone just not liking the brand or manufacturer.

 

[logans_daddy]

well after spending several hours researching(thus the 3am post time) i think im going with the oceansmotions 4 way fed by a sequence dart. i wil have 2 1.5" inputs and 4 3/4" outputs. by using loc line components the direction of flow will be very customizable(<-word?) . also the back of my aquarium will be black acrylic so the lock lines and strainers will be virtually invisible. this is a big factor for my since i want the tank to be very clean looking. the initial cost will be about $500 but it is still a lot less than a comprable tunze setup. i figure the cost for running the CL will be a little more monthly but the sequence is a pretty efficient pump.

my tank is going to be 96" long so i was thinking of having the outputs at 12", 24", 72" 84" and my inputs at 36" and 60". the outputs will be about 6" from the top of tank and inputs about 6" from bottom of tank. the tank will have one large overflow centered with two drains thus the reason for leaving the middle of the tank alone.

all suggestions/advice welcome.

shawn:bum: