HELP!? New 75 Gallon Setup

wdragon4l

Premium Member
Good day everyone, I am trying to get all the components to finally set up my reef tank and have a few questions. My tank is an ALL-Glass 75 Gal tank with built in overflow. I have a 30 gal tank that I will be using for a refugium. I just purchased an ASM G3 Skimmer, that I can wait to get. I have been reading a lot of posts on Ro/Di units and will probably go with the Typhoon III.
Now I could use some help picking out a water pump. Can anyone recommend a good pump. Since I the Tank & Refug = 105 gallons, I think the rule of thumb is 4x turn over, so a pump that will do +/- 416 gph, unless someone tell me different.
Another thing I would like to ask is how I should set up everything in the refugium, I have been reading something about closed loops, ect. Can someone explain.

Thanks in adavnce.
 
A good rule of thunb to follow as far as flow through a fuge is no more than 600 GPH thru it. With tank turnover I would do no less than 30 times an hour just to be able to keep detritues suspended and filtered.
I like and always use Quiet One pumps, they are cheaper than most, have good flow capacities, dont take alot of wattage to run, dont make alot of heat. are quiet, and can be used internally as well as externally.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=6&pCatId=9849
 
A good rule of thunb to follow as far as flow through a fuge is no more than 600 GPH thru it. With tank turnover I would do no less than 30 times an hour just to be able to keep detritues suspended and filtered.
I like and always use Quiet One pumps, they are cheaper than most, have good flow capacities, dont take alot of wattage to run, dont make alot of heat. are quiet, and can be used internally as well as externally.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=6&pCatId=9849

As far as setup goes for the fuge, you have several options. You can go bare bottom fuge with only macro algae, can have sand as a substarte with macro and liverock. Basically any way you want to set it up and what the fuges main purpose is going to be used for.
Closed loops are run on the main tank. They donrt use a overflow like a normal tank does. You will have a pump that will take in water from the main, and run it through to the pump, then the pump will push the water back into the tank.
You get alot of waterflow this way.
Here is a link to give you more information on how closed loops work.http://www.melevsreef.com/closedloop.html
 
If a closed loop only moves water from the main tank back to the main tank, what are the benefits of it? is it just waterflow? If I do that will it take place of powerheads???
 
Yes a closed loop is only for increased waterflow and it will replace power heads. It is a fast and easy way to get more flow.
 
wdragon4l

I have the same tank and I use a Mag 7 throttled down for the return and two separate CLs as well as a TUNZE PH. It's like 40 -45x turnover, You need it. Great skimmer choice, you'll be happy.

Check out my build log if you like for some ideas on CLs. I have one that feeds a SCWD and another on a Calfo style manifold.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=644848

Happy Reefing :)
 
How many GPH does your skimmer need to function properly? Go slightly higher than that for your return pump. That's all you really need go between your sump and you display.

A closed loop is literally just for moving water in the display tank. Personally, I took mine out due to noise, leaking issues, space issues, and complexity that I didn't think I really needed. You still have a pump in the water, and have to deal with stray voltage in the tank. At that point, I just put one of the bigger Rio SEIOs in my tank for water movement and it's simple to rotate it out once a month for a cleaning with one of my 2 spares. A mag18 vs a SEIO 1800, same GPH, less plumbing, less room, wide spread gentle flow that the mag does not have. One of them in my 90 is more than enough. Oh, and if I need to increase flow, I just buy a bigger SEIO and drop it in. With a closed loop, you need to rip everything apart and redo plumbing most of the time.

Not saying a CLS is bad, it's just not for everyone. On a really big tank, I'd buy a tunze or icecap pump before I'd hook up 5 or 6 massive pumps with all that heat and electricity expense.
 
wdragon4L

That greatly depends upon what you want to keep in the way of corals. Even if you start out with all softies or LPS, once you get your first SPS, you'll need another ... and another ... and so on. So if you are even leaning in that direction, design ahead for flow.

I totally agree with low flow through the sump and skimmer. My skimmer pulls 350 gph and I target about 450 through the sump.

Pluming for a CL is pretty straight forward, you can make it more elaborate but even if your tank is not drilled CLs are easy. Both mine are external pumps with over the top siphon feeds. If you don't have a drilled tank, that is a must. After that, use your imagination for a return set up as long as it produces the flow you want it's good. And if you use unions & ball valves, maintaining or changing a pump is easy.

A pump that produces 1,800 gph plumed into a manifold with 4-5 outlets spreads that flow across a lot more of the 48" of your tank than a single PH will. The laminar flow from a single PH will dissipate pretty quickly, stick you hand in front of it and you'll see.
PHs like SEIOs are fine if you don't mind the PHs in your tank. And PHs will produce heat in your tank ... so will most external pumps that drive a CL. As long as they provide the flow you need they are fine.

I thought I would be happy with my return giving me 450 gph and two CLs for 2,100 gph combined for a total of 2,550 gph and it just was not enough flow for my set up. So I added a TUNZE. It is a lot of flow, but my tank is cleaner, my skimmer pulls out gunk like mad, and my params stay solid for AM/Ni/Na&Phos at 0.

All that said, if you can $wing it, a pair of TUNZE 6000 you'll have all the flow you need with infinite variability for about 60 watts with very little heat.

HTH
 
I have a mag 7 running the water from my sump to the main tank (90gal). About 3.5ft of height. I get a perfect flow for my sump to work at its best.
 
Thanks for all the info. everyone!!
It looks like I have a lot of considering to do. I do like the TUNZE for right now because I didn't want to put anything hanging behind my tank. It is in a very tight spot and with a full tank It will be impossible to move it if something needed to be addressed (like a leak, ect.)
 
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