Looking for Flow Suggestions for a 33g Cube

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bucknellreefer

New member
I am currently in the process of setting up 33g (23x20x18) oceanic cube tank. As far as equipment goes I have a 250w aquamedic oceanlight pendant, a CPR style custom HOB refugium and i am probably going to purchase a Remora skimmer in the near future.
This brings me to my point. I have been doing lots of planning and research for this tank but i still can't seem to figure out what i am going to do for flow. I want to have nice random flow with around 30x-40x turnover. I have thought about the new nano-streams but i am not sure they would work well in this application. Would 2 of the smallest ones aimed at each other from opposite ends provide random enough flow?
I have also thought about a wave timer with 3 or 4 maxi-jets. They would provide random flow but take up lots of space. This tank will be moved somewhat regularly (2 times a year probably) because i am still in school so i thought drilling would be a bad idea as i would be afraid of cracking the tank during a move

If anyone has any ideas/experience I would be glad to hear any advice that anyone has to offer cause i am just feeling kinda lost with where to go with this.
Thanks in advance!

The tank in all its empty glory:
tank.jpg
 
i like the stream idea. i have a 6055 w/ a controller on order and cant wait for december to get here. think about the needs of your stocking and go from there.
good luck
 
Theres a thread here at RC that people are using a disco light controller to alternate their power heads to give changes to flow. Might want to do a search and see if it would work for you. Its pretty cheap too. Hope this helps.

chris
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8343978#post8343978 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by july865
i like the stream idea. i have a 6055 w/ a controller on order and cant wait for december to get here. think about the needs of your stocking and go from there.
good luck
Click to expand...

I just don't know if i could get flow everywhere with one of them, i wish the least powerful ones were controllable so i could use two, cause 2x 1200gph would probably be overkill for a mixed reef ( not to mention ungodly expensive).

Theres a thread here at RC that people are using a disco light controller to alternate their power heads to give changes to flow. Might want to do a search and see if it would work for you. Its pretty cheap too. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

That sounds interesting, the only problem is that this has the same problem as a normal wave maker and you have a bunch of the bulky ugly looking maxijets in the tank.

Right now i am thinking about getting a couple of seio 620s and aiming them at each other from across the aqurium and forgetting the wave timer. This would probably give me nice dispersed, random flow. I could also wait for the tunzes and get a couple of the 6025s instead and do the same thing. They would probably be a whole lot more reliable and I am pretty sure they come with magnetic holders so I wouldn't be trying to DIY my own. Either way, both of these options would give me 40x turnover and i think that they look a whole lot nicer than maxi-jets.

What do you think?
Thanks for the input so far!
 
since the nano's cant disperse heat very well, just keep in mind the amount of wattage your choices uses. for the amount of water these things push, their reputation, durability, and low power consumption.. whats a few pennies.....lol
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8348111#post8348111 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by july865
since the nano's cant disperse heat very well, just keep in mind the amount of wattage your choices uses. for the amount of water these things push, their reputation, durability, and low power consumption.. whats a few pennies.....lol
Click to expand...

You do raise a good point, I started this project intending not to skimp on drygoods if possible (so far i have done this by quality items buying used, not possible for the nano streams unfortunately) so there is no reason to start being cheap now. You asked about stocking earlier and i am planning on going acros up high and lps, zoas, a couple other softies and lower light sps like montis on the bottom. The depth of this tank is a challege, nearly 23", because it is narrow.

I am sure that 2 of the tunze 6025s aimed at one another would provide more than enough flow, do you think it would be chaotic enough without any kind of on/off wave action?

Thanks for your help so far! I might post this in the general discussion forum to see what others have to say.
 
I have a SEIO 620 and an 820 in my 33 cube and I actually have flow issues. The 620 doesn't make nearly enough flow. Surprisingly the 820 absolutely blasts the tank with great wide flow. I'd like to run two 820s and eventually get the SEIO controller but I hear they are expensive. I also thought about doing the maxi-stream mod to a pair of MJ600s with a small propeller. That would give you the flow and still be controllable.
 
Oh, almost forgot. I run a Viper 150w HQI over mine and I wish it was a 250. As long as you keep it off the water about 10-12" and blow a fan on it you shouldn't have too much trouble. Tell me more about the custom fuge you have?
 
Thanks for the suggestions on the Seios, I would think about 2 820s and the controller but i believe that only the 1100s and up are controllable. Right now i am leaning towards the tunzes but who knows whether i will change my mind again in the next couple months.

The fuge is about 17" long and 12" deep. It looks very similar to the cpr aquafuges. I bought it off a rc member, he was using it on a 37g cube he only had setup for about a month. He had it built by a local acylic shop and it looks like they did a great job, its probably really overbuilt. I am going to run a smally 100gph or so powerhead on it, the plumbing itsn't fully assembled yet though.

I also picked up the stand today, it was on clearance at petsmart and it was also really dusty so they gave me an extra 20% off.

Here are a couple pics of the fuge on the empty tank for size.

hmmmm.jpg

flash.jpg
 
I am running two maxijets 900s both equiped with the hydor rotating nozzels. They seem to be doing the trick and at only 8 watts each they add very little heat.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8354949#post8354949 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BryanBusza
I am running two maxijets 900s both equiped with the hydor rotating nozzels. They seem to be doing the trick and at only 8 watts each they add very little heat.
Click to expand...

I don't think that would cut it in terms of flow, the 900s only put out a little over 200 gph so even without the hydor, which probably reduce flow more i would be looking at less than 20x turnover. The 1200s are 20 watts each.

I think its definitely looking like the best somewhat cost effective solution is using a couple of powerheads like tunzes/seios that put out a large amount of gentle flow and aiming them at one another. The 6025s are either 5 or 7 watts each so they are extremely efficent as well.
 
What are you looking to keep to have such a high turnover rate???

If you really think you need that much flow go with the 820s instead of the 620s.

Good Luck
 
I'm gessing you go to bucknell?
(your sig. :) )

Thats cool...im planning my college tank for next year. I think that I'm gunna go with a 33 as well, but long...

If you have a roomate...are they cool with the tank thing?
 
Tunze is great...but in a 30, you would/should probably only use one...
is cost a factor by the way? :)
sorry for the split up post, i just wanted to coment on the maxijet/seio/tunze stream...issue :)

BTW just curious....what are u studying?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8368272#post8368272 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by alien9168
Tunze is great...but in a 30, you would/should probably only use one...
is cost a factor by the way? :)
sorry for the split up post, i just wanted to coment on the maxijet/seio/tunze stream...issue :)

BTW just curious....what are u studying?
Click to expand...

I would be using the 6025, smallest of the as-yet unreleased nano-streams. It puts out around 600gph so i think 2 would be probably be just right. Price is vaguely a factor, I just thought it would be better to have flow coming from more than one place, other wise the 6055 and a single controller would be good. i dunno, maybe i am confused about that?

I am a junior political science major, I was a bio-major for a couple semesters but i hate the molecular stuff so that didn't work out so well. I am also on the baseball team, which eats most of my free time.
 
What up Travis realizing the price of the Nanos I say get after them. BTW the tank is looking awfully empty. Can't wait to see it setup...

Good Luck!
 
two cents...

Ran two Maxis 1200 on one side -- one each end of the glass -- run with a RedSea Wavemaker. Two produced way to much movement for my softies. Now I run one with the wavemaker and it produces perfect current. I have a mountain of LR in the middle and the effect is like a circulating surge every few minutes.
 
I am planning to have similar setup and planning to use 2 MJ1200s as well. It will be LPS and softy setup.
 
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