Hookup
New member
@Lightsluvr; thanks for that link... It's an interesting "low hole" option. I'm waiting for feedback from the builder before changing the design, if they are willing to warranty the 13hole crazynes, then I'm charging ahead... if not, now I've got some excellent options.
The diagram I posted above is missleading. Each of the closed loops returns is a candidate for being split, and in all honestly, they all likely will be thus giving me 12 points of flow from the 6 holes.. that decision will be made during the aquascaping/DIY rock phase... Each of the CL returns will be controlled with a valve, though I assume that is standard practice. I will also be looking at an Oceans Motions unit for part of the CL, but that's somewhat un-related...
At this time, I do think that I will just go ahead with 2 closed loop pumps right from the start. Two gold-series darts will be used because they are a bit more energy efficent when compared to their non-gold series counterparts. Additionally, they provide extra punch in the flow department, however for a while, this will not be required because of the open concept and smaller corals...
My personal feeling on flow, in a reef system, and SPS system more specifically, is that it's not about GPH or turnover, but about quality of water movement when it comes to refreshing the micro-thin layer of 'bonded water' on the corals and ensuring suspension for as much waste materail as possible. So i'm more than confident that my first design would be sufficent, for a long time to come.. but I've seen so many tanks with corals grown in, nice and thick, so looking down the road, I've got to try to predict where the dense spots will occur, and be ready with flow today...
This part I'm finding already is very limiiting... in a "normal tank" you can just add a pump wherever you need, or tweak some plumbing, etc, etc... this tank will never have a visible piece of plumbing in it, (to the best of my abilities), so I really have to envision the 3 or 4 year "grown out" end-state of the tank and be ready to manage it between day 0 and year 4... I figure by the time year 4 is here, the corals will be pretty much grown in as much as I want, and i'll be into a frag-fest to keep things running..
@Ed Reef; At this point my sand bed depth is TBD, though thanks for the new term..
I'm completely torn on the fish side of this build. From my laymans artistic eye, I feel that there are only one of two ways to stock the tank with fish. Either have one OMG show piece, say a pair of crosshatch triggers, OR, have a teeming mass of the same fish.. say 10 yellow tangs and 30 green chromis...
In either secnario, there would obviously be many other fish in the system, but the idea is that from 20 feet away, either design has something that draws the viewer to the "tank". Either the size and splendor of a single fish, or the mass of similar/same color... once the Viewer is "hooked" their eyes woudl then begin to explore the tank and that's where all the blennies, gobies, inverts, mandrin, etc, etc, come into play... the viewer keeps returing to the main image (OMG show piece or mass of similarity) but then reverts to the little details... over and over... creating a "discovery experience".. (OK, i know, i think way,way to much about this stuff... I've even tried to balance the rest of the decore in my house using basic fung shui... but everyone needs an obsession... and I hate the work involed in stalking people... )
So, back to why the sand bed is not determined... of all the fish decisions i've yet to make, leopard wrasses are always at the top of my wish list... wrasses in general are required... also I want to get about 5-8 yellow-headded jawfish... all requiring 3" of sand... a bit more than the SSB and not nearly a DSB...
I do not like deep sand beds... or beds over 1"... this is not from personal experience, but from what I've read... however, I do like wrasses and jawfish, and gobies, etc...
Anyhow, that's Future Tim's problem... so he can deal with it later...
Thanks for reading,
Tim
The diagram I posted above is missleading. Each of the closed loops returns is a candidate for being split, and in all honestly, they all likely will be thus giving me 12 points of flow from the 6 holes.. that decision will be made during the aquascaping/DIY rock phase... Each of the CL returns will be controlled with a valve, though I assume that is standard practice. I will also be looking at an Oceans Motions unit for part of the CL, but that's somewhat un-related...
At this time, I do think that I will just go ahead with 2 closed loop pumps right from the start. Two gold-series darts will be used because they are a bit more energy efficent when compared to their non-gold series counterparts. Additionally, they provide extra punch in the flow department, however for a while, this will not be required because of the open concept and smaller corals...
My personal feeling on flow, in a reef system, and SPS system more specifically, is that it's not about GPH or turnover, but about quality of water movement when it comes to refreshing the micro-thin layer of 'bonded water' on the corals and ensuring suspension for as much waste materail as possible. So i'm more than confident that my first design would be sufficent, for a long time to come.. but I've seen so many tanks with corals grown in, nice and thick, so looking down the road, I've got to try to predict where the dense spots will occur, and be ready with flow today...
This part I'm finding already is very limiiting... in a "normal tank" you can just add a pump wherever you need, or tweak some plumbing, etc, etc... this tank will never have a visible piece of plumbing in it, (to the best of my abilities), so I really have to envision the 3 or 4 year "grown out" end-state of the tank and be ready to manage it between day 0 and year 4... I figure by the time year 4 is here, the corals will be pretty much grown in as much as I want, and i'll be into a frag-fest to keep things running..
@Ed Reef; At this point my sand bed depth is TBD, though thanks for the new term..
I'm completely torn on the fish side of this build. From my laymans artistic eye, I feel that there are only one of two ways to stock the tank with fish. Either have one OMG show piece, say a pair of crosshatch triggers, OR, have a teeming mass of the same fish.. say 10 yellow tangs and 30 green chromis...
In either secnario, there would obviously be many other fish in the system, but the idea is that from 20 feet away, either design has something that draws the viewer to the "tank". Either the size and splendor of a single fish, or the mass of similar/same color... once the Viewer is "hooked" their eyes woudl then begin to explore the tank and that's where all the blennies, gobies, inverts, mandrin, etc, etc, come into play... the viewer keeps returing to the main image (OMG show piece or mass of similarity) but then reverts to the little details... over and over... creating a "discovery experience".. (OK, i know, i think way,way to much about this stuff... I've even tried to balance the rest of the decore in my house using basic fung shui... but everyone needs an obsession... and I hate the work involed in stalking people...
)So, back to why the sand bed is not determined... of all the fish decisions i've yet to make, leopard wrasses are always at the top of my wish list... wrasses in general are required... also I want to get about 5-8 yellow-headded jawfish... all requiring 3" of sand... a bit more than the SSB and not nearly a DSB...
I do not like deep sand beds... or beds over 1"... this is not from personal experience, but from what I've read... however, I do like wrasses and jawfish, and gobies, etc...
Anyhow, that's Future Tim's problem... so he can deal with it later...
Thanks for reading,
Tim
Last edited:
