Recommended flow for 20g SPS?

[Charlie97L]

Ok, I'm setting up a 20 gallon sps tank in my bedroom. i'm trying to decide on my flow...

i want to run a DSB... what would you guys recommend?

i have a 1280 Eheim (602 gph) for the return... that's fine, but what about for supplemental flow? would a closed loop be overkill? i also have a panworld 50xPXX or whatever rated for 1100 GPH. if i did that over 4 outlets would it be too much for the sand? would 2 powerheads be better? i'm trying to keep the display as equipmentless as possible.

thanks! you guys have been great help in my setup so far!

 

[Charlie97L]

anybody? is this overkill?

 

[Lights Are Bright]

i dont know if you would want to use the panworld in your bedroom. Its quiet, but not that quiet. Also it depends on where your outlets are.

A DSB in a small tank will look awkward because a large part of the view will be sand. At least to me it looks weird.

 

[Charlie97L]

yeah i think i'm gonna go DSB in the fugre, and BB in the tank, after thinking about it.

any recommendations on maybe a smaller CL pump? or should i just use the eheim for the sump return, and then maybe 2 seio 820s?

 

[szesteve]

If you really want a quiet setup in your bedroom, I would personally use a submersible pump as a return to your display. That way you would only need to drill one hole in your 20 for the overflow.

Then, you could go with 2 Seios for flow if you don't mind seeing the seios.

Alternatively, if you don't want to use any pumps in your tank, I've used the Mak4s before and find that they're not too noisy.

 

[blacksh33p]

heres what i did in my 20BB. I run 2 seio 620's on opposite ends of the tank pointed towards each other. I have a 10 gallon sump that just houses the skimmer, heater, and return which is just a maxi jet 1200. I drilled a hole for a bulkhead and used a pvc elbow and a strainer for the overflow. Its a very simple setup. I would probably skip out on the whole dsb in the fuge if your gonna run bb. If its set up properly it really isnt needed. Heres a picture of my set up.

 

[Charlie97L]

ok thanks... my tank is actually acrylic, so drilling isn't a problem... i think i'll use the eheim as a the return, submerged, which was the plan from the beginning... and i'll probaby downgrade to a smaller pump for the CL, or some seios... i'll have to think on it, and talk about it with the guy that's building my tank.

thanks guys!

nice tank, btw!

 

[21Reefman]

I have a 20gal mixed reef, PC's can't do much SPS except monti. I think I would love a CL! I want all the crap out of the tank. No over flow box, drilled, etc... I had a few ideas.
I wanted to make two holes in the back of the tank, these could be the returns and you could split it two four once in the tank. Behind the tank I wanted to plum a scwid so those two returns are alternating. i thought there could be a small box to support the scwid the plumbing and tube going to sump. If you wanted to make this a closed loop then the 'box" on the back of the tank could be water tight, and large enough for the pump, and have a hole to allow the pump to get water from tank. You would still need a drilled overflow and return you get rid of an over flow box.

I have many more ideas if you want to pm me

Here is a tank shot, just think of all the room wasted by the overflow box!!! Oh, have one other sweet space saver. I want to "glue" live rock right to the back of the tank!! I saw someone in Germany used the "foam can insulation" to attach the LR directly to the back wall of tank. I would use "shelf like" rocks and would even go so far as to drill holes into the LR so you can easily move and add SPS frags on the coral plugs. This way you can have the corals up near the light where they will grow best, without cluttering the bottom of the tank with the base structure needed to support it. In addition all the water volume the structure eats up in a small system.

 

[21Reefman]

LOL, got so excited I forgot the pic,

 

[21Reefman]

I use a Rio 2500 as the return pump and the maxi 1200 as a powerhead behind the rocks for flow. I turn off the rio for feeding. I would never buy another rio, it has trouble coming back on!!

 

[Charlie97L]

thanks, yeah i have a MH pendant... i don't think i said i was gonna use PCs anywhere... your tank looks really nice!

 

[21Reefman]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7453851#post7453851 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Charlie97L
thanks, yeah i have a MH pendant... i don't think i said i was gonna use PCs anywhere... your tank looks really nice!

No you didn't, I was only describing what I had.

What do you think about the other ideas?

Thanks for the compliment.

 

[Charlie97L]

the tank i'm having made has an external overflow box... and 2 returns, 1 on either side... i think i'm going to see how much flow that kicks up. but yeah, you've got some good ideas there.

i really want to have a CL... so it's not cluttered, but i just don't want to be loud or too much flow. guess i'll have to look into pumps for that... unless teh eheim would be enough. gosh. this is tough.