Sea swirls....love them or hate them?

[rovster]

OK I talked to SeaSwirl. Seems you want to push some serious flow through them if you want to make the best use of them on a large tank. I love the idea of 4 in the corners and some additional Vortechs.

My dilemma then becomes the flow required to really crank on those 4 swirls is WAY to much for a sump to handle (and drains for that matter). I was thinking something in the neighborhood of 3000-4500gph for all 4. Thats a ton for an overflow to handle, let alone all the gushing water in the sump.

So I was thinking run the recommended amount through the sump and just run the 4 Swirls on a beefy pump in the form of a closed loop.

Any thoughts on this? Am I over complicating this? Overkill?

I am an SPS nut and I love all the chaotic flow, I have 3 MP40s on my current 100 gallon tank and sometimes I think I need more, LOL! I'm 90% acros and that wont change with a big tank, just more room for them to grow out into larger colones. I didn't want to start a separate thread.

The footprint of this tank will be in the neighborhood of 7'x3' and about 300+ gallons. I figure I want 2500gph moving through the sump, no more and that should be manageable by the overflow.

 

[username in use]

Closed loop is a great way to handle it. You can have an intake behind the rock structures to keep good flow back there.

 

[rovster]

Would you put a strainer on the intake? I know the strainer I have on my current drain clogs up after a few months. Where are the best places to put an intake? Back? Bottom?

 

[polywise]

Why don't you drop a set of pvc pipes over the top of your tank into the water and use that for water supply for your closed loops? You can paint the PVC black to make them less obvious. Coming back from the pumps, use rigid pvc to position the sea swirls where you want them over the tank. and yes use a strainer.

 

[fishome25]

love

 

[rovster]

Why don't you drop a set of pvc pipes over the top of your tank into the water and use that for water supply for your closed loops? You can paint the PVC black to make them less obvious. Coming back from the pumps, use rigid pvc to position the sea swirls where you want them over the tank. and yes use a strainer.

Not sure I'm following. You mean like an over the top pickup? I'm worried that might be too much over the top plumbing. I'm already coming over the top for 4 swirls. I do like the no additional drilling aspect but I also would prefer a cleaner look.

Other thing that I came across and has me thinking is running a pair of Vectras. One as a return pump on 2 swirls and one in a closed loop mode for the other 2. The more I thing about it the more I'm liking that idea.

 

[polywise]

It really does not look that bad if you try to hide it..
I did my pick ups in the past in a area that was visually blocked by my center over flow and some rocks. I extended the pipe down so the strainer was hidden by the rocks. I did not glue the extension pipe or strainer so I could slip off for periodic cleaning.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I have a 180g and I'm adding 2 SS's to my system on the returns from the sump (mine is 180g). Currently I have 2 big, squared off 'S' shaped pvc 'spray bars' down the back glass that switch back and forth thru a SCWD. I get good water movement thru the rock wall which goes nearly to the water surface. I'm switching to the SS to get more random water movement.

I think you can do the CL idea and it can work well. In the same system I talked about above, I have a CL with a DC12000 pump (3000+ gph), an Ocean Motion system where 3 of the 4 outlets is open at any one time. Three of the four outlets have Revolution heads which have 1, 2 & 3 ports and they rotate about 12 degrees every time they get flow from the Ocean Motion (which is once per minute). I have a big drain that is drilled into the bottom of the tank and the PVC pipe runs up the back glass behind the rock wall. At the top it turns 180 degree and has a big strainer on the intake. Because it's a CL it doesn't need any anti-siphon holes or any air vent to keep it quiet. It makes no noise. It is big, 1.5" pipe, but it gets covered in coraline algae and is almost invisible. And in 5+ years I've only had to pull the strainer one time to clean it. Although I'll have to do it again soon as I have Hollywood Stunner growing on it now!

If you want any follow up or pics, just ask.

 

[rovster]

Guys (and gals) would love to see pics of how you have it set up. Also how you ran your plumbing would be great. I'd be particularly interested if you are running them on a closed loop.

 

[Reel North]

I just put 2 1" seaswirls on my 220 sps tank. It just finished cycling a couple weeks ago, and I was running 2 gyres and 2 mp40 on my tank before I tore it apart and redid the rocks with shelf and branch.

I didn't even put the gyre back on, and the flow seems to be the same, or better. It's definitely far more random.

I'm excited to see how this works with just the 2 mp40 and the swirls.

 

[sean obergfell]

I love them ......
I went to a rimless system and not able to use them...
Miss them... They work great!!!!

If there was anyway to make them look good on a rimless ....
I'd have them