Where to put the returns on a new system?

[Pprice01]

Hello,

I am upgrading from a 50g to a ~180g: 60"x28"x24".

System Specs:

Bean Animal Drains
Peninsula Style
Overflow box will "float" (meaning that it won't connect to the bottom of the tank, just the side) on the top of the right-side glass, roughly 24" long
Drains will exit "floating" box out the right-side of the tank and then run straight down outside the tank into the stand/sump.

The plan for tank flow is to position a GYRE on the left side opposite the drain and have it push surface water back toward the overflow across the 60" span. Some water will go over the weir, and the rest will go down the drain-side wall, back along the bottom, and up the other side to the GYRE where it will be sent along again. Make sense? Hopefully this will create a nice long clockwise/circular water movement pattern.

I'm considering going with Eurobracing as it, IMO, looks cleaner when you don't run a canopy (I don't want to have a canopy).

The question that I have is to how to best run the return. I was originally considering going through the side wall on either side of the overflow box, but that took up too much space and cut down the size of the overflow box too much. I felt that it cut down the surface skimming ability of the weir too much, and therefore I abandoned the idea.

The next idea is to have 1 or 2 returns coming in over the top on the same side as the overflow weir, but in the corners of the top, through the eurobracing. This would direct the water straight down, and I'm concerned that it will be too much flow (I'm planning ~1800gph) directed into the bottom right-hand corners of the tank.

Do I need to run 3/4" or 1"? 1 or 2 returns?

I plan to run bare bottom, so I'm not worried about a sandstorm, but it might be too forceful of flow over 22" or so straight down.

I'm trying to keep it as clean as possible as I don't want to run a canopy - and I don't want to have plumbing at the GYRE end (left-side) as that is where the doorway to the room is and it would be the first thing you would see.

I am horrible at Sketchup, I've tried. So I hope my explanation is clear enough for you to understand what I mean.

Please ask any questions you see fit, and I look forward to your suggestions as to where to place the returns.

Thank you,

Paul

 

[Pprice01]

Bump. Anyone?

 

[dave.m]

Totally a personal choice. You have to decide what you do or don't want to see or what you are willing to accept. You also have to figure out what works best with your individual situation as far as tank stand construction, available space in fishroom, etc.

Dave.M

 

[Pprice01]

Totally a personal choice. You have to decide what you do or don't want to see or what you are willing to accept. You also have to figure out what works best with your individual situation as far as tank stand construction, available space in fishroom, etc.

Dave.M

Thanks Dave. I realize this, I was just looking for others' creativity. The cleanest would be to come up over the back right corner and down through the eurobrace. My question is whether this would create problems having 1800 gph coming through a single 1" return aimed down into the corner?

Anyone have opinions on this?

 

[Pprice01]

Maybe I simply offset a hole in the back wall and run a single return with a 90 that points toward the overflow wall at about center height. If I use a Jebao DCT-12000 as my return, should I be ok with a single 1" return?

 

[worm5406]

If you are going to have a canopy over it, then run the returns down the top lip/edge of the tank where they will not obstruct, and turn them down and into the corners on the far end of the peninsula.

 

[Bilk]

Why does the return thru the eurobrace have to point straight down? You could either put a rigid outlet at a 90 or even 45 or use a threaded fitting thru the eurobrace and then connect locline or something similar. Also, why only one return?

Other option is using seaswirls mounted to the eurobrace.

Edit: After having a eurobrace for a year, I'm no longer a fan, but the acrylic required a eurobrace. Reasons - water always splashes on the underside, so keeping it clean and spot free of salt is a pain. With no canopy, I'm sure that's a consideration. It also makes cleaning in general, more problematic. JMO

 

[Pprice01]

The plan is to have a gyre on the side wall (left) opposite the overflow, and I'm not going to have a canopy. So I'm thinking of running a return to flow the same way as the gyre. I can go through the back wall or the top Eurobracing. Going through the back wall offset from the middle and simply have it 90 back toward the overflow seems like the easiest thing to do.

 

[Pprice01]

Why does the return thru the eurobrace have to point straight down? You could either put a rigid outlet at a 90 or even 45 or use a threaded fitting thru the eurobrace and then connect locline or something similar. Also, why only one return?

Other option is using seaswirls mounted to the eurobrace.

Edit: After having a eurobrace for a year, I'm no longer a fan, but the acrylic required a eurobrace. Reasons - water always splashes on the underside, so keeping it clean and spot free of salt is a pain. With no canopy, I'm sure that's a consideration. It also makes cleaning in general, more problematic. JMO

I have Eurobracing now on an acrylic tank and prefer the aesthetics over the plastic trim. As to only one return, I don't see needing it for flow, per se, as the gyre should handle that. If it doesn't work, I can add powerheads on either side of the overflow down low pushing water along the bottom back to the gyre.

 

[Pprice01]

I think I need to come through the top with the return. If I come through the back I won't be able to use/sell the system as a true peninsula.

 

[ca1ore]

I run my single return on my 265 straight down behind my rocks. provides flow through the reef structure that power-heads cannot really manage well.

 

[Pprice01]

I run my single return on my 265 straight down behind my rocks. provides flow through the reef structure that power-heads cannot really manage well.

Thanks Calore. I'm really just concerned with messing up the flow created by the gyre. That's why I'm thinking of returning over the top, down through the eurobrace, and back toward the drain to flow in the same pattern as the gyre. Make sense?

 

[Pprice01]

I guess I could plan for options also and have a couple of holes drilled in the rear eurobrace. Maybe one in the back corner behind the overflow box and one more somewhere near the middle .

 

[nctinter]

I have a gyre and my return on the drain side of my peninsula. It pushes all the flow to the far end (7ft). The gyre does a good job of getting it back to the overflow. I didn't want any equipment on the 3 visible sides of my peninsula.kind of defeats the purpose

 

[Pprice01]

I have a gyre and my return on the drain side of my peninsula. It pushes all the flow to the far end (7ft). The gyre does a good job of getting it back to the overflow. I didn't want any equipment on the 3 visible sides of my peninsula.kind of defeats the purpose

Interesting. I had thought about that, but was curious about driving the flow away from drains. The returning water would come up from the bottom underneath the gyre and then be pushed away from the drains. I would have thought that this might be inefficient. You must be experiencing good results though, yes?

I'd prefer to leave the end uncluttered also, so I'll give this a try for sure.

Does your return go through the side wall or over the top?

 

[worm5406]

Either-way when it fills the water will go through to the drain. It is not like the Gyre is running at 200gpm or anything. It may modify the way it skims off the surface.

 

[Pprice01]

I'm going to run the tank against a wall, so I can put the gyre on the opposite end of I need to.

 

[nctinter]

I have it running over the top. I modified a dual corner overflow into a peninsula. Does it work? Yeah. Is it ideal? Probably not. It's what I have to deal with. I don't have much surface skimming area. I don't much attention to that. Corals are healthy. No nitrates. Must be working

 

[Pprice01]

Is there any need for me to have holes drilled for a bulkhead through the eurobrace, or simply large enough for a pipe?

 

[Pprice01]

Visio mocked it up with a 24"x4"x4" internal overflow box. Does this seem large enough to handle 3 x 1.5" bulkheads? 4" does not seem very deep and I want to avoid cavitation from the full siphon.