Filtration for Reef Tank

[SaltyTemple]

Hey all,

I would like to put forward my plan of action for my upcoming reef tank, I am still working out some details and am getting confused with all of the information out there!

125 Gallon Tank
combo CF/Hal Canopy (in case I decide I like harder corals)
EuroReef R56-2+ Skimmer - I am interested in hearing thoughts on plumbing that with the under-tank sump

I plan on having at least 150lbs of LR
I plan on various inverts
I plan on having Soft Coral
Jawfish/Blennies/Gobies/Clowns plus a couple of "showcase" fish, yet to be determined (much later)

Because I plan on having jawfish I know that I need at least three inches of substrate - would that mean that it would qualify as a DSB or is it just deeper substrate?

I also know that I need to have flow, but I've heard that with that much LR that all I'd need is LR and a "kick a**" Skimmer, but that doesn't really account for flow. Am I missing something?

ARGH - a little overwhelmed!

 

[clayswim]

Intense lighting isn't just great for hard corals, but many other inverts as well. Many soft corals, clams and anemones require high light levels. So your lighting choice should work well.

3" of sand just barely qualifies for DSB. Personally I think the only good reason for DSB is what you're talking about, which is keeping fish that use it. I'm sure there are others (we all know his name who will disagree with me on that. Just joking Mike.

Yep, you need lots of flow. You're right that all you really need is lots of rock and a good skimmer for filtration, but water flow is a must for many other reasons. For that you can either used what's called a closed loop (referred to as a CL), which is basically just a pump(s) that circulates water; or powerheads inside the aquarium. The best of these powerheads is the Tunze Stream. They create a massive current without the sharp, piercing jet stream that other pumps generate.

Clayton

 

[Kensn]

Are you going to get an acrylic or glass tank?

 

[Krish]

Like Clayswim said...make sure and get some flow. Don't fall victim to it like I did the first time around. You can't imagine how important good flow is especially with proper well thought out positioning.

 

[Krish]

Oh almost forgot, Tunze stream powerheads are really really good ( as mentioned by Clayswim) but they can get quite costly. Another powerhead that is almost identical to the tunze streams are the Seio pumps by Rio. They can be setup basically in the same fashion for half the price.

 

[SaltyTemple]

Alright - I have been researching powerheads/pumps. Here's the results.

I have looked at the Tunze Stream Powerheads and for the 6000 series it will cost 250ish for one pump. How many of these are needed for good flow in the 125gal tank?

The Seio Pump in the series M620 GPH is about 45 dollars for one. Does this pump go in the sump? How many of these are needed for good flow in the 125gal tank?

How would you suggest I move on this?

 

[Kensn]

You will need a controler with the Tunze Stream, don't forget that. They just don't plug in the wall like other pumps/power heads. Are you going with a sump with protien skimmer and return pump, and adding more circulation in the tank with the tunzes, or have you thought about a closed loop for extra circulation?

 

[clayswim]

The Seio is a good pump, but in my opinion not as reliable as the Stream. If you decide on a Seio you could go with a couple of the M1500 models. That would give you 3,000 GPH flow, which is about right for a tank that size. The Tunze Stream has two different types; those with and without the electronic controller ability. This allows you to use the Tunze Multicontroller to create different styles of water flow. These include waves, tidal currents, a night setting for decreased flow and the ability to shut the pumps off during feeding. The 6000 has the ability to use the controller (although it's not included). If you just want flow without all the fancy stuff you can get a couple of 6060s. That would be 3,200 GPH together. Here's a link... http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=TZ1313

Clayton

 

[SaltyTemple]

Alright so how does this sound: I go with the Tunze Stream, and get the 6000 with controler (which has three buttons - I've seen it). Do I need more than one to create all those great currents? I saw that controler too and it plugs into four powerheads...

We are going with a sump with protien skimmer, for a return pump, what should I use?

 

[Krish]

Well, that will be determined by how much flow your sump requires and also how much flow your pre-filter will provide the sump, if you're using a pre-filter. Is your tank drilled? Well, in essence, there are many return pumps out there that will do the job, but you'll have to decide if your return pump will sit in the sump (which warms up the water a tad bit) or on the outside. I've always used Mag-drive pumps and they are pretty reliable. It was the pump suggested to use with my sump. One thing that is important to keep in mind is to check the distance at which you will be pumping the water with the pumps specification at that same ditance. For eg. Some may say 700gph, but that may be only @ 0ft where as that same pump will only provide you with 450gph @ 4 ft.

 

[clayswim]

As Krish said, the pump needs to be sized according to your overflow capacity. Find out what the overflow will handle, and then buy a pump to match. Buying an oversized pump isn't a big issue since you can always use a valve to slow it down. Mag-Drive pumps work well and have had a good reputation for years. They do work better as internal pumps though, despite the heat issue. An external pump reduces the heat in the water that sometimes will burden tanks. Which one I'd recommend depends on how much your overflow will handle though. On the smaller side I like the Pan World/Blueline pumps, which are basically just Iwaki clones at a cheaper price. For larger pumps both the Sequence and Dolphin pumps work great.

As for the Tunze Streams, keep in mind that there are two controllers. One is a single controller which one pump will plug into; but that can be extended by use of their splitter. That's the one you described. This method operates every pump in the exact same manner. For true wave and tidal control you need the multicontroller. That allows pumps to be controlled in four channels instead of one. Also remember that only Tunze Streams work with these controllers.

If the pump you ultimately choose for your sump is large enough you should only need one Stream. Again though, this depends entirely on how much your overflow handles.

Clayton

 

[SaltyTemple]

So the debate between a stream (Tunze) and a CL. Which is considered a better way to go in a softie reef with few fish?

 

[Krish]

Well that too is entirely up to you and also the structure and layout of your tank. The good thing about closed loop systems is that if the tank is acrylic, then you can drill your tank anywhere you want to provide drainage and flow without taking up too much space inside of the tank as some powerheads tend to do. Also it is more appealing to the eye to see some nozzles if any, if hidden good by rocks than a bunch of powerheads. On the otherhand, if your tank is tempered glass then you couldn't drill and you'd have to add nozzles or flow in a different fashion (for eg spray bars, hang on the tank return spouts etc) which too can get ugly if trying to direct flow at a certain rock from an odd direction. The good thing about powerheads is that you can put them pretty much anywhere you want flow, but you have to sacrifice some space in the tank and also, like I said before, can be unsightly (but it is only a matter of opinion). Check a few of the members galleries and get some ideas of their setups. I know me personally, I wished I had an acrylic tank to hide some nozzles, but maybe later

 

[Krish]

Oh, by the way, if you want to see a great example of a closed loop system, search "building the beast" which is the mojoreefs tank. He got one serious set up there. The first few pics didn't come up for me, but scroll down and you'll see some good plumbing.

 

[Beeba]

It seemes there are so many options for making the tank better in the long run but a closed loop is the easiest way to start. You can always upgrade once you know a little more about it and your wallets expands to the point that you can't fit it in your pocket.

 

[carsonc]

As BeeBa said closed loops are great. if you are drilling the back, go with 1 size larger bulkhead than you think you will ever need
Also it is not necessary to have a high flow thru the sump if you have good closed loops set up.
Carson

 

[plack]

"plus a couple of "showcase" fish, yet to be determined (much later)"
plan on adding your fish from the most docile first to the most aggressive last and not too much time inbetween or they will claim territories and fight this could be overcame sometimes but it often involves moving everything in your tank for me this was just not possible without breaking allot of the small frags I have so I had to put it up for trade
planning is key good job planning things out in advance go slow
Paul