pandora32
Well-known member
Beautiful tank!! hats just how I have been picturing mine. I will show her for sure!
Flow in a 215
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pandora32
Well-known member
I am curious about going with a closed loop. Do any people out there have a design they could share with me? As well as pump reccomendations.
Krish
RF STAFF
I'll get you some pictures in a sec. You have two options. Either drilling the tank or going over the top. Going to my computer now.
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Krish
RF STAFF
K...Here's is the closed loop on the 38 gal. I initially had it set up with one pump for circulation as seen below.
Pink arrow - suction for closed loop
Green arrows - output to the tank.
Unfortunately it wasn't enough. The pump sat underneath the stand as you can see, and had to pump up to the tank and then the flow was split between 4 outputs which didn't give me what I wanted so I went to 2 pumps sitting on the back of the tank so I wouldn't lose much head pressure and just re-used most of the plumbing so that's why it's a mess LOL!
red arrows - Suction for closed loop
pink arrows - output to tank
yellow - just my sump return line
white - overflow drain to sump
This shows just how much space the plumbing took up
The flow in the tank. What you see up top I had down low as well so it was 4 output with Y adaptors on it using lockline so I had 8 nozzles total I could direct flow individually as well and the sump return that I used for surface aggitiation.
The tank
I will show you my version of an over the top closed loop in the next post incase you dont want to drill the tank like I did.
Pink arrow - suction for closed loop
Green arrows - output to the tank.
Unfortunately it wasn't enough. The pump sat underneath the stand as you can see, and had to pump up to the tank and then the flow was split between 4 outputs which didn't give me what I wanted so I went to 2 pumps sitting on the back of the tank so I wouldn't lose much head pressure and just re-used most of the plumbing so that's why it's a mess LOL!
red arrows - Suction for closed loop
pink arrows - output to tank
yellow - just my sump return line
white - overflow drain to sump
This shows just how much space the plumbing took up
The flow in the tank. What you see up top I had down low as well so it was 4 output with Y adaptors on it using lockline so I had 8 nozzles total I could direct flow individually as well and the sump return that I used for surface aggitiation.
The tank
I will show you my version of an over the top closed loop in the next post incase you dont want to drill the tank like I did.
Krish
RF STAFF
On the 75 gal I had 2 Tunze streams giving me most of my flow. With two powerheads, you usually get great randon flow by putting one powerhead on either end of the tank and have them pointed at the same spot in the middle of the front glass where it collides. Really mixes up the flow alot. One pump was rated at 1600 gph and the other 1850 gph on a wave maker/controller. Then if you look at the top, that nozzle is from my sea-swirl which was attached to my return pump from the sump. That rotates back and forth continuously. That was on about a 700 gph pump. Here is what the tank looked like without the closed loop. This is how it stayed before I took it down because I really didn't like the over the top closed loop once I put it on as it made the tank look a bit too cluttered due to my aquascaping layout etc.
So I wanted a bit more flow and didn't want anymore powerheads in addition, I didn't want to drill the tank so I did a closed loop over the top.
first step is the suction
I didn't want to see the white pvc pip in the tank and the black strainer so I made a cover out of blue acrylic like my backwall was to hide it and placed the suction for the closed loop in there.
red arrow - cap you remove to prime the closed loop first time you use it. Just remove the cap and pour water in it until the plumbing is filled with water then replace the cap. Doesn't have to be glued.
yellow arrow - suction for closed loop in the tank
aqua arrow - my diy cover LOL
This shot shows the pump I used for the closed loop sitting under my stand over my sump on a shelf
Then all you have to do is make up your own return line to the tank. I made a manifold out of pvc I painted black and used some lockline to direct the flow
Sitting on the tank
It was a bit too much going on for me so I eventually removed the closed loop, but you can see the two nozzles coming down in the front of the tank flared out. There are tons of way you can do an over the top closed loop, but this is just an example. My tank didn't have a lot of rockwork to hide the plumbing and this didn't have any corals either so everything stood out more. on the 38 gal, you couldn't see much of the plumbing.
So I wanted a bit more flow and didn't want anymore powerheads in addition, I didn't want to drill the tank so I did a closed loop over the top.
first step is the suction
I didn't want to see the white pvc pip in the tank and the black strainer so I made a cover out of blue acrylic like my backwall was to hide it and placed the suction for the closed loop in there.
red arrow - cap you remove to prime the closed loop first time you use it. Just remove the cap and pour water in it until the plumbing is filled with water then replace the cap. Doesn't have to be glued.
yellow arrow - suction for closed loop in the tank
aqua arrow - my diy cover LOL
This shot shows the pump I used for the closed loop sitting under my stand over my sump on a shelf
Then all you have to do is make up your own return line to the tank. I made a manifold out of pvc I painted black and used some lockline to direct the flow
Sitting on the tank
It was a bit too much going on for me so I eventually removed the closed loop, but you can see the two nozzles coming down in the front of the tank flared out. There are tons of way you can do an over the top closed loop, but this is just an example. My tank didn't have a lot of rockwork to hide the plumbing and this didn't have any corals either so everything stood out more. on the 38 gal, you couldn't see much of the plumbing.
Last edited:
pandora32
Well-known member
I love it! Over the top may just be the way for me!! Be a lot easier to do it that way than trying to find a place for all my rock and fish and corals temporarily. I dont know any reefers on this side that could store my livestock from a 215g tank. Would also be a lot easier to convince my wife of this compared to asking her if it would be ok to drill the back...:yield:
pandora32
Well-known member
What size piping would you suggest for an over the top setup?
Krish
RF STAFF
It will depend on what the pump your are using requires. You don't want to starve the pump with too small of a pipe. You cam get some more over the top ideas from www.melevsreef.com if he still has the write up there. I will check and if it is there I'll post a link.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Krish
RF STAFF
Try this http://www.melevsreef.com/closedloop.html
If that worked, here's his parts list and "how to"
http://www.melevsreef.com/how_to_build.html
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
If that worked, here's his parts list and "how to"
http://www.melevsreef.com/how_to_build.html
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
pandora32
Well-known member
I really appreciate this krish!! The info was VERY helpful. Have you ever used a scwd before?
Krish
RF STAFF
No problem dude!
. As for the scwd I've never used one. Heard they got noisy and retricted flow, but not 100% sure on it. I think they redesigned them so might not have any issues now at all. Someone else would have to confirm. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Great shots Krish. Very explanatory. I went with an over the top CL on the 210 because I couldn't get myself to drill a brand new near $1000 tank. I've drilled a bunch of smaller one's too. I used a 2" pipe for the intake (Sequence Barracuda 5800GPH), made sure it went to near the bottom and then drilled about 400 1/4" holes in it at an upward angle starting at about 8" below the waters surface. Dont forget, with an over the top intake you need to use a T with a threaded end cap so you can prime the system before you fire up the pump. You can see it in one of Krish's pic's. I dont know if it was mentioned. Another thing I would recommend for a CL is a lot of threaded unions for maintanance and repairs. When I sold mine off I was able to sell the whole CL almost intact. The guy took it from my 210 to his 180 without much work at all.
I'll see if I can find some pics of my 210 CL system for you.
I know there is an anenome stuck in it, but this is a CL intake for my 120. A 1 1/4" pipe with saw cuts in it. It worked but I found it difficult to keep the cuts uniform and long enough to let enough water in without weakening the pipe a whole bunch.
I cant find any pics of the 210 CL. Apparently I don't take pictures of my plumbing.
I cant find any pics of the 210 CL. Apparently I don't take pictures of my plumbing.
pandora32
Well-known member
Cool> Thank you all very much!
pandora32
Well-known member
Well my over the top was a complete and utter failure. I cant seem to get the piping filled with water through the top like you have krish. I was trying to use a mag 9.5 I had laying around and it just seems to blow out the water and not draw it in. O well. Ill try again when I get time. I have been REAL busy with my wifes business.
Am3gross
Member
So what were really saying is it is not the size that matters its the motion in the ocean?... I think I heard that some where before
pandora32
Well-known member
I have been playing around with my mp40's and think i have it pretty good now.
