I need your help RF with flow

[Krish]

I finally have my aquascaping done, which I have been waiting on so I could get to the most important aspect of my setup...Proper and sufficient flow. I currently have (2) Seio M820 (1640 gph total) and a 700 gph sump return on my 90gal (48x18x24). Here is where I need some help from you guys and also your personal opinions...

Do I go with a closed loop over the tank (90 gal which can't be drilled) or do I go with a few more powerheads and call it a day? I'm concerned about heat being an issue with extra powerheads, but I'm not sure if that really is a factor with most powerheads like Seio's and Tunze streams. Here is a layout of my tank below from the front and the side to give you an idea of what I am working with in terms of space. I really need your help guys as I want to get this tank finished so I can stop messing with it (and stressing) and start stocking it up with some life. All I need is my flow to be sorted out and then I'll be good to go.

Thanks in advance for any help/options/advice or whatever you can give me. All suggestions welcomed...I'm desperate to get this done:doubt:

If the pics aren't bright enough, I can try lighten them a bit...

 

[szidls]

Krish,
How is your return pump currently plumbed? Is this going to be a softie or an sps tank. It looks to me like you need some more random flow as the Sieo's are providing flow in the center of the tank. Possibly a sea swirl on the tank top hooked to the return pump. If you go with the closed loop over the back...maybe a scwd to get random flow from each end of the tank.
HTH's,
Scott

 

[Krish]

Scott, the return is up in the right hand corner creating surface aggitation across the top with which, I get full coverage. If you look good in the second picture, you can see it. I though about a seaswirl, but it seems to me from pictures, that they only rotate across the surface side to side and doesn't really point down at the rocks. I would assume that when the water flow is directed towards the glass it will deflect back towards the rock, but I'm not sure if deflecting back will necessarliy mean it will be deflected down. Can they be adjusted to shoot down?

As for what type of setup (softie or sps), I'm not positive yet. I know I want detritus free rocks so complete coverage is my main objective. I've spent a lot of money shipping things here to the Bahamas in the past and from not researching things enough, a lot of it was a waste. I honestly could care less on how much I will need to spend to get things right (even though my wife thinks the opposite(LOL), but I do want to do it right. I've never had anything up for very long without changing things around for them not being right, but this time I hope it will be the last attempt. Thanks for the quick reply Scott...

 

[szidls]

Scott, the return is up in the right hand corner creating surface aggitation across the top with which, I get full coverage. If you look good in the second picture, you can see it. I though about a seaswirl, but it seems to me from pictures, that they only rotate across the surface side to side and doesn't really point down at the rocks. I would assume that when the water flow is directed towards the glass it will deflect back towards the rock, but I'm not sure if deflecting back will necessarliy mean it will be deflected down. Can they be adjusted to shoot down?

As for what type of setup (softie or sps), I'm not positive yet. I know I want detritus free rocks so complete coverage is my main objective. I've spent a lot of money shipping things here to the Bahamas in the past and from not researching things enough, a lot of it was a waste. I honestly could care less on how much I will need to spend to get things right (even though my wife thinks the opposite(LOL), but I do want to do it right. I've never had anything up for very long without changing things around for them not being right, but this time I hope it will be the last attempt. Thanks for the quick reply Scott...

Krish,
I believe the sea swirls have a short piece of locline for adjustment down. If you are happy with your return I would prolly leave it alone as sea swirls are a bit pricy. As for the scwd, you can design the closed loop to go over the tank top and down to any depth you wish. Then put a locline fitting on the end of your pvc pipe and adjust any direction you wish. As for detritus free rock work I think you will always have to blow it off with a power head from time to time IMHO.

 

[CarlaW]

I think Scott has you pretty much covered here Krish. The Sea Swirl is adjustable downward. If you hooked a 3/4" up to your return pump, or on a closed loop, you would pretty much cure your ails!!!
Good luck man, it's looking pretty good.

 

[wrightme43]

Well my vote is a tunze 6100 singletroller and a sea swirl. Thats what I have and I love it. I can sit and watch my acros polyops blow one way, stop, blow the otherway, shift towards the back of the tank, slowly shift to the front of the tank. Its really really cool because it is a truley random flow pattern. The seaswirl and the tunze can only very very rarely line up the same way, and never twice in a row. I can see little eddies on the surface and the detirus does not build up anywhere. I have to shut the pumps down, let it settle and then blow what I can find to the front with a turkey baster. Today I did a water change and was unable to find hardly any detirus to blow loose from the rocks. It was all blown loose by the flow. Down side, the tunze is huge, and not really cool to look at.

 

[spongebob lover]

hmm well i think Scott's idea is really nice as well as Steve's.
IMO i believe the sea swirls are a little bit expensive even though i believe price does not matter to you .
but how about instead of the sea swirl an aquaball Eheim powerhead or may be 2 and the tunze.
For me, i believe they work pretty good because you can just adjust them in whichever direction you want even to the sand, and in the way you have your rock work you can try hiding them behind your rocks.
Anyways, just something to think about.
I'm sure there's more ideas

http://www.mn-aquarium.org/masart32.htm

 

[szidls]

Well my vote is a tunze 6100 singletroller and a sea swirl. Thats what I have and I love it. I can sit and watch my acros polyops blow one way, stop, blow the otherway, shift towards the back of the tank, slowly shift to the front of the tank. Its really really cool because it is a truley random flow pattern. The seaswirl and the tunze can only very very rarely line up the same way, and never twice in a row. I can see little eddies on the surface and the detirus does not build up anywhere. I have to shut the pumps down, let it settle and then blow what I can find to the front with a turkey baster. Today I did a water change and was unable to find hardly any detirus to blow loose from the rocks. It was all blown loose by the flow. Down side, the tunze is huge, and not really cool to look at.

That is the cool thing about the Tunze is that you can run them on a controller and upgrade to more if you wish. If you already have the Seios then the physical size should not really pose a problem.
Scott

 

[Krish]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I've seen pretty much every set up out there and that's why I couldn't really decide and wanted everyones opinion for my setup. The ideas you guys came up with, I've considered them all and it's only a matter of time before I get the ball rolling. I'm sure it will all work out, and if it doesn't, then I'll just try again(LOL). Thanks again for the info everyone...

 

[Scooterman]

I had a 2" CL over the top on my 100g tank, then split up on top with 3/4" locline, worked well for me. I also had Tinze Streams with the controller also, IMO I liked both for flow working together for different flow aspects one over the other although I didn't have a motorized ball valve on the cl, regardless the combination was awesome. JMO

 

[Krish]

Thanks a lot Scooter for your input. There are definatley a lot of options out there for sure. I just need to make up mind...

 

[Scooterman]

BTW, the CL is a ton cheaper, you talking one pump & some pvc, very cheap compared to the streams.

 

[Krish]

BTW, the CL is a ton cheaper, you talking one pump & some pvc, very cheap compared to the streams.

Yeah, and I would asume that you could direct flow a lot better with a closed loop too. That's probably they way I'm heading. I'd prefer to have as many pumps out of the water as possible. Thanks again Scooter...

 

[reedman]

be careful when you say that a closed loop is a ton cheaper. If your one pump fails then the losses could be a lot more expensive than the streams. I'm not saying that its a bad choice...I have a close loop on my tank. Just be cognizant that the initial layout is not the only consideration.

Also consider a stream can be controlled giving you random flow. A closed loop can too....additional cost. A motorized ball valve is $400-500, oceans motions is $400, seaswirls are $150 each. It adds up quick. Just some things to think about

 

[Krish]

Thanks Reed. I was thinking about doing something similar to yours with the plumbing running above the water to the front with nozzles pointing down from the front towards the rock. You used lockline on yours right? If so, do they make the adaptors to go from pvc to lockline and was that how you did yours? I thought about having the pvc run on top of my tanks center brace and then branch off with the lockline. I just am not sure what adaptors they make to go from the pvc to lockline as they don't sell lockline here. The only thing I can think of is using something like a barb fitting and joining them with some tubing, but I was concerned with the lockline not being able to hold its position like this...

 

[reedman]

Loc line just has a threaded fitting at the end. I use the 3/4" locline in my tank. One thing to remember with locline is that it is not water tight. It will bleed air in and cause microbubbles unless you keep it submerged. I'd run PVC all the way to just below the water line then add the locline.

I also run 2 seaswirls to get random currents in the tank. Running just a CL will work, but I had to continually change the outlets to change the flow. Corals are not big fans of laminar flow.

On closed loops I would recommend either a MBV or an oceans motions to get really good flow throughout the tank. I may add a MBV in the future and get rid of the seaswirls. You get a lot more useful flow out of your pump that way.

 

[Kensn]

Hey Krish, I run 2 Seaswirls off my return pump, one in each front corner of the tank. I have them T'ed off at the output with locline and one off each of the seaswirls point to the surface and one points mid range in the tank. I have them timed to rotate opposite of each other and creates a nice random flow. Just thought I would let ya know..

 

[spongebob lover]

ups sorry Krish, i tried posting the type of powerhead i have and by mistake i added the website i wanted to show ken for his shrimp (dumb laptop ) .

here's the powerhead i was talking about, i'm really sorry dood.

http://www.marinedepot.com/a_ph_eheim.asp?ast=&key=

i mean i'm sure you are gonna go with one of the guys ideas but in case you wanna try trust me, this powerheads are not that bad, they look a little bit big but they are really nice because you can move them around in any direction you want.

 

[Krish]

Thanks again Reed and thank you also Ken for your replies. An acrylic tank would make things so much more simple, but I'm sure i'll get it sorted out. I'll keep you'll posted on my decision...Thanks again everyone...

 

[Krish]

No prob Gabby (LOL) Thanks for the link and info too. Don't worry about your laptop...Atleast you have one at the moment...