Looking for flow suggestions

[kylem]

I am still in the process of learning about this reef aquarium stuff.
I have a 135 gal acrylic tank with one corner overflow. I currently have two return ports that run through an anti syphon loop. One return comes out the bottom of the overflow and the other comes out at the middle of the tank..both are at the lower back of the tank. I am running a 70Rlt Iwalki pump and my total water flow at the tank is 1260gal/hr. I would like to put more water flow in for a reef tank. What are some suggestion for design?

I am putting pc T5 lights 6 at 48" on one half and will get a 250 or 400 HQI this fall for the other 2ft of tank. I wanted to get a variety of light so that I could have different corals in various areas of the tank.

Tank dimensions are 72x18x24.

I want to put in a closed loop system but have no idea as to what to put in for intake and outlet ports. I was thinking of jets or maybe a spraybar down near the bottom.


Kyle

 

[mojoreef]

Hi Kyle
What kind of a reef tank is it going to be?? Are you going to have sand or simular on the bottom? let me know and we will take it form thier.

Mike

 

[kylem]

I have 3 inches of sand on the bottom...some coarse and some really fine stuff. What kind of reef tank should it be? Well what kind would give me the most variety of species in a reef?

Kyle

 

[plumber_bob]

IMO, I would take the sand out, either go bare bottom or have a little less substrate in there. I've never believed in more then 1"

 

[kylem]

I wanted more sand because I want to have a yellow headed jawfish or two and that requires deeper sand.

 

[plumber_bob]

Kyle,
Jawfish like a lot of rubble. The sand is nice, but in the wild they prefer little pieces of live rock. Essentially what they do is build a home out of rubble then at night they go and grab a smaller rock to cover their in/out hole, so no predators can gain access. Anyways, check out my 11 gallon nano forum, on the bottom left I have a yellow head/pearly jawfish, that absolutly loves his home. The trick with these guys is laying window screen over any place where they can jump out. The window screen will still allow for light penetration plus evaporation.
Bobby

 

[kylem]

window screen....great idea ...never thought of that! I have rubble as well and the crabs and sea cucumber love digging in the sand.

 

[NaH2O]

What kind of reef tank should it be? Well what kind would give me the most variety of species in a reef?

What kinds of corals are you most interested in? Sounds like you would like to keep a little of everything, but is there a particular kind that you like the most and plan on having a majority of (i.e. softies, LPS, SPS)?

 

[mojoreef]

The reason I asked you Kylem is that the sand substriaght will dictate what kind of flow you can have in the tank. Its not a good idea to run a spray bar on a tank with a sand bed as it will suspend the sand and make a mess, unless you have it high, ad then it looks kind of ugly. Having a acrylic tank will allow you some flexability in drilling for a closed loop. On the inputs for it you want them somewhere from the mid level and upwards, this way you can get to them to clean and maintain them, For outputs with a sandbed tank I would go a little higher and try to space them out so that you can cover the length of the tank. As per what sizes and such its going to depend on the pump you are going to use for it.
On your return from the sump your iwalkie is fine and I would leave the return outputs where they are. Take a peek at some of the tanks in this foum for a concept on CL plumbing and then decide on the pump you want to do and we can take it a little further.

MIke

 

[kylem]

I already have a pump...another Iwalki 30 xrlt...960 gal/h @ 5ft head. As for coral types...I already have some softies but I am more interested in the sps corals like:
Green Acropora yongei
Purple Pocillopora damicornis
Monitpora Spumosa
Montipora plate...already have orange.
Solomon Islands clove polyps (clavularia sp)
Acorpora nana
acropora tortuosa
Orange recordia bubble...already have
Pulsing Xenae...already have 5 bunches
Zoos...have orange of two clusters.
I am also very interested in putting a couple of clams in.

 

[kylem]

I looked up the links Mojo...nice Eductor. I tried making a 3/4" one but I don't think it was working...needed narrower tube. I could get the picks on the homemade on because I didn't have a login for that site.
I really liked the link on the carlton Surge device...great design...especially the part on quiet and small...3 gallon. I have room above the tank but where to put it? I have it on an open wall in the living rm....I will have to think about that some more but I think that is the way to go.

Where can we get some Weld-on 40? Nobody carries that stuff around here.

Kyle

 

[mojoreef]

Either from any plastics shop or alot of hardware stores have them to. McClendons has it.


Mike

 

[kylem]

ok I am going to use those tub jets for my outputs and two inputs.
The input ports will be located mid section on either end closest to a dead corner...sounds good for circulation. Now I would like to put two outputs lower and midway between center and the inputs on each side and the rest of the ports near the top. How many and how far apart should they be? What size of pipe and jets sizes should I use? The pump I am using is a WMD30RLXT Iwaki which has 960gal/h output.
I wish I had a full tank trough like you guys are using. I can see the benifits.

Kyle

 

[mojoreef]

Kyle anyway you go do a quick drawing with say Microsoft paint?? its alot easier to tell if I can see it.


Mike

 

[kylem]

tank design

Ok Mike I used MSPaint to rough schetch what I have and was looking at. Tell me what you think is best.
By the way...I saw a couple of sand bed tanks for your new tank...what are they for and how do they work?

 

[The R/C Man]

Kyle,

For my 150 gallon I am running 2 intake ports for the closed loop at 1 1/2" each and 4, 3/4" returns. The will be a sequence 3600 for the pump connected to an oceansmotions four way. On my 375 gallon which is two feet longer I might only add one more return for a total of 5. I think you are over kill on the returns. JMO Let us know what you decide....