View Single Post
  #19 (permalink)  
Old 03-29-2006, 04:14 PM
DaveK DaveK is offline
Super Moderator
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Philadelphia PA area
Posts: 5,699
DaveK has a spectacular aura aboutDaveK has a spectacular aura about
Default

The first thing I'd recommend would be to upgrade to a larger tank. Since you have to buy the tank anyway, go with the 180 gal or 210 gal reef ready tank. The front area is about the same, but the additional 6 inches front to back will do wonders for the aquascapeing, and a larger water volume doesn't hurt either. All the other equipment stays more or less the same, so the additional cost is not very much. You'll also be able to fit a larger sump and/or refugium under the tank too.

There is no need to paint the back black. You'll get plenty of algae overgrowing it soon enough. Paint on glass tends to chip anyway. If you still want a black background, get a thin sheet of plywood and paint that. It will stay looking much better.

On the return pump - The two overflows being used in All Glass tanks are going to be limited to a flow rate of about 1200 gph total. You can easily get this with a single pump. Use a pump rated about 1500 gph to allow for pump head and water friction. I agree with jlouv here. Go with a top quality external pump.

On return loops - It is not necessary to drill holes in the tank to use a closed loop. You can plumb a closed loop over the top of the tank. You will see it but gray and black PVC pipe is available, so it will blend right it with a black background. I tend to feel the less holes in the tank, the less chances for leaks.

On closed loops verses Tunze Stream pumps - I disagree with jlouv on this one. If it's got to be one or the other, I'd go with Tunze Streams on their multicontroller. The pumps are difficult to hide and out of sight expensive, but the random flow they create can't easily be be done with closed loops. Of course there is no reason you can't use both closed loops and Tunze Stream pumps. I use both in my large reef. If you use the Tunze Stream pumps, you do not need any other form of wave making.

A note on Seio Super Flow pumps - These pumps can not be used on any sort of wave making system. They also suffer the same ongoing problems of other Seio and Rio (same company) pumps. I don't recommend them.
Reply With Quote