Tank size question

sufunk

sufunk

Member
I agree with you, the 180 would probably be big enough. Ive been trying to convince myself to just go 72x24x24. I think i would still but i really want the eurobracing and starphire. I hate the look of the aga 180's braces.
Or do i just say forget it and learn everything i can and hope maybe for christmas i can get the same offer. That would be a real bummer though after getting me all jacked up for a new tank.
Cant decide what to do
 
turningtim

turningtim

Active Member
OK, I've seen starfire and yes it looks good. Is it worth all the cash they want for it? IMHO NO! If you're going to use a canopy for lights you'll never see the trim! As far as structure I think both are equal. For the bracing and lights thats where the planning comes in. You're only at the tank phase. Its just the tank! It just holds the water! It will be your tank and what you want is the critters inside you won't be looking at the tank!
Will you lose some money when you sell the 180 YES but will it be worth the education most deffinatly! I'm telling ya, they don't look that big at the store but once it hits the house you could sleep in there!

Do you really think you're not going to love a BIGG A---- tank that you can play with NOT

Tim
 
turningtim

turningtim

Active Member
JEEZ 42 posts and we haven't gotton the tank down yet! This is gonna be a long one.....
:hilarious
:hilarious :scared: :jumping:
 
sufunk

sufunk

Member
I forgot to ask my question, does a closed loop have to be pre drilled? can i decide on it later or i have to know now and get it drilled?
 
turningtim

turningtim

Active Member
The tank does have to be drilled for a CL. But I know someone that has a internal or HOB CL that they are very happy with that does a fine job. Now in any case IF we know what we're dealing with! Somehow I think we can make it work!
Tim
I'll tell ya right now that better be one heck of a nice shirt! Don't mess with me caus I'm headed to Fla in a couple weeks and I will hunt you down!
:hilarious
 
sufunk

sufunk

Member
I think i need a closed loop then. Ill need the flow cus its definitely gonna be a reef and i dont want 50 powerheads in the tank like mine now. A few posts ago you said to go with 2 overflows to divide the back into 3 and that will allow a closed loop. What do you mean dividing it into 3? just that the flow return split the tank in 3 sections? Also, you said before 2-3 CL returns would be good for me since i wanna move stuff around. What would the average # be for a tank 225g? And where are the normally placed and why?
It seems hard to know where to put them unless you know exactly how your aquascapings gonna be
 
turningtim

turningtim

Active Member
SU, I'm done for the night but I have some other drawing to do and I'll give you an Idea of what I think and you can go from there.
Are we back to the 225?
Tim
 
sufunk2

sufunk2

Member
I think im gonna take your advice and get the 180. The 225 is probably overkill and i think you're right. When it gets in the room by itself, the 180 will be huge. Also, will be much easier to get a stand for that size. Waiting for a few quotes on the 180.
Also, doing some reading i think im ditching any plan for a CL and will probably go with a tunze for the extra flow. What do you think?
p.s. -for some reason, my other name was deactivated. What a waste of 577 posts
. Was looking forward to hittin' 1k, lol.
 
sufunk2

sufunk2

Member
yeah rr, 2 overflows, not sure if corner or offset yet. 180 gallon, so i need about 3600 gph, maybe a little less.
 
murph145

murph145

Active Member
hey there i think my CL setup works great if ur interested in an explanation ill show u some pics and explain how it works and what stuff im using
 
sufunk2

sufunk2

Member
Thank you VERY much. I would love to see some pics and have a good explanation.

p.s.- murph, you always have the cleanest tank ive ever seen. How do you keep the dsp so clean?
 
murph145

murph145

Active Member
well im guna find some pics and post them in a min for u and explain how my closed loop system works
as for keeping the tank clean
i battled a lil red slime the first 2 weeks but now it runs great i have a lawnmower blenny whos very active at eating the rocks
i have a orange spotted goby who cleans the sand all the time
those 2 do a very good job
other then that i only have about 6 snails and about 30 hermits
 
murph145

murph145

Active Member
ok well as for my tank i had it drilled in 6 seperate areas with a 1.75" hole which is so that it can handle a 1" bulkhead .... the holes are always bigger than the bulkhead size that way it fits through and u can run 1" pipping which is most likely the size ur guna wanna run
first pic is of the back of the tankive got 2-1" drain holes drilled into the back panel of my tank.... both are located in the middle of each side of the overflow box that way i get even flow from both sides of the tank, it keeps water moving around the whole tank....
so these 1" exits come out and angle to the center of the tank where they connect in a 2" T with adapters to make them join..... now this allows the 1" from each side to join in the 2" allowing for maximum suction for the pump below meaning it wont under feed the closed loop pump
after the T it drops down a 2" PVC pipe until it gets to the CL pump which is a Sequence Reeflo Dart great pump for a closed loop system lots of flow and low energy only 160W.... this pump is not meant for any pressure applications though or it loses alot of power
so the 2" elbows into the pumps 2" inlet then the pump shoots the water straight up a 1.5" pipe.... i located my CL pump in the very back of my stand centered and behind my sump... its hard to get to from the front without removing the sump but i shouldnt have to remove it ever.... anyways i did this to minimize elbows on the return any elbow on the return will slow down flow....
so the return then goes straight up to my Oceans Motion 4 way Version 3 1.5" inlet and 1" outlets then from the OM unit as u can see from the top the piping goes to the 4 other holes i had drilled in the tank.... 2 in the upper corners and the other 2 are in the middle of the tank through the top of the euro bracing.... i ended up wanting the 2 in the corner to return more at the mide level so i dropped down some piping to shoot the water in the middle.... the two in the euro bracing i used Omni-Flex return nozzels so i can adjust direction on the return...
this allows for pleanty of water flow in the tank and a nice alternating current
the Oceans Motion unit which is the silver cylinder thing has a motor which opens and closes two holes at a time which makes the random flow in the tank... IMO a great product!
my sump return pump is doing about 900gph so in total i think i have about 4000gph in the tank after loss of head pressure
heres some pics
first the exits Ting up
second the piping down to the CL pump
third the top of the tank where u see the OM unit and the returns to the tank
fourth one side where u see the drain and 2 returns



 
sufunk2

sufunk2

Member
It looks awesome but i think its a little too much for me to handle. What is the advantage over having say a tunze on each side of the tank?
Also, i see you only have 1 overflow. Whats your take on overflows for a 180g 72x24x24. 1 or 2 and what position?? what do you favor?
 
murph145

murph145

Active Member
um well tunzes are nice thats for sure u have your personal preferences thats all it boils down too
if u have two tunzes on a controller to give it a random flow that would work great also i hear those make some great flow in a wide pattern
ive never had any tunzes before but my old 100 did not have a CL so i had about 5 power heads in the tank a seio 1500 and some others but i hated the look of the powerhead so this go around i told myself no powerheads what so ever in the tank
so so far so good everything is doing nicely
i hear tunzes can be pricey as well same with the controller
i think my set up cost about $100 for the hoes to be drilled
$225 for the pump
$300 for the OM unit
$60 in plumming parts those 1.5 & 2" ballvalves and unions are pricey
total $585
 
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