90G upgrade in the works

[TekCat]

Hooray!!! I convinced my better half to get a bigger tank! Decided to get a 90G glass tank, stand; and get rid of 55g setup. This time I have more experience and kinda know what would and wouldn’t work. However I want to run by my plan with you, so you could tell me what I am doing wrong.

First of all this is going to be a mixed reef. I have some SPS/LPS corals, zooas, ricodia yamma, not sure about soft corals (maybe one or two).

For filtration I have about 70lbs of LR that is currently cooking in tub and plan to get another 50lbs of dry rock. ASM-G3 skimmer. Fuge with Chaeto. RDSB (or DSB-in-a-bucket). And maybe an UV sterilizer or ozone generator, I am all open to thoughts on which is better to have…

I decided to go with shallow sand bed of special grade reef sand mixed with silica sand. The reason for mixing aragonite and silica sand is very simple: I want to reduce clumping of aragonite particles. The only drawback I see is the silica, which has been proven to be an urban legend and I’ve seen many great tanks with silica sand that don’t have constant diatom problems at all. Still, I’d like to know if it just a dumb idea or not

Special grade reef sand of 1 or 2 inches should be able to support some fauna like nassarius snails and worms for detrius control.

I am still contemplating on circulation. Using rule of thumb method: 10X though sump, should I be looking at 1000GPH pumps at 4-6’ of head? Another change I want to make is to get rid of powerheads and install closed loop. Again rule of thumb is to have 30-40X of total circulation in tank. 10X I will get from tank-sump-tank “open loop”, so I need to obtain another 1800-2700GPH via closed loop. Does this make sense?
I’d like to have closed loop to have something like SCWD to alternate water output. Does anyone know the alternative device that switches current? I’ve heard that SCWD is not very reliable gizmo.

Lights: I have 48” light hood with 8 x T5 HO bulbs, I suppose it should be sufficient.


Experts, I am awaiting your comments please

[MCary]

If you can afford it, I like the oceans motions. www.oceansmotions.com. Yes, I have one OM 4-way and it works great.

[roader247]

I'm putting a 90 together soon please post your progress, and if you can afford them check these out.

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_...er.asp?CartId=

Good Luck
Mark

[cwegescheide]

If I were you I would seriously consider getting a 120. same dimensions as a 90 but more front to back. I've got a 90 and thats my only complaint. I know your thinking well a 90 has more than a 55 but a 90 IMO still doesn't give you too many options when it comes to putting rocks in it and have plenty of room for the fish to swim. All your other equipment will work as well so the only diff is in the price of the tank.

Have fun!

chris

[TekCat]

MCary, wow, these products look very nice. I was quite impressed with all the discussions and support on their forums. I have a couple of questions for you: how noisy the OM 4-Way motor is, and what kind of pump you have there? Yes, these are quite pricey, but they look so much cooler than the powerheads.

roader247, Vortech Propeller Powerheads are still ugly powerheads, though they look kinda trendy I will be posting progress of the upgrade, so stick around. This weekend one of LFS in my area having huge sale, so I plan to get there tank and the stand (if I like their prices).

Chris, I would love to get 120 or even 180, however I don't think that apartment floor would hold, so at least for a couple of years I am going to be stuck with 90G.

[chip721]

TekCat, I followed the thread on your 55g. You have a very nice tank and looking foward to watching your progress with the 90.

I agree with MCary and also a fan of OM's. Once you factor in the price of the unit and pump, they are a little pricey. Here's where other will say, spend a few dollars more and just get Tunze. That's your decision to make.

I have a 90g underway as well with a 2 way squirt on a CL. I orginally bought it for my 54g, but since I was bringing up the 90 I put it on just to check it out. Theyare nice, quiet, well built, and very effective at alternating the flow. But I'm still augmenting the CL with a Seio 1100 on a 670w UPS in case of power outage.

I highly recommend the OM 4way on your 90. Since my CL is pretty much already built, I can simply replace the 2 way drum with a 4 way, plumb 2 more output lines, and put on a stonger pump. Right now I'm using the Panworld 50px-x on the 2 way. Enjoy the 90 and keep us posted. chip

[TekCat]

Thanks Chip, you have a quite nice setup there. My 55g tank is in almost disassembled state. All the rocks are in tub, except some that are in a fuge. So, it is looking quite pathetic.

Anyways, I was thinking and thinking ... (my head hurts ) And finalized my plan with tank's plumbing as follows

I will have two 1" overflows in back corners of the tank. The return will be 1" pipe at the center of the tank. It will go down to the bottom of the tank, where it will be teed off and connected to 3/4" spay bars that ran across the back wall all the way to the corners, pointing water jets upwards. This wont allow detrius to accumulate behind rocks.

For closed loop, there will be three 3/4" bulkheads. One (the intake) will be just below one of the overflow boxes. And two outlets are going to be plumbed at the back lower corners.

I will try to make some graphic diagrams for you to criticize

I wanted to go with OM 4-way, but didn't get Ok from my "finance manager" : So, I would have to enjoy 2way squirt


There is more: today i want to LFS (the one that had a sale), and ordered tank, stand, overflow boxes, and have them drill holes for (in my opinion) pretty good price. So, close to end of next week I'll be dancing around empty 90G tank in my apartment

...more to come later

[chip721]

Your plan sounds good. I think you'll be happy with the OM (even the squirt). I had to tear down a tank to set my 90 in its place. Then it took me another 6 months just to acquire all the parts I wanted. But I think planning and building your new system is part of the fun too. Be glad you have a "finance manager." Mine helps keep me sensible too - kinda . Enjoy

[TekCat]

Thanks Chip. Without "finance manager", I'll be living on a street in a 500g tank instead of a shopping cart

So, anyone knows if it is a good idea or not to mix arogonite and silica sand to reduce sand clumping, and saving some $$ ?

[roader247]

Chip721 I don't know if you are still following this thread, but were did you get your sump ?????

[chip721]

I got my sump at Trigger Systems . Premium Aquatics also sells them for TS. I delt directly with TS because I wanted it customized to fit my skimmer the way I wanted. I orginally bought the box for my sumpless 54g. You can certainly DIY much cheaper. Because (I thought) it was going to be sitting in my living room I wanted to get something nice ...hoping I could sway my wife. Wrong. When she finally saw it, her exact words were, "It's another tank! " So down to the basement it went. Then months later after I've accumlated the other pieces for my system, I realize the sump is too big for my standard 90g stand . But that's another story.

[MCary]

The oceans motions is silent. The rotor is turned by magnets so it can't burn up if it gets jammed by something. I run mine on a sequence dart. Keep in mind that my 150 gal is an SPS tank and I want tons of flow. The dimensions of my 150 is 48"L (same as your 90, 24" wide (same as 120 gal) and 30" high (pain in the butt). If I was setting up a 90 gal for SPS I would use the Dart too.

Pictures: The intake is T'd so it doesn't have too much suction. The second picture is the flow design.



This is a barebottom tank so I don't need to worry about sand storms. The idea is to keep the tank as clean as possible and provide as much flow as possible for the amount of pumps I have. The jets shoot across the bottom, then jets from the left and bottom right forces the detritus across and up where it goes over the overflow. I have random flow by pulsing it. I try to keep water moving in one direction and then varying the force to create randomness. This takes advantage of the momentum of the water so I get more flow from less pumps. Like if you ran your hand down one side of a bathtub until you had a little whirlpool going. Once you stop the water continues to move. This is free energy.

Anyway, here's the second pic:





Mike

[thor32766]

sweet looking tank, great job so far!

[TekCat]

OK, ok... am anxiously waiting for LFS to finish up with my tank (drilling and stuff), so I can pick it up and start messing with sump and plumbing.

As for sump (depending on space in the stand) it is going to be 20 or 30 gallon tank w/ siliconed baffles. I'd have to drill a hole in return section so I can hook up external pump. I really need your help in choosing return pump. It is 90G tank - so turnover should be no less than 500gph at 4' head loss (estimated). Plus, it has to drive UV sterilizer and maybe something else in future (like a reactor of some sort). So, I'd like it to be at least 700-800 gph at 4'.
Also, it has to be quiet and cool I have on my list several models:

• Ehem 1262 ~780gph at 4'
• Little Giant 4-MDQ-SC ~800gph at 4'
• Iwaki MD40RLT ~750gph at 4'

I am not looking at Mag pumps, because I hear people saying that they are noisy and tend to heat up water much.

So, experts! Please advise what would be the best choice for the return pump. (please do not suggest exotic 1 million dollars pumps )

[TekCat]

After more careful research I am leaning toward Ehem 1260 or 1262 for return pump.

Any opinions on the return pump? Anyone?

And as for closed loop pump, I am totally clueless. I have 3/4" inlet and two 3/4" outlets in tank for closed loop. OM Squirt will differentiate output streams. I am shooting for 1000 gph going throw closed loop. Any ideas on the pump that would be quiet enough, cool, and could push 1000 gph through 3/4" pipes and OM Squirt?

[MCary]

One thing about closed loops. Since the pressure entering the system is equal to the gravity leaving the system, you experiance little gravitational head loss. You lose only a little from friction and any restriction of the pipe or elbows. So a 1200 gph pump, like the inexpensive little giant 4 will easily deliver the 1000 gph your looking for. Iwaki makes a good pump also. Others will give good recommendations for other pumps as well. Flip a coin to choose one.

Mike

[chip721]

I'm using the PanWorld 50px-x with my squirt. So far it's proven to be a very decent pump. Mindful it's just for the CL, not my return. I got the by-pass valve with my squirt - just in case I sized wrong with my pump selection. I'm directing "some" water through the by-pass, just for the heck of it. But honestly I think the OM squirt can take all 1100 gph the PanWorld can push at it.

[Acronana06]

nice setup

[TekCat]

Thanks alot! So, the race for closed loop pump is on:
In green trunks we have Little Giant 4;
In red trunk we have Iwaki;
and in blue striped on white trunks we have Pan World 50PX-X.

The winner will be determined who is quieter and cooler (temperature-wise, and not the color of trunks ).

[MCary]

TekCat,

Your interests show aviation. Are you a pilot? I'm a pilot and a reefer. Can't figure out why I'm so fat, I have no money left for groceries.

Mike

[TekCat]

Same here Mike, I am PP-ASEL-IA. And also having trouble deciding on how much fuel should I dump in order to take a passenger LOL

[TekCat]

Whoo-hoo!!!! Got the tank!



this features overflows on the sides, and return in the middle:


here is back where clearly seen holes on the bottom for closed loop returns, and one hole just below one of the overflows for closed loop intake:


And here is the stand... nothing special - it's a stand


Next one is the inside of the stand. Cat clearly marks the spot where sump will be

[TekCat]

Today was a busy day:

- got some PVC fittings from Lowes

- ordered from marinedepot.com Eheim 1260 pump and Current USA 40 watt Gamma UV sterilizer

- got 30 gallons long drilled for return tank (for a sump).

I plan to have classic 3 sections in the sump: skimmer->fuge->return

skimmer and fuge are going to be divided with 13" baffles O-U-O; and fuge and return are going to be divided with 10" baffles O-U-O-U.

Does it sound like a plan?
Another thing, anyone knows who has the best price for ASM-G3 skimmers?

More to come

[TekCat]

Just ordered ASM-G3 protein skimmer from paljets, thanks man!!!

... Still conterplating on getting OM Squit 4-way or 2-way. I have two 3/4" driller bulkheads for closed loop, and don't want to drill two more for 4-way. Maybe I'd have to rethink "clean" look of the tank, and run two more returns from 4-way over the top of the tank.

Granted, that I am being cheap deciding on OM that can only handle 1000gph. Having said that, what pump would anyone recommend for closed loop? I am thinking about Eheim 1262 that would produce 898 gph. I wanted PanWorld 50PX-X, but 1100 gph is just a bit too much for OM-Squirt.

[TekCat]

Ready to paint back of the tank. I decided to go with black background.