any plumbing experts?

[plugpitch]

Hi,
I am going to be setting up my 60 acylic tank. I want to keep sps and I'm trying to figure out how I should drill my tank. I wanted to keep a sump underneath my tank with a fuge and skimmer. I was thinking of drilling in the upper left hand corner and using a 1.5" bulkhead. Hopefully I'll get a gph of about 800-900. While using a sqwd and return inlets on the back left and right side of acyrlic tank, do you think this would be enough? I wanted to stray away from the powerhead look inside my tank. Oh and one more thing, which skimmer would be best, ASM G1-X, AquaC EV-120, or Euroreef CS6-1?

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

you will need a Closed Loop for more flow(for SPS)

the SCWD will cut your sump return rate by around 20%....i would get a external pump with about 1200-1600gph and run a closed loop.

JMO

[Old Yeller Tang]

I would nix the sqwd as well and look into a Squirt by http://www.oceansmotions.com/

I really like the performance of my ER but I know how to tweak it so by just getting to know my skimmer. Heck, I had a Berlin XL that I had skimming just as well. Just got to know your skimmer.

[pookstreet]

Do you have an overflow on the tank or are you just drilling a hole on the back of the tank? If you don't have an overflow, I suggest you put one in. It will be much more effective than just a hole in the back. The surface skimming will help.

I have used both the G1x and the CS6-1. They work about the same, even tho the ER looks nicer and appears to be better built. The only thing with the G1x is that there is a little leak around the throat area, which doesn't really affect the performance of the skimmer. It just doesn't look good b/c of the salt creep. Depending on when you are setting up your tank, you can borrow them for a test drive.

[Frankysreef]

You don't NEED a closed loop to keep sps... Mine do just fine with 2 return feeds.

[plugpitch]

franky, what type of flow do you have? you mind posting a pic?

[Frankysreef]

I did my flow the low buck method. I have return feeds both 3/4 inch. My main pump is a dolphin 3600 ampmaster, I run the output to two 1.5 inch return lines, that reduces down to 3.4 when it gets to the tank. Up at the output I use 2 3/4 four way pvc connectors, which I then I have a 3/4 90, and a 3/4 45 , and I leave the other one straight out to the side, so I have 3 outputs which gives me some pretty good flow from just my return pump itself. I then added 2 seio 1500's to blast into the stream emanating from the returns... gives me some cool tornadoes effect all around the tank.

I also added some old flat rio adjustable outlets to the manifolds so I can direct the flow where it needs to be.

I dont think I have any closeups, I also just added some GSP frags to the manifolds to hide them when they grow..

I like the way that I did this for it really eliminates the need for any powerheads in funky locations

[Frankysreef]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/26552aq3.JPG

Wow , my coral have grown fast... :)

I just looked at my tank, and then at this pic...Some of my corals have almost doubled in size since this...

[ReefMeister2]

Ditto what Franky said.
Closed-loop is a fad that produces little benefit for smaller tanks...much more efficient to use a slightly larger return pump and "T" off to as many outlets as you wish. The SCWD is a good idea in theory, but unfortunately robbs far too much flow as a consequence. This could be compensated for by using a larger pump but then you are wasting energy...again not efficient.

[NicoleC]

Or consider a water manifold over the tank as your return, having locline (or similar) dropping down into the water. This allows for multiple water streams from the same return pump.

[BlueStag]

"Closed-loop is a fad that produces little benefit for smaller tanks...much more efficient to use a slightly larger return pump and "T" off to as many outlets as you wish"

Another train of thought is that closed loops are a nice way to get extra flow in the tank AND avoid having ridiculous amounts of water going over the overflow and causing other kinds of problems in the sump. Such as loud waterfall noise, bubbles and burps. Its nice to have the right amount of flow to reach the protein skimmer to work effeciently. Having large amounts of water rush into the tank, flow like a river down the overflow, and overpower a sump so that water and all the bad stuff flows too fast past a protein skimmer, then forced back up by that powerful pump, is just as bad as having to little flow and is far from ideal. There are some benifits to closed loops, and should be carefully planned with the main return pump. Closed loops do use more electricity do to the extra pumps.

[Frankysreef]

I solved the noise problem by teeing off my stovepipes with a T, a cap, and a 90, I cap off the top, and have the 90 on the T in the water, I drilled small holes in the cap until it flowed correctly... very quiet.... Same principle as a durso stovepipe but a lot easier to manipulate.

My sump is a tad overpowered, so I just added a second skimmer...

I was going to do the manifold above the tank with my system when I started, but I found out that the pump that I needed to get the manifold working correctly was bigger than what I had on hand, and a plumbing nightmare...

From people that I have seen that have closed loop systems, and those that do not, but do have well executed flow, with seios tunzes etc... I havent seen a difference in growth of coral.

And actually.... the people that do not FEED their tank appropriately are the ones that seem to experience little or no growth at all.... No matter what kind of flow or skimming that they do have.

I have read a few posts on the sps forum, about people trying to get a nutrient free tank experiencing 20-40 % loss of coral, and wondering why...

I am a big fan of benthic invertebrates, and think they are the most beneficial things that you can have in a reef tank, and to keep this population of plankton and zooplankton high, there needs to be a balance of nutrients achieved, that keeps these animals thriving to give food for your corals and your fish, while .. he he ( not polluting your tank )...

The last statement is the hard part....:)

[dznuts007]

I don't have a closed loop either and my SPS are all doing fine and growing at a pretty good rate. Using 4 maxijets and my overflow returns. Decided not to do a closed loop to avoid complex issues and risk of leakage from the external pump, etc.

Visited Frank's place a few weeks ago and by the way his tank looks and his growth, he's doing something right. The frags I got from him are all alive and growing.

[Frankysreef]

Nice to hear that my babies are doing fine... When I first started I got a few tips from badbones( tony ), and snipersps (hugo ), and I know that both of those guys feed their tanks pretty well, both have huge fuges, with all sorts of little critters...

Neither of those guys do a bare bottom either. I have a shallow 2-3 inch sandbed in mine. I had a deeper sand bed in my old tank, and there was a lot of muck/mud when I took it out.

Having enough sand on the bottom for little critters to live and get protection in, and for eggs to grow is pretty good. But shallow enough that the critters will consume the muck is also important.

One thing that is interesting, I never clean my bottom sand, or touch my bottom sand. It stays pretty much whitish, more white in the morning after all the benthic invertebrates have eaten their fill at night, and browner in the evening..

I am working on trying to get mysis shrimp to breed profusely in my fuge.. They breed in my overflows right now. They love the nutrient rich water it seems.

Isnt this hobby fun:)

[sharkdude]

OT: http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=709313

Franky: I share the thoughts of your last post on this thread, but the thread above has some rather contentious statements on BB vs shallow sandbed for either sps or softies

[Frankysreef]

Ya, I just replied to it... I really think some people are missing the boat about BB vs DSB.. It is all about the animals themselves, there are more things in a sandbed than bacteria.