Help me plan the plumbing of The Beast

[Richard]

I would plumb it so that water goes into the intake of the pump(s) and then gets pumped back thru output of the pump(s). Also, make sure that the waterline isn't too high or those kids will drown. Hope that helps.

I'm sure whatever you do it'll be a cool tank.

[NaCl_H2O]

Nice sump, how big is the tank ;)

Put your closed loop inlet holes high on the wall, like 1-2" below water surface. You can add a 90deg elbow and a strainer pointed downward. If the bulkhead ever leaks - less water on the floor - I wish I had done mine that way!

[Texreefer]

those kids are gonna need at least 2-3 foot returns :D

[JesterGrin_1]

Joshua only you would get the tank only to be able to put kids on public display lol. :)

[JesterGrin_1]

Well since you are going to use it to put the bad kids on public display you will not need a canopy just a frame and some thick chicken wire and a good lock lol. ;)

[JesterGrin_1]

BUMP for some help for this forum member. :)

[LoneStar]

So if your thinking closed loop, then Ocean Motions 4way! :)

I'd do the intake on the back wall, mid to low mount. You could mount it low and the put a elbow on it with a strainer so you don't suck up any sand (if your using sand). Then I'd put the returns on the bottom of the tank. Jaccuzzis are nice to sit in but they look weird on the back wall when its a reef tank ;) Check out Brian's 300g thread. Serious flow and you can't even tell there is a closed loop there!

As for a closed loop pump...welll your on your own there. Alot of choices and it depends on how much power you want to run.

For the returns, locline would work out. Since the tank is EuroBraced in the center and on the edges, it would be a little hard to put a WavySea or a SeaSwirl....but it would be doable.

I'm a Tunze fan myself but looks like you got a big enough footprint to do a lot of plumbing underneath so a closed loop would be easy to do.

[Ram_Puppy]

Josh,

I have an oceans motions 4-way and a reeflow dart that aren't currently hooked up if you want to give it a whirl and see if you like it. (sorry, don't want to sell them! :) )

one thing i have to caution on the oceans motions, is that having the returns at a different depth can cause some pressure slippage on the drum. i had two returns deep in the tank, and every now and again, that would cause the drump to slip and make a clicking sound. didn't hurt anything, but it got annoying.

[Ram_Puppy]

oh, and I am partial to returns coming out of the bottom of the tank... so If that was my monster to play w/ I would get an oceans motions 8 way, have 4 on the back, and 4 off the bottom.

oceansmotions.com also sells 1" loc-line - which i also have an example of if you would like to see it.

[Ram_Puppy]

any pics of the sump/refugiums?

[Ram_Puppy]

Blue woudl be closed loop returns, green, sump returns.

the bottom returns could easily be disguised w/ a little live rock.

[Ram_Puppy]

I think that would be great, it would suck up detrius and keep it suspended... excellent idea.

have you see steve weasts tank? that monster 800 gallon?

he has a similar setup i think, where he uses his closed loop return to keep detrius from collecting under his rocks.

have you thought about maybe putting live rock rubble on theb ottom of the tank rather than sand? it would still be easy to clean, and you would have something to put frags on. :)

oh, and if you split a 4 way rather than just using an 8 way, you need to be careful to make sure every pipe is exactly the same length so one return doesn't get favored over the other...

how about skipping the 4 closed loop returns on the top all together and making the 2 returns on the back your sump returns, you could put some OM revolutions on them maybe... that way you can still use a 4 way, no splitting is neccessary, and you use even fewer drill holes.

[Ram_Puppy]

well... how about a couple coming up through the bottom just rising further up?

here is a thought... sorry if i explain this poorly.

put your egg crate bottom on, but instead of using the typical cut pieces of pvc to hod it up, use flat pvc endcaps... its a little more expensive, but if you put the closed side of the cap facing up, and the open side down, no detrius will be collected underneath it, and the fact it's more like a column and not a log laying down means you will have more free flow of water down there.

next, have one of your return pipes on the bottom hook into a T that runs along the entire backside of the aquarium w/ drilled holes, kinda like a spray bar, and hook it up to a seperate return pump, like maybe a powerful magdrive... reason being you want this to be a higher pressure than your other returns and water will go out a 1" return before a bunch of 1mm hole.

the idea being that you ave a high pressure current constantly moving along the bottom of the tank, kicking your detrius up into the water flow.

not only would your coral love it I expect, but it will also keep your tank much cleaner. then, I would have patches of live rock along the bottom just to cover as much egg crate as possible (not completely) but just hide it, not rubble, or large pieces, just i don't know, like 1/2 lbs to 1 lbs, 5" pieces... maybe a bunch of broken tonga branch.

i think that would be the shiznit.

[Ram_Puppy]

oh, and you probably would want to put your eggcrate in in tiles, incase you drop something.

[LoneStar]

I wouldn't split the 4way. I'd go with a 8way as to not to undermine the unit.

[Ram_Puppy]

I wouldn't split the 4way. I'd go with a 8way as to not to undermine the unit.


i agree w/ that 100% or get two 4 ways.

[Ram_Puppy]

I'm just likin the idea of small pieces of liverock on the bottom for one reason - sounds like a very nice place for pods... and I know you want a mandarin.

[Ram_Puppy]

i think you need more rock, your sacrificing the sand bed for ease of keeping, but your going to need the realestate on that rock to go w/ your self sustaining plan.

[JesterGrin_1]

Sorry Joshua but I have to agree with Ram on this one. As I am sure you know the more rock you have the better it will filter the water along with more critters for the fish and everything else to chew on. :)

Oh and a BIG BUMP lol.

[matt]

Who made this tank? I'd like to see it someday, I guess after the school year.

I'm becoming a tunze stream fan with these nano streams. The up-front cost is high but they seem to produce better flow than anything else I've seen and the lack of wattage/heat is great. I'd seriously consider skipping the closed loop altogether and getting a set up of streams with a controller.