What brand/model pump do you have as your main circulation pump from sump to tank? Are you happy with it? How's the noise? Is it submerged or external?
mag 9.5, submerged, its quite and works pretty well for me. I upgraded once to a mag 24 and took it back off, little bit louder, too much heat and it overwhelmed my overflow.
Mag 18 - in sump returning from sump to display - as loud as your microwave little giant 1400 external pump -closed loop. As loud as a refrigerator
I have used the mag drive pumps, and had good luck, Even used the quiet one submersible pump with good luck as well. On the 180s I'm going with external pumps, the reef flow dart. Low electrical usage good flow, quiet and low heat transfer. Before You purchase a sump return pump, check into the 120s overflow drain size and the return hole size. So in other words find out the drain capacity of the tank.
The AllGlass Megaflows have a drain hole and return hole within the overflow box. Their pictures show using the ball-joint flexible nozzles on the return lines terminating just at the top of the overflow. Can't I go ahead and run PVC from these to each side and around the inside perimeter with multiple outlets every few inches? Or is it better to have a separate closed loop and pump just for water movement? If I have a separate closed loop, won't a pipe end up going over the top of the tank? Take a look at it here: http://www.all-glass.com/products/aquar ... flow.shtml
Sounds like you will have two 1" drains. Be sure to have a strainer on each drain to keep an snail from venturing down the drain thus plugging it, and causing a wet floor! That happened to me way to often, thus in the new set up I went with redundant drains. Choose a pump that will not out perform 1200 gallons per/hour. A mag 12 might work once you take head loss into consideration. Or you could go with a centrifugal pump. I would go ahead and plan on a closed loop. I went with one on each of the 180s with an oceans Motions 4way flow divert er. It means that five holes would need to be drilled on the back of the tank, one 2" suction hole and four 1" return holes. The advantage is a flow pattern that will keep all the gunk stirred up and will make its way to the sump instead of accumulating on the bottom of the tank and live rock. Tank manufactures usually charge about 20 bucks a hole to drill...But I have some extra hole saw bits for drilling glass in my garage. for 1.5" and 1".
I know you're not supposed to drill tempered glass. Is the bottom glass usually the only tempered glass?
Depends on the tank manufacturer. On my 180s and a couple other tanks I own are drilled on the back and bottom, except for the 45 bow-front. I would call or email the manufacture and find out if the back is drillable.
The AGA website indicates that only the bottom glass is tempered. I think I do want to have the back glass drilled for a closed loop system. Any volunteers?
Do you already have the tank? If not when are you gitting the the tank? I have the bits and could drill the tank no problem, but it would be quite some time before I could make it up to arkadelphia. In the mean time do some research on the location and size of the holes you want. Are you going to go with an OM(Oceans Motions unit)? And start looking at a pump for the closed loop as well.
The tank is in Hot Springs and I can pick it up anytime. I need to get the stand/canopy built (a lot of work planned for tomorrow) and stained/sealed. We're going to stain the stand after I get it home maybe Sunday depending on how much we get done tomorrow. I need some advice as to how many holes to drill and where. The tank is 48x24x24 so it's not a long tank. How do you guys have the output nozzles positioned in the tank? At the bottom or top? How many and how far apart are they? I'm thinking about having the closed loop pipe run around the bottom perimeter since the sump returns exit at the top. Suggestions?
The Ocean Motions products are kinda pricey. I'd be more likely to try one of the SCWD Wavemaker units: http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem. ... uct=3Q1111 Anyone try one of these?
WOW!!! that 8-way Ocean Motions looks great. I want one. Back to the drawing board to figure out how I can squeeze it in. How big a pump are you putting on yours scuba?
Marcus, Paul the owner of oceans motions recommended a sequence dart for the 4way. So I went with the dart, its about a $200.00 dollar pump. I think it puts out about 3600 gal/hr @ 0 head. Rated up to 12feet head pressure. The pump has a 2" suction and 1.5" discharge. But the pump comes with a 1.5" PVC reducing fitting on the suction, so you have the option or two inch or 1.5 inch. Oceans motions web site has a forum, with plenty of pics of various setups, on the 4way 8 way and the squirt. Shoot Paul some questions and he will be glad to help you out. They have outstanding customer service!
Joe before you get a squid, ask around some of the reef forums like reef central and get some input. Mostly what I remember about the squid was negative, but its been a year or so since I read about it. The goal of a closed loop is to increase your flow in the tank, without having to have mega water movement throughout the sump. The purpose of flow is to keep detritus from settling in the tank. I would go with a pyramid type of pattern. have the suction hole centered on the back of the tank(suction feeds the closed loop pump) and have the discharge outlets on the bottom third of the tank towards the outer corners. and then two holes towards the upper third of the tank centered towards the suction hole.
