return above or under

[Basile]

I'm in the process of doing putting my plumbing together and for my return i'm undecide, i've seen people do either their return above the water churning the water line and some plunging it under the waterline. My tank is rimless and without canopy so that in mind i was thinking a screen on top that i take off when i have guest. If so it would mean above water no? How's your set up and why? Plus is having your return churning the surface of the water a plus for gas exchange?

[Aquattro]

Having above the water will cause a lot of splashing and salt creep. Assuming you run a skimmer, that should be enough for O2 exchange.

[AdamsB]

I would go below the water surface. Otherwise It'll cause a lot of splashing as Aquattro said. Also If your power goes out and water drains to the sump, once the pump turns back on you'll get quite a bit more splashing till things even out again. I'm thankful for my glass lid. I had the loc line 4 inches below the water surface pointing up. Power went out, came back on 5 mins later and pounded my glass lid. That would have been a wet carpet and dry sump. Although I anticipated it, it's nice to see it in action an know if I'm not home things will be fine.

So consider what happens during water changes, power cuts etc. and remember, salt water will permanently stain drywall.

[sphelps]

For a rimless tank, through the back glass below the water level which is usually the closest to the top the builder is comfortable drilling.

[LoJack]

Yeah you gotta go underwater, above will make such a mess. You'll be cleaning up salt twice a day

Your overflow and your skimmer will do a fine job of O2 exchange and breaking up the protein film on the surface.

[kien]

Drill your return into the back wall and slap a loc-line onto it. This way you can adjust the return and play around with it by moving it above the water line and below the water line. Who knows, maybe you're the type of person who likes having salt water splash all over the place and salt creep all over your lights and the front of your glass? If you're not, then you can easily move the loc-line below the water surface :-)

[IanWR]

Who knows, maybe you're the type of person who likes having salt water splash all over the place and salt creep all over your lights and the front of your glass?

Is it weird that I actually laugh out loud at many posts and replies here on canreef? Kien, I have to give you a shout out as someone who consistently makes me smile while keeping me informed. Keep up the good work chum. :)

- Ian

[mark]

no problem below the water level if you sump has enough room for when your pump stops

[gregzz4]

I can't vote as I have my returns semi-submerged and the loc-line is horizontal
High enough for some surface agitation, but low enough to not splash or create noise

[kien]

I can't vote as I have my returns semi-submerged and the loc-line is horizontal
High enough for some surface agitation, but low enough to not splash or create noise

Interesting. So would you say that you swing both ways then?

[gregzz4]

Interesting. So would you say that you swing both ways then?
Sorry, Kien, you're out of luck here
But my loc-lines go both ways

[kien]

But my loc-lines go both ways

that's what I was referring to.

[Basile]

The siphon is no concer to me i have a check valve on the line, what was my interest was the fact that putting a screen on top of a rimless tank would interfear with a lockline going into the water, so that why i was interested in the input. i do know the consequence of splashing, noises and salt creep. I'm interested in people's dealing with those paricular problem and how they handle them. You can't buy experience. Thank you all for your input. Still not sure what route i'll choose yet. :biggrin:

[duncangweller]

I have a screen top on my tank and my loc line goes beneath the surface. I just cut a small hole for the loc line to go through the mesh. Looks tidy and stops anything from jumping out. I think you'll regret it of you have your return above the surface.....it will get messy and be really noisy.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[Basile]

I have a screen top on my tank and my loc line goes beneath the surface. I just cut a small hole for the loc line to go through the mesh. Looks tidy and stops anything from jumping out. I think you'll regret it of you have your return above the surface.....it will get messy and be really noisy.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

Ok so it works that way, you just gave me the answer i was looking for thanks. How do you take off your screen when you want to work in your tank? Can you post picture ? Thanks

[duncangweller]

Yeah it works really well. I have enough room under my light that I can lift up the front of the mesh top and get my arm in. If I need to do anything more substantial then I just turn off my return pump, detach the loc line and remove the whole screen top.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[duncangweller]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/23/6yjugada.jpg

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[Basile]

Hey thanks ! :biggrin:

[kien]

you could also just notch around your return like this (http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=527917&postcount=501).

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/IMG_4729.jpg?t=1276673070

[lastlight]

i have a square mesh top with the corrugated plastic used for art projects etc carved to fit the return area. this meets up against the mesh frame.

[duncangweller]

I did think about notching around it too. I think next time I order from BRS I'll order a couple of corners and do that.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[Reef Pilot]

Interesting. So would you say that you swing both ways then?

Haha, I do both in one of my tanks. I have a Y in my loc line with a wide nozzle near the top for surface agitation and a flow accelerator lower down. The top one also stops a syphon to ensure my sump doesn't overflow during a power outage.

[rickcasa]

On a rimless, through the back wall for sure. That's why you chose rimless right, to have a sleek, clean look.

I was waiting to drum up the courage to drill my filled tank but instead went with a Vertex Mocean...love it.

[Reef Pilot]

Actually the eurobrace is better. I have 2 tanks, one rimless and a eurobrace. With the eurobrace, I have a drilled hole to take the return line and hold it solidly in place.

[The Guy]

I can't vote as I have my returns semi-submerged and the loc-line is horizontal
High enough for some surface agitation, but low enough to not splash or create noise
+1 me too

[Basile]

you could also just notch around your return like this (http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=527917&postcount=501).

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/IMG_4729.jpg?t=1276673070

Well thats a trick i like so i'll go under, thanks, those are my tanks.

Thats my 75G starfire display refugium

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq68/Basilesim/Mon%20systeme/Photo017-1.jpg

Thats my 150 G starfire Reef on it side i'm working on it.

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq68/Basilesim/Mon%20systeme/Photo039.jpg

The sump

http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq68/Basilesim/Mon%20systeme/Photo038.jpg

In case you want to follow;http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=98466

[asylumdown]

On a rimless, through the back wall for sure. That's why you chose rimless right, to have a sleek, clean look.

I was waiting to drum up the courage to drill my filled tank but instead went with a Vertex Mocean...love it.

ooooooh, the mocean might be just what i've been looking for. can it be installed on a eurobraced tank?