New flow idea

[Jaws]

I'm always thinking of new ideas to create random chaotic flow in a tank. One thing that I would really like to achieve eventually is having no powerhead or flow devices in the tank such as tunzes, seaswirls, etc. The only way I can think of doing this is a very powerful closed loop system that has the outlets hidden amongst or behind the rock. I've wanted to test this theory for a while but don't have the means to do so yet. What about leaving a couple inches between your rock and the back wall and aiming your closed loop outlets straight up say behind your rockwork. You could either drill the bottom of the tank close to the back wall for each outlet or just have one pipe coming in from a side wall and run all along the back wall with multiple outlets. If the flow is pointed up then once it breaks the surface it has no choice but to disperse and travel outwards and back down. This will also create a lot of surface agitation and create all kinds of light refraction. If the upwards flow is along the back wall too then theoretically the flow should travel down and towards the front of the glass which is how most of us aquascape our tanks. The only thing I'm not sure is if the downward flow would be enough after it breaks the surface. If you had some kind of peninsula type aquascaping with a three sided viewing tank it would be neat to have a number of 1" outlets pointing up from various points in the rockwork and then maybe still have some pulsing lateral flow sweeping across the rockwork in order to smash into the vertical flow and create some chaotic flow. Just a couple ideas I've been pondering. Not even sure if it would work but I would be interested in some other people's opinions.

[mr_alberta]

Do you have something like this in mind:

http://members.shaw.ca/harvwong/09.05.05/IMG_0342.JPG

I have 4 closed loop outlets on the bottom of the tank. They work quite well and are easily hidden with rocks. Now if I had only plumbed it properly so the pipes wouldn't leak!

[Jaws]

Ya that's the peninsula style idea. How do you find it? Do you have the outlets from the bottom come right up flush with the top of the rock or are they meant to blast under the rock? How do you find the flow? Is it enough for highend sps?

[Quinster]

I am doing hidden design on my new 180G, I will be running a Reef Flo Dart and an OM 4 Way...here are the design pics;

Top View
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v638/Quinster/New%20180G/TopViewBulkheadSizes.jpg
The center 1" return (in the overflow) will be from my sump, going to a T and then to elbows pointing straight down behind the rockwork.

Front View
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v638/Quinster/New%20180G/FrontViewBulkheadSizes.jpg

[Jaws]

What do you guys think about blasting water straight up behind the rockwork on lets say a 24" tank front to back? Do you think the water rolling towards the front of the tank and downwards would be strong enough?

[vanreefer]

Jaws,
I have a 180 that has one hole drilled in the bottom pane of each of the front corners about 6" from the edge of the glass I had the flow runing straight up from a dart on a CL didnt notice a whole lots of back to front movement but I do also have two returns from the CL exausting toward the front of the tank disrupting that flow. I did however just add some OM omniflow jets http://www.oceansmotions.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=41&osCsid=07ee10f78b552996adb83d4d148f926e and directed the flow toward the back corner on each side now fish are using it as a treadmill :wink:

Quinster are you using two 2" intakes for the CL on a dart IMHO you would only need one 2" (Factory recomended to take 2" inlet) or even a 1 1/2". Might save you the cost of an extra hole and weakening the tank.
PS I have a 1 1/2" intake on a dart and the pumps are shipped with a 2"-->1 1/2" adaptor

[Fish]

Have you watched my videos? Shooting the water straight up to the surface gives AWESOME random turbulance!
I have always thought that if you need to use motorized flow devices, you either don't have enough flow in your tank, or don't have it positioned properly...

- Chad

[littlesilvermax]

You can never get perfect flow IMO always tweaking to get it better. Then stuff grows.:cry:

With my 6000 gph coming out of a 2.5 PVC pipe it would shoot water right out of my 250 gallon tank if I had it pointing straight up. I run the flow along the bottom of the tank, and even then it wants to spill over!

Could have some flow pointed that way though, wouldn't hurt.

[honkey sauce]

thats definitly the knew way of thinking. Im trying something knew with a sinsuidal valve and undergravel plumbing

[Quinster]

Quinster
are you using two 2" intakes for the CL on a dart IMHO you would only need one 2" (Factory recomended to take 2" inlet) or even a 1 1/2". Might save you the cost of an extra hole and weakening the tank.
PS I have a 1 1/2" intake on a dart and the pumps are shipped with a 2"-->1 1/2" adaptor

the reason for the 2 2" is less chance of sucking some un suspecting fish or invert into the line, also to take water from different areas to allow for more random flow.