suggestions for ideal flow SPS tank?

[Kyton66]

Hi,
Hope you can help me out with your suggestions for sump return lines and total water flow for a SPS tank. The tank will be about 150 gallons (48x24x30) or a bit larger. Still in the planning stage, but hey that’s the fun part :biggrin:

This tank will be in a wall, so was hoping to hide the use of powerheads within the tank. Thought of using loc-line with tips just below the surface to get flow on the front of the corals as well. Since the loc-line tips are just below the surface, a reverse siphon will only happen for about the top ½” of water when the power is turned off. Also in this set up planning on two vortech powerheads hidden in the rockwork at opposite ends of the tank, facing towards the centre.

I’m a bit concerned about the dreaded flood so thought of keeping all holes in the tank up high. Then if a power failure happens, and the union check valves fail - yikes! – half of the tank’s water won’t drain on the floor. Hey I’m good for suggestions on this one. :-)

Check out attached sketch
A- Additional External water pump with pick up from screened off intake area behind rock work. Thought of having one return line from sump exit into this caged area. Then this “clean” water will also be pumped through the tank using surface loc-line

B- Two Vortech pumps for flow hidden in rockwork.

C- Drain lines to sump

D- Return lines from sump

Cheers, and thanks

[Dez]

If you check out my build thread you can have an idea of the kind of flow in my 150 gallon tank ( in wall as well )

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=50842

Hope this helps.

[mattdean]

Have you considered a closed loop? I have a closed loop with a vortech MP20 at the end of my 60 X 24 peninsula and the flow is fantastic. You would probably need to plan it differently for a tank that is against the wall, but I find all my corals are happy.
My build is here to see what I did.:

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=40442

Good luck!

[Kyton66]

Thanks Dez & mattdean. Will dig a bit further and check out your ideas.

Cheers :biggrin:

[Kyton66]

Any ideas on a good closed loop set up?
Thanks

[mattdean]

You really need to decide how you are going to aquascape your tank. I have seen one VERY successful tank that had the returns in each front corner with a 45 degree "T" so it was going across the front from each corner and towards the back along the sides. That, coupled with his returns made for nice flow. He is considered the SPS "king" around here. :)

What I did was create a "vortech" of flow - since mine is a peninsula - starting with the returns going down from the end - as well as across the top along the sides - then the closed loop's first return (split so it goes on each side of the center rock) goes along the bottom towards the second return which goes upward toward the end of the tank and then the MP20 along the top facing back toward the overflow. So it creates a circular vortech of flow around the whole tank. It takes a little while for it to stop once the pumps are all off. I have zero dead spots and very happy corals.