Upgrade considerations

[fritz]

Btw I wouldn't put a T on the return unless it was really to powerful for the overflow. The 300 or so gph you cut from the pump you ahve to make up with

Using a return for your circulation (like I do) is a bad idea IMO. It will lead to microbubbles. Kris you've seen my sump, I get almost 2 inches of foam from my overflows 1" and 3/4" both used as drains (with dursos) and my Eheim 1262 pushes way too much water through them.

I'm going to step back to the conventional method of 3x-5x tank volume being pushed through the sump and make up the rest with circulation pumps.

Side note about nutrient rich water, Eric's tank has got two SPS frags to color up nice that neither I nor Misha could get to color up! Obviously this is an SPS that likes "dirty" or nutrient rich water since it didn't like either of our tanks but loved Eric's.

Which actually makes a really good point. Misha has a SICK tank. No nutrients, great SPS. Deanos has a SICK tank, low nutrients great LPS. That doesn't mean that all LPS would do great in his tank, nor that all SPS do great in Misha's tank. I've got some SPS that love my tank and some that just won't color up. So I'll give those away and keep the ones that are nice. When people come over they'll go WOW your SPS are sick and think that I am the guru of SPS. Fact is I just kept what worked with my conditions/husbandry practices. I think EVERYONE on here could have a SICK tank if they just kept "What worked for them"

(not that everyone doesn't )

 

[nanoreefer22]

I gotta see this piece that colored up. I'm sure it would have stood out to me.

And I use about 500gph I'm getting thru the mag 7 and I have no foam, no microbubbles etc....Erics sump is going to very long for a sump on a 75 and microbubbles shouldnt be a problem in anyway over that much distance, with maybe 2-3 baffles put in place. :scratch:

 

[fritz]

Either way it doesn't matter. You shouldn't push 900 gallons (or 700 with head loss) through a sump on a 75 gallon tank. If he wants a fuge in his sump, 700 GPH is way too much. I wouldn't want to pass that much water around my skimmer either. If it's a money savings issue think of the extra work involved (circulation wise) to pump water up 4 feet into the tank, vs. a Zero head pump in the tank. I just don't think that using 100% of a return pump for ciruclation is a good idea.

If E wanted to run an Eheim 1262 as a closed loop and then another pump as a return that's a different story.

As to your mag 5 as a return, at about 4 feet your head loss means it's only pumping about 300 GPH (and that's assuming it's a new pump) which is about right for your tank size no? I'm thinking about downgrading to a return right around those levels. I just can't decide if I should use my Eheim 1262 as a closed loop or make some mod'ed MJs, or leave them stock for circulation.

 

[nanoreefer22]

But Fred aren't you using all the flow from your return back to the main tank? Isn't that why you've got the double drain?

I'd like to hear some other opinions on this 300gph thru the sump. At 300gph moving thru a 4ft tank its gonna be almost non-existant. The film at the surface would probably be horribly nasty. If that's the case he's better off going with HOB units for skimmer and Refugium.

Just for perspective, those tiny 2g HOB fuges, push what maybe 100gph thru them? What about that, how's that look in relation to 500-700gph thru say 20g's of water?

 

[Tonyscoots84]

wat is all this talk about nutrients and rodi...

k guys everyone on here recc. rodi and so do i.... i like my tank algae free.. for those who will argue with that be my guest i dun care i like to keep the rest of the crap thats in tap water out of my tank... poland springs sucks to, i read someone on here talking about it...

best way to go is rodi...

now for the nutrients in the water - feeding ur corals the right foods will ensure they get the food they need to grow and color up when the time is right... corals such as acros, montis, ect like nutrients to a certain point but nothing to high... hope this helps

kris u doin a good job dude.... i agree with u on the flow issue kris u def. need a higher flow cause eventually a film of nasty stuff will build up and it aint pretty...

 

[fritz]

But Fred aren't you using all the flow from your return back to the main tank? Isn't that why you've got the double drain?

I'd like to hear some other opinions on this 300gph thru the sump. At 300gph moving thru a 4ft tank its gonna be almost non-existant. The film at the surface would probably be horribly nasty. If that's the case he's better off going with HOB units for skimmer and Refugium.

Just for perspective, those tiny 2g HOB fuges, push what maybe 100gph thru them? What about that, how's that look in relation to 500-700gph thru say 20g's of water?

Hahaha, that's why I wrote "using 100% of your return for ciruclation (like I do) is not a good idea IMO.."


If you google search the subject you'll find most poeple recomend 3x-5x your tank volume flowing through the sump. Some people T their's off to feed a skimmer etc.

 

[nanoreefer22]

How many people actually run 3x -5x's thru their sump?

 

[Deanos]

Dean's 65g with a G3 on it isn't a dirty water tank but hell he's probably got from the pics I've seen one of the best LPS tanks on the board .

Misha has a SICK tank. No nutrients, great SPS. Deanos has a SICK tank, low nutrients great LPS. That doesn't mean that all LPS would do great in his tank, nor that all SPS do great in Misha's tank.

Thanks for the compliments, guys! :shhh: But hair algae is currently kicking my

Maybe my nutrients aren't so low after all :headache:

 

[ezee]

Hey,

I would consider my tank a borderline "dirty water tank." I have an algae issue too but my wabbitfish is doing a great job whittling it down!

E

 

[digitalreefer]

My tank is a 'dirty water' tank, but everything is doing well in it. Keep in mind that I dedicate no less than 30 minutes a day to my tank and I plan on keeping it that way. If I wanted artwork I'd buy a painting, I enjoy working on my tank and reduce my stress by doing so. Is algae a little issue... not when I remove it daily... is the surface gunk a concern... nope, I run a net across the surface of my tank daily for a few minutes. I plan on keeping a new tank in the same fashion, so the extra work is a non issue for me.

Thanks for all the advice guys, I plan on taking it all in over the next few months and making my decisions based on all of your advice plus my experience thus far. I'll let everyone know how the decision making process goes.

 

[fritz]

Surface "gunk" can be a big issue. You want a good amount of surafce agitation otherwise the other 23.5 hours of the day that gunk prevents air exchange from occuring at the surface. If you point one of your powerheads up, or just place it near the surface it will break that film and allow air exchange (and save you from running a net through it)

 

[DevIouS]

I'll be using RO/DI in the new tank and the Poland Spring is A LOT BETTER. I now have proof of this after testing both tap and PS water.

Basically everything but Magnesium and Strontium

You'll have to test with a TDS meter, not test kits.
There's no debate, that tap water contains contaminants that you don't want in a reef.
Last time I checked...the TDS count in Poland Springs water was the low 30's, my tap water was in the high 30's.
IMO Poland Spring sells nicely labeled tap water.

 

[nanoreefer22]

You'll have to test with a TDS meter, not test kits.
There's no debate, that tap water contains contaminants that you don't want in a reef.
Last time I checked...the TDS count in Poland Springs water was the low 30's, my tap water was in the high 30's.
IMO Poland Spring sells nicely labeled tap water.

It's funny I said the exact same thing :iamwithst.

 

[digitalreefer]

You'll have to test with a TDS meter, not test kits.
There's no debate, that tap water contains contaminants that you don't want in a reef.
Last time I checked...the TDS count in Poland Springs water was the low 30's, my tap water was in the high 30's.
IMO Poland Spring sells nicely labeled tap water.

Lower phosphates and nitrates in the water and I've seen a vast improvement since I switched... I do need to get an RO/DI, but till I do, the Poland Spring is working nicely.

 

[nanoreefer22]

I'm not sure but are the test kits you're using suitable for both FRESHwater and SALTwater?

 

[ezee]

Eric,

You'll have to test with a TDS meter, not test kits.
There's no debate, that tap water contains contaminants that you don't want in a reef.
Last time I checked...the TDS count in Poland Springs water was the low 30's, my tap water was in the high 30's.
IMO Poland Spring sells nicely labeled tap water.

A lot of folks agree that bottled spring water is better than tap and it probably is but only marginally so. If you are big on the bottled water thing try reading the cheap non-brand name bottle water at the supermarket. It often is RO water with will be far better than spring water and even nicer on your pocket. Or even distilled water. Until you get the RODI, that is.

I personally consider an RODI a necessity and freak out when it doesn't work or I run out of cartridges. When I say I have a borderline dirty water tank its because I have a ton of fish bioload and my tank seems to like it.

E

 

[digitalreefer]

I'm not sure but are the test kits you're using suitable for both FRESHwater and SALTwater?

No I mix the saltwater, then test.

 

[digitalreefer]

Eric,



A lot of folks agree that bottled spring water is better than tap and it probably is but only marginally so. If you are big on the bottled water thing try reading the cheap non-brand name bottle water at the supermarket. It often is RO water with will be far better than spring water and even nicer on your pocket. Or even distilled water. Until you get the RODI, that is.

I personally consider an RODI a necessity and freak out when it doesn't work or I run out of cartridges. When I say I have a borderline dirty water tank its because I have a ton of fish bioload and my tank seems to like it.

E

I plan on getting the RO/DI eventually... in the meantime... my tank looks great! I have Poland Spring delivery and have tons of it, so I'm not paying much for it. Distilled water is often distilled in copper so can be dangerous.