New Tank/ Closed Loop

[cesar357]

Im new to this site and was wondering if someone can input me with some information.

I am starting to set up a 60 gallon tank and was thinking of instaling a closed loop, to avoid powerheads. I will be drilling 3 holes in total for the closed loop. One will be to drain water to the water pump and the other two will be for the return. I was thinking of placing a Quiet One 4000 water pump, which is rated at 1017 gph.

My question. Do you think that 1017 gph is too much or is it just right for that 60 gallon tank?

Any info will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Anonymous]

What are you planning on keepping? That pump should give you 15-16 tank volumes turn over an hour. If you are keeping softies and LPS it would be just fine. For SPS I would shoot a little higher. The closed loop on my 60 will be pushing 3000gph, which is probably overkill when added to the 700gph I am expecting from my return pump. Make sure the out put is not a jet of water. I'm not familure with the quiet one pumps to comment.

 

[cesar357]

Yes I will be keeping LPS and some SPS. WOW 3000 gph? Really? I thought that 1017 was a bit high especially when its a closed loop and the water is going nowhere but the water pump. Are you on the planing stages of building a 60. or do you have one already?

If I was to bump up the gph on that closed loop, you dont think I have sand storms or anything like that?

 

[Anonymous]

Currently finishing up the plumbing. I am going bare bottom on this so I do not have to worry about sand stoms. If you are planning a DSB the flow rate will need to be less than what I am planning. Also I built a manifold with 6 outlets and some drilled holes. The outlets are 3/4" dia and I have eight 1/4" holes and will be adding a few 3/8" holes so the velosity out of each hole will not be that great.

I have been tracking my progress here. Don't laugh it has been going slow.

http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=60265

 

[cesar357]

No I wont laugh, hehe. I wasn't able to see the pictures here at work I guess I have to wait til I get home.

I dont plan on a DSB. I plan at most 1 to 2" of LS. In my fuge I plan on a DSB maybe 4"

 

[Anonymous]

If you use crushed coral insted of sugar grain sand you should be able to pump a lot of flow with no worries.

 

[cesar357]

Crushed coral? Hmm never thought of that. I really like the small grain sand looking thing but I guess I will look into crushed coral. Is that what you have in yours right now?

 

[Bojangles]

I was following the same line of thinking and so I mixed the crusted coral with sand and I actually like it alot...it looks alot more like an actual ocean bottom.

 

[Anonymous]

Crushed coral? Hmm never thought of that. I really like the small grain sand looking thing but I guess I will look into crushed coral. Is that what you have in yours right now?

In my previouns 110 I had sugar sized sand. In my temp tank I have a bare bottom. In my new 60 I will be going with bare bottom also. I have seen tanks with crused coral and they look good. It wil not function like a DSB if that is want you are shooting for. Crushed coral can and needs to be vaccuumed to get the detritus out.

 

[cesar357]

Well I vacum my curent sand right now so vacuming the crushed coral wouldn't be a problem. I really need to check this out in person because I have seen it in picures and it looks like it has big chunks of things. Is that the one that has like chunks of shells and things like that?

 

[Anonymous]

That's the one, but I think they have different sizes. You could always crush it some more if the grain size was larger that your liking.

 

[cesar357]

Oh ok.

 

[Tackett]

I have a crushed coral bottom on my tank. My advice is to vaccum it weekly. Set it up so the waterflow pushes all the nasty crap to one section of the tank that you can get to easily, saves alot of trouble. If you dont vaccum it, you will find yourself in the mitst of what Rob calls "algae hell".

best of luck bud.