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samster

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edited* best waterflow in tank?

hey guys i would like to kno what your guy had experimented on with PH placement, over flow, and inflow from sump. Which is the best way for me to correct my water flow? as you guys know im new to this n i really appreciate all the help i've gotten so far but i constructed everything myself and placed everything the way i thought would be proper from research, but the more i got deeper into this i just wished if it was possible for me to start all over but then since im in so far i guess only way is to optimize what i have untill i upgrade to a newer bigger tank when i over stock this one / diagram of my tank setup right now
75gallphplacement.jpg


yes i kno it coulda been better -=T thanks guys

sorry guys my grl hates my fishes and i was on the phone while postin -=X *sneekin it* just typed as i thought. sorry for the confusion dudes but overflow is about 1 1/4"
return pump is 780gph one PH 400gph? and is placed the way i have in the diagram

and i want to kno how to get a better flow in there. the lower i place the PH the more sand it picks up with the current. the higher i putter it seems like only the 3/4 of the tank from top is circlating, and the bottom moves by the overflow side left of tank / so i have this dead spot in the front center of tank and the bottom of the rightside (under PH)
:banghead: and no cali it will not overflow im not stupid just wasn't fully prepared for the minireef -=T thanks guys~!
 
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Deanos

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What is the question :scratchch? If you seek advice, please be sure to phrase your post so people can understand. There's not 1 period or question mark to be found, except in the title. :banghead:
 

herman

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Hey Samster,
Please also post the size drain for the overflow. (1' etc)also the brand of the pump used. Also list the distances from return pump to tank including all elbows, unions etc.

Also let us know what you are planning tio keep in your tank.(sps, lps, fowlr)

This kind of info will enable us to give you an accurate gph through the tank and we will be able to tell you what can and can not do with your current setup as well as how to improve.
 

ezee

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Flow

samster,

What flow you shoot for will depend on what you are trying to accomplish. If you only have softies you probably will not need the 20x+ flow that sps folks keep. But keep in mind, high flow helps with detritus, algae and a lot of other things, although it can also stress out certain soft corals, if you are not careful about placement. I have heard rough estimates hover around 10X for fish, 15X for most softies and 20X+ for sps tanks. I personally am somewhere around 18X-20X and keep a minimal sandbed.

As far as ph placement, I have read that a lot of folks with just a few powerheads will place them on the sides to create a cross current.

Of course this is from the perspective of a relative newbie, so I could be wrong.

I am also curious as to why you feel that you cannot improve on your tank flow. Is the tank too close to the wall for a CL? Can you buy more powerheads? Or do you feel it is not worth it, until you upgrade.

E
 
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ezee

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Flood

Cali_reef,

I am not sure why you think it will flood from the picture. The standpipe looks gravity driven and as long as his sump is set up properly he should be fine. Could you elaborate?

Thanks!

E
 

herman

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ezee said:
Cali_reef,

I am not sure why you think it will flood from the picture. The standpipe looks gravity driven and as long as his sump is set up properly he should be fine. Could you elaborate?

Thanks!

E

Its the return. The return is placed on the bottom of the tank. If the pump shuts off for whatever reason, be it powerfailure or anything else, the water will backsiphon and effectively drain the tank. A checkvalve can be place in there but its risky because of the backpressure that would be created. My money is on flooding with that setup.
 

samster

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floodin from the check valve? whys that? i had many tanks set that way and never flooded do u guys want me to take pics? so u guys can understand? its kinda hard with sticks in color lol

and i also edited the post sorry if u guys couldn't understand. i just like to type wha i think and when i think i don't see periods questiom ,arks and i was kinda not allowed to post so i didn't read it over sorry dudes
 

samster

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ezee it's not the money inflow and outflow can't be changed now. So only option is simply more PHs, but i don't want the sand everywhere creating clouds in the water.but i have heard the more flow the better even for parasites to the fish?
I mean i feel it can stay the way it is, but i just have this brown corner of crap under the PH and it's around the area of the inflow
 

ezee

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Standpipe

Hermangareis,

I could be wrong but it looks like a standpipe that he has in place. If the standpipe is at a sufficient height why would the tank drain? Of course if it was a siphoning u I could see the flooding but I couldn't tell from the picture.

Thanks,

E
 
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ezee

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Samster,

ezee it's not the money inflow and outflow can't be changed now. So only option is simply more PHs, but i don't want the sand everywhere creating clouds in the water.but i have heard the more flow the better even for parasites to the fish?
I mean i feel it can stay the way it is, but i just have this brown corner of crap under the PH and it's around the area of the inflow

Man, I hate brown corners of crap! LOL

I was also referring to a CL system that you can run behind the tank. Just curious if you have considered it. I have something similar, albeit design initially from setup, powered with a PAN. You could add a lot of kick and if it is installed correctly you can minimalize flooding risk.

E
 

ezee

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Duh!

Hermangareis,

Duh! I just looked at the picture a little more closely! LOL I see what you are saying about the RETURN! For some reason I kept thinking it was the intake cali was referring to. :sigh1: Selective reading for ya!

E
 

cali_reef

Fish and Coral Killer
Rating - 97.3%
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ezee said:
Cali_reef,

I am not sure why you think it will flood from the picture. The standpipe looks gravity driven and as long as his sump is set up properly he should be fine. Could you elaborate?

Thanks!

E

Not the overflow\drain pipe, that is okay, but it won't handle much drain which will become another issue later.

Look at the short pipe he has labeled as "water input back from sump", that looks like it comes thru from the bottom of the tank. It will act as a "over flow" when the pump is shut off and fill the sump(unless his sump is bigger than his main tank). Check valve will slow the back flow but will not stop it after a few months of use from all the crud growing in it.
 

cali_reef

Fish and Coral Killer
Rating - 97.3%
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samster said:
:banghead: and no cali it will not overflow im not stupid just wasn't fully prepared for the minireef -=T thanks guys~!

Why don't you try turning off your pump for 15 minuets and let us know what happens. You have the drawing wrong if it doesn't flood, the way you drawn your plumbing WILL back drain your tank when the pump is turned off.
 
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Deanos

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Samster: DEFINITELY post pics of your plumbing next time your girlfriend takes a nap. I've never seen such a short return plumbed through the bottom of a tank.

Have you considered splitting the return flow thru a SCWD? You could aim one return right at your dead spot.
 

ezee

Senior Member
Location
Brooklyn
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Drain

Samster,

DEFINITELY post pics of your plumbing next time your girlfriend takes a nap. I've never seen such a short return plumbed through the bottom of a tank.

Agreed, it never even occurred to me. :lol: Do you actually have a longer pipe for the return?

E
 

samster

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brooklyn
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lol okay 1st of all im possitive it wont flood, if it does then i'd admit to it and i had the pump off for way more then 30mins no problems at all. crude due to long term use? i dunno what kinda filters u run, not sure of ur maintance but how dirty can the water be goin back into the tank if ur filtration works? i dunno im not tryin to say im right i admit to my problems with my setup but can this thread be more help then negative feed back of my setup? i know it coulda been better setup but flooding? why look at the negatives? have u used a check valve and its failed on u? if u have i dunno what kinda check valve u used. If u don't trust a check valve don't use it but can we skip the debate of a check vavle and help me with better water movement~!

and the main point of this thread is help with WATER movement -=) sorry aint tryin to get people offend, i don't get offeded its ur opionion but plz back to water movement plz? thanks you guys
 

ezee

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Brooklyn
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Closed Loop

samster,

Apologies, didn't mean to get thrown off track. So you said that you were willing to add more powerheads. How about an external Closed Loop? If not, then I agree, I would add more PHs. You never said what you were planning to keep but I would add at least one more and place them in the back side corners and create some cross current or get two more and put them all on the back glass and point them towards the front.

HTH

E
 
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