New Tank Changes

[cybermeez]

I'm going to have to move at the end of this year and I've begin to think about the implications for my 120g reef tank. I've been kicking around the idea of replacing the current Oceanic Tech with an acrylic tank the same size, with an acrylic stand that has the sump built in. I'm tired of having to replace wooden stands every couple of years, it's a real hassle.

I want to take the opportunity to correct some things that have posed problems with Oceanic. The number one issue has been heat. I've replaced my metal halides with LEDs, but the equipment inside the sump is generating quite a bit of heat as well.

There are a pair of Mag 12 return pumps (the biggest culprits), an Eheim 1260 that runs the Biopellet reactor, and two Marineland 400 pumps that run the skimmer and the chiller. All this forces the chiller to kick on with regularity and it makes the apartment hot as hell.

I think I want to go with an external pump for the return and am not sure about hoe to address the others. What is the most energy efficient and quiet external pump, and does anyone have suggestions for what's running in the sump?

I was looking at the Red Dragon as an external return, but I see they have stopped production due to design flaws and the company is retooling to make some other pump. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[MO~IDOL]

check out the Water Blaster Pumps looks pretty promising. I just ordered HY5000w from lazi. I think Ming and pecan2phat r running those pump maybe they can chime in.

 

[jaa1456]

Just curious as to why you are running 2 Mag 12's on a 120?

 

[dubs]

Jaa I was thinking the same thing

 

[cybermeez]

Just curious as to why you are running 2 Mag 12's on a 120?

The Oceanic can handle up to 1200 gph turnover and with the head height loss the pair ends up giving me between 1000 and 1100 gph turnover. The tank needs every bit of that flow or it gets dead spots.

 

[jaa1456]

That's way to much flow. The powerheads are for deafspots. Ideally you want only 3 to 4 times the tank size as your flow rate otherwise its to much flow through the fuge and the fuge is useless

 

[Alex]

Robin, the water blaster pumps are a great investment. I've been running a water blaster 5000 as the only pump on my system for a few months now. I have it on a manifold which I made, on this manifold I run on the items in my setup. My main tank is a marineland 200DD with a marineland 45 cube also connected. In addition I have two BRS media reactors and a calcium reactor connected to the manifold on the same pump. As for heat transfer, with this pump it's minimal. My tank is at a constant 78F. BTW the pump provides good flow but I also have two 40es vortechs at a minimal flow.

 

[cybermeez]

That's way to much flow. The powerheads are for deafspots. Ideally you want only 3 to 4 times the tank size as your flow rate otherwise its to much flow through the fuge and the fuge is useless

My fuge hangs off the side of my sump and water flows through via one of the tiny micro pumps eheim makes. The sump is really used for filtration with just a pair of socks, a small filter pad and the other equipment.

 

[cybermeez]

Robin, the water blaster pumps are a great investment. I've been running a water blaster 5000 as the only pump on my system for a few months now. I have it on a manifold which I made, on this manifold I run on the items in my setup. My main tank is a marineland 200DD with a marineland 45 cube also connected. In addition I have two BRS media reactors and a calcium reactor connected to the manifold on the same pump. As for heat transfer, with this pump it's minimal. My tank is at a constant 78F. BTW the pump provides good flow but I also have two 40es vortechs at a minimal flow.

Sounds interesting Alex. Can you post some photos of it?

 

[Alex]

I Will post a few pics of it when I get home.


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