As with any build I have to read between lines, especially when using emails , phone calls usually get quicker results as tone of voice and hesitation can be sensed quickly.
Given the proposed design, the first option that would work would to be simply do the barrel roll system down the length of the tank, looking at the tank from the seating area with the overflow on the right the whole tanks volume would move in a clockwise manner, surface water left to right, lower water right to left, this would be accomplished by outlets coming from the bottom up all outlets would be pushing water to the left , this would be switched from outlet to outlet repeatedly placing large volumes of water at different progressive locations down the length of the tank, in recent years this has been called a gyre, trust me it is the same thing sexed up a little, I still call it a barrel roll.
You would see no plumbing, it would speed up and slow down and as a result there would be an inclination for corals to grow in favor of that direction, however the slow and fast move apparently doesn't have as much directional growing as a fixed closed loop without any speed /switching change.
C/L pump feeds would be accomplished by multiple feeds buried in the rock work, these in turn would point towards where the flow is coming from to enhance flow, multiple drains will give better coverage,reduce velocity to avoid sucking in critters and protect flow reduction in the future because of the excessive feeds, stay away from screens that stop sand from entering the drains, place them where it will not see sand, fine screens will clog.
Ponder this and will await your response.
Paul
|