Very Disapointing flow:(

[Canadian Man]

Well I got the closed loop all plumbed on the 230 tonight and fired it up(with out scwd's) and it was not what I expected it to be.

I plumbed it with the Mak 4, as that was my origional plan. I think tommorow I will swap the mak out for my LG 4 MDQXSC that I have on my skimmer and see how that preforms. I hope that it provides a bit more flow.

Do any of you think that it will be much diffrent?

If the LG doesnt work out would one be better off with a Mag 18 or something like an ampmaster? I just don't want the hastle of a leaky ampmaster pump.

Insight would be helpful.

THanks

[Canadian Man]

Well I was just searching through the Reefcentral posts.

How about putting the lg on the closed loop and adding 2 tunze 6060's?
I was thinking about the 6080's but I want to keep the closed loop's to mix up the current a little bit. As well I will have the sump return too.

Thanks

[EmilyB]

[StirCrazy]

how big are your outlets? and how many of them are there?

Steve

[Doug]

Jon, like you I was never over impressed with my closed loops either. FWIW, I found the difference between the 4MD and the Mak4 was not a great difference. I never ran the 4MD long, but that was my thought.

When I ran a Mak4 and a 3MD closed loop, I still had to run a couple 800 powerheads. Thought I had great current, until I seen a Tunze in action.

Pumps like the Sequence or Ampmaster are another story. Put out some serious current. Like mentioned, one has to watch the seals on the direct drive pumps.

It seems with closed loops, run by Mak4 type pumps, the best way is to run Seaswirls. That seems to give the best current and general water movement through out the tank. However they are costly for us also.

[Canadian Man]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

how big are your outlets? and how many of them are there?

Steve

The outlet's are 1" bulkheads and there are 4 of them(2 on each end of the tank). I tried screwing in a 1" to 1/2" adapter and that didn't do much for the flow.

[Canadian Man]

Thanks doug.
Your post was the one I actually found most intresting on RC as I am in a very similar situation. I guess trying to do an sps 230 is hard.

[Delphinus]

Are we talking about one closed loop here? Or one for each side.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by Canadian Man

Thanks doug.
I guess trying to do an sps 230 is hard.

How right you are. There are many a day when I think a 25g sps tank sounds more appealing.

On another note and if thats the same RC post I think it is, I have no regrets about selling my closed loop pumps and switching to the streams. As long as one does not mind them in the tank.

[Canadian Man]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Are we talking about one closed loop here? Or one for each side.

Just one closed loop Tony. one pump on 4 outlet's..
I swithched to the LG this morning and the flow is just a little bit more but not much diffrent

Doug did you get rid of your closed loop totally and just have the streams?

So I guess I have a few option's here. Tell me which one you all think is best.

1. Keep the closed loop and I will have the sump return and 4 mj1200's on a wave maker in the tank. Obviously there won't be lot's of flow.

2. Keep the closed loop and the sump return and sell the wavemaker and buy 2 of the 1600gph(6060) stream's.

3. get rid of the closed loop and have the sump return and the streams.

Myself at first thought, like option #2 the best. The unfortunate thing about option # 2 is that I have to fork out all the money for the streams. If I just had the streams and sump return I could sell the wavemaker and the closed loop pump and that would pay for the streams. AHHHHH.
What to do, What to do?