Fish's new tank project

[Fish]

I've just been doing some number crunching and figure that if I use one external pump on the sump return and one on a closed loop, I would have about 35x turnover in the main tank (which is about right) but the water would be going pretty fast (600gph) through my sump - maybe to the point where it sweeps microbubbles into the display.

If however, I used a mag5 as a sump return, I would have a nice and manageable 280gph through the sump. But that would mean closer to 50x turnover in the main tank (because of the mags extra output and because the Iwaki would then be bolted to the underside of the tank and wouldn't have the same losses it would have as a sump return). I usually shoot for about 30-40x turnover but 50x is a little excessive on a zoo/riccordia tank. So, there's the dilemma.

I don't really want the added expense of buying and running another pump - especially when I've already fgot pretty good flow. I might just move the baffles further apart and raise them up and just go with the 600gph through the sump...


What are people's thoughts on this?

- Chad

[woodcarver]

Chad, That is a Coralife skimmer alongside your sump is it not ?...........Dave

[JOSH]

well if you decide to use submersable i have a nice brand new quietone 3000, can be used externaly as well, its a 780gph pump

[Fish]

Dave,
You sir have a good eye. It is the coralife rated for 65gals. I had a bad scare with it the other day. I fired it up to test it and the bubble size and production was horrible... it wasn't until I tried everything else that I realized that it might have been caused by the fact that I was testing it on freshwater instead of salt ::

Josh,
Thanks for the heads up - I think if I was getting a submersible pump though, I would need something in the 300gph range.

Cheers,

- Chad

[woodcarver]

Hi Brad ,I am watching your every move
I wonder if it is the salt water versus fresh, I have not owned a skimmer yet. There is a huge thread on R.C. devoted to tuning the Coralifes ,they seem a bit finicky although economically priced . Our local LFS has them running and they seem O.K.
Are you going to have the bottom of your new tank drilled like the old ones ?
................Dave

[Fish]

Dave,
Thanks for letting me know about the RC thread - I'm going to track that down once I get water in my tank and use it to set the skimmer up.

Yes, I will probably drill at least a couple bulkheads in the bottom of my tank... I am going to bolt an external pump to the underside of the stand and run a closed loop through the bottom of the tank. I might do it with both external pumps actually... if I can get a low enough flow submersible pump to serve as a sump return...
I am still thinking about how to do my overflow... In my experience, the two-bulkhead herbie method is the quietest and safest - bar none. But, I would like to do something less visible if possible... still racking my brain though

- Chad

[woodcarver]

Chad, I tried to send you the R.C. Coralife skimmer link but it does not seem to want to work. You can get there through Google ,sometimes the R.C . search feature is overloaded !!
What is the two bulkhead herbie method ? Can I find it on canreef ?
.................Dave