300G INWALL DISPLAY

[asylumdown]

looking great! If I could do it all again I'd definitely do a closed loop.

[monza]

Originally Posted by asylumdown

looking great! If I could do it all again I'd definitely do a closed loop.

Thanks. Closed loops have always worked for me. I'm also a bit of a freak about not drilling the lower portions of the tank as you can see. Just my personal preference.

[asylumdown]

Are you going to arrange your rock work in a specific way to encourage a reversible gyre to form?

[monza]

Originally Posted by asylumdown

Are you going to arrange your rock work in a specific way to encourage a reversible gyre to form?

Interesting, now scratching my head on the reversible gyre idea. Currently both the front and back inlets create the same circular motion at opposite times and not reversed. My theory with the positioning of them is that they would lift the detritus 'up' into the water column and then the sump return would blast along the top to help push over the weir. As much as we can direct the flow in our glass boxes when we add rock work it messes with the mojo. I have a plan to position my rock work to aid in flow and get detritus out as much as possible. I can see reversible gyre would create a more chaotic flow (good thing) and hit more dead spots where waste could build up.

[monza]

I've never really gone out of my way to ever hide much of my plumping. Maybe I'm just lazy but at the same time it's a aquarium and it's going to have plumping. I'm all for some of the inventive ways people hide it but in my world it seems like a lot of work and a maintenance issue. I'm a simple guy.

[asylumdown]

Originally Posted by monza

Interesting, now scratching my head on the reversible gyre idea. Currently both the front and back inlets create the same circular motion at opposite times and not reversed. My theory with the positioning of them is that they would lift the detritus 'up' into the water column and then the sump return would blast along the top to help push over the weir. As much as we can direct the flow in our glass boxes when we add rock work it messes with the mojo. I have a plan to position my rock work to aid in flow and get detritus out as much as possible. I can see reversible gyre would create a more chaotic flow (good thing) and hit more dead spots where waste could build up.

Do you mean the 'gyre' will always flow in the same direction? I've got that problem sort of by accident in my tank because of poor overflow/rockwork placement and it's causing some weird growth patterns on my corals, a bunch of them look like they've been windswept. If you were to have the the front left and back right outlet going, then switch it up to the front right and back left, you should theoretically get a circular gyre that runs counter clockwise for a while, then reverses and flows clockwise for a while. Would come close to approximating a reversing tide. On my next tank I'm going to try for that.

But you're right, rock work makes everything weird. For it to work "perfectly" you'd need like a really tall tower right in the middle for the water to rotate around or something, which might not be to your taste aesthetically. You might be able to fudge it and get something close.

This article has some really cool thoughts on the idea. I only mentioned it because you're plumbing set up and tank shape (no internal overflows to mess things up) would be perfect for it:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/1/aafeature

[monza]

There will always be some chaotic flow in mine with the turning off and on and the sump return in the mix. My gyre does not flow clockwise or counter clock wise, it flows like a front loading washing machine.

[The Grizz]

Wow nice another 300 gal build, glad to see I'm not the only one that takes a long time to build a big system like this. Nice work on everything thus far.

[straightrazorguy]

Originally Posted by asylumdown

looking great! If I could do it all again I'd definitely do a closed loop.

Another dumb question: why is "closed loop" better than the traditional return pump from the sump system?

[monza]

Correct two pumps, look back a few to mixing station pictures, you'll see the sump with a PVC line going straight up to the bench, thats a Waveline 12000.

Your closed loop would not be used for sump return, it wouldn't be a closed loop then. A closed loop is generally for flow and circulation in your tank with out having to add power heads or vortex style pumps to your DT. A CLS has no chance of back siphoning, and allows use of a low pressure-High Flow pump to provide increased flow and less power usage.