300G INWALL DISPLAY

monza · #1 02-14-2014, 11:20 PM

Quote:

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 · #2 02-14-2014, 11:29 PM

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 · #3 02-14-2014, 11:59 PM

Quote:

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 · #4 02-15-2014, 12:36 AM

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 · #5 02-15-2014, 03:10 AM

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.

MitchM · #6 02-15-2014, 10:03 AM

Looks great, Dave.
What are you doing for heating?
I got rid of my electric heaters and replaced it with a closed loop from my domestic hot water tank.
I'm really happy with it, wish I did it a long time ago.

monza · #7 02-15-2014, 02:16 PM

asylumdown

Thanks for the link it was a good read. I think I've accomplished some of that effect but better ha. Better being to spin the gyre from top to bottom, bottom to top.

Grizz Thanks.

monza · #8 02-15-2014, 02:24 PM

Mitch I saw your heater tech from your thread and read about a few more. Did you see the guy who drilled a PVC pipe multiple times to feed the PEX pipe through to form a coil? It was pretty slick. I bought some titanium heaters before I heard of this method, I may go the water heater closed loop before using my heaters I don't know yet. It's a solid idea for sure, Thanks