Help me decide

[Skimmin]

Hey stinktooth your tank is awesome! How long have you had it running and are you happy with the dimensions? Can you post some sump pics? How tall is your stand? I think I might go with your dimensions. Maybe 30 wide if I go with a center overflow. My tank is gonna be viewable from both long sides and one short side.

[Stinktooth]

Originally Posted by Skimmin

Hey stinktooth your tank is awesome! How long have you had it running and are you happy with the dimensions? Can you post some sump pics? How tall is your stand? I think I might go with your dimensions. Maybe 30 wide if I go with a center overflow. My tank is gonna be viewable from both long sides and one short side.

Thanks for the kind words.
I have only had my tank running since about August 20th. I transferred my old tanks to this one when I moved. I'm very happy with the dimensions 72l x 28w x 18h. Stand is 78l x 40w x 32h. Leaves a 6" ledge around 3 sides of the tank. I can reach the bottom anywhere in the tank without standing on anything. I prefer the look of a shallow tank. I can also keep acros on the sand.
For your tank I wouldn't consider a center overflow. Asylumdown hit the nail on the head. You should also consider what you will be using for powerheads. With a coast to coast you wouldn't be able to use a vortech pumps on that end.

[Myka]

Personally, peninsula tanks are my favourite, and because of the flow challenges I would be considering a closed loop or two rather than powerheads.

Are you planning a canopy or open top?

I would not ruin the clean, open look of a peninsula tank by putting a central overflow in the tank. Corals have a tendency to get "windswept" looking in peninsula tanks with the overflow on one end though because it tends to get a gyre flow - especially when you're trying to get any surface scum to come back to the overflow. Peninsula tanks always look best with no powerheads on the glass, and only positioned on the overflow end, but this makes random flow even tougher. This is why I would suggest the closed loop.

[Skimmin]

Thats a really good point. I was considering trying two of the maxspect gyres or tunzes again. I've always ran vortechs or tunzes. With coast to coast i think i could mount the gyres or tunzes with the magnets inside the overflow. I really like the vortechs but I want this tank to be quiet as possible. No vortech 'whirring'. It's been a few years now so I'm not sure if the vortechs are quieter then they used to be. I've never had a closed loop but the holes in the bottom of the tank for it makes me kind of nervous. Also all the extra plumbing that could potentially leak. I'm not sure if that is a legitimate concern or not. I absolutely agree that I don't want any water movers/powerheads anywhere but on the back glass. I want totally unobstructed views from all three sides which would be great for a closed loop. I don't think im gonna close off the top of the tank. I might make a small 'shroud' on the rails for around the radions so theres no blinding light spillage from the sides or just below them.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Skimmin

I've never had a closed loop but the holes in the bottom of the tank for it makes me kind of nervous. Also all the extra plumbing that could potentially leak. I'm not sure if that is a legitimate concern or not.

I absolutely agree that I don't want any water movers/powerheads anywhere but on the back glass. I want totally unobstructed views from all three sides which would be great for a closed loop.

I don't think im gonna close off the top of the tank. I might make a small 'shroud' on the rails for around the radions so theres no blinding light spillage from the sides or just below them.

You don't need to have a lot of holes for a closed loop. Consider each hole a powerhead. You could easily just have two holes. Ideally, you would have the current switch from one to the other to create a more random flow. Put a Loc-Line swivel end on each hole and you can point them however you want. Then you don't have to clean coralline off powerheads every few weeks, and you don't see that clutter either. A closed loop pump is easy to clean if you position it where it is easy to get to and use unions for easy removal.

When you use powerheads on a 5 or 6' peninsula and only have them on the overflow end you need a powerful powerhead to make that distance to have flow on the far end, and because of that you can't place any corals too close to the powerheads/overflow end or the flesh will get blown off! Not to mention that windswept look...

Btw, the Vortechs are still noisy. I'm a Tunze person myself since they are pointable and quiet.