Closed loop or Vortech
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HuduVudu
2500 Club Member
Setting up closed now. I love closed loops, have been using them for years ... power heads suck. Just make sure that you make them push up so you get really good surface agitation. With the new dc pumps (new lol) you can get actual waves out of them. Try to get to inputs so that if one clogs you don't starve out (burn out) your pumps.
ca1ore
10K Club member
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Reef Tank 365
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Pros and cons. Biggest con for the closed loop is plumbing complexity and additional points of failure. Although considered by most as ‘old school’, it’s no small irony that relatively recent innovations in controllable DC pumps like the vectra have made the closed loop more effective. Hard to replicate the massive, broad flow from something like a vortech MP60 with a closed loop though .... and you’ll spend more electricity dollars trying. I don’t run a large peninsula tank, but if I were designing one, I would use a pair/quartet of MP60 on the overflow end and a pair of closed loop nozzles (routed through the canopy) for the proud end. I would size the overflow so that the closed loop pumps can sit in the overflow box. I do not like punching holes in the bottom of my tanks if I can avoid it.
anyone have a diagram of a closed loop design? I'm new to this design and would like to know considerations for whole spacings, how many loops (pumps), and plumbing runs for the overflow and sump. Is the sump plumbing separate from the loop plumbing or are they tied in?
DSEKULA
Well-Known Member
Here are the returns on one side of my tank it's looped for flow, the loop is completely independent of the sump. This is a corner drop off build so the other backside has returns as well (sry no pic). Water is pulled through two 1_1/2" lines to a reefflow hammer head pump that sits under the drop point to be recirculated. I love this because each outlet is individually valved letting me make different flow zones.
HuduVudu
2500 Club Member
I am confused as to what you are doing here.Here are the returns on one side of my tank it's looped for flow, the loop is completely independent of the sump. This is a corner drop off build so the other backside has returns as well (sry no pic). Water is pulled through two 1_1/2" lines to a reefflow hammer head pump that sits under the drop point to be recirculated. I love this because each outlet is individually valved letting me make different flow zones.
I am a HUGE fan of closed loop. In fact, anything over 6 feet and closed loop is THE way to go IMO. I would really look at contacting oceans motion, I had him build me a custom 6 way outlet earlier this year. I have a 4 x 8 x 30" 600 with the following for flow:
1. four 3/4 return loc lines
2. two gyre 280's
3. Closed loop with 4,000 GPH Jebao pump and 6 outlets.
The tank has INSANE flow. I used a big airpump and microbubble airstone to visuallize the flow when setting up the gyres. It is pretty awesome. I can take a picture of my closed loop system if you like. It is basically 6 bulkheads on the bottom of my tank and about 20 feet of flexible 1" PVC tubing.
I would save your money on the pump.. you don't need anything fancy on the closed loop.. or at least I didn't as the OM provides different flow as the drum turns.
1. four 3/4 return loc lines
2. two gyre 280's
3. Closed loop with 4,000 GPH Jebao pump and 6 outlets.
The tank has INSANE flow. I used a big airpump and microbubble airstone to visuallize the flow when setting up the gyres. It is pretty awesome. I can take a picture of my closed loop system if you like. It is basically 6 bulkheads on the bottom of my tank and about 20 feet of flexible 1" PVC tubing.
I would save your money on the pump.. you don't need anything fancy on the closed loop.. or at least I didn't as the OM provides different flow as the drum turns.
coreytrv
Community Member
Sorry I'm late to the party...been busy working on getting my tank 100% operational, and still holding at 90% ;Meh . Yes I'm running an "old school closed loop system". Currently rebooting my 75gal tank, I have four 1" outlets in the back panel of my tank, 2 uppers and 2 lowers. The uppers reduce down to 3/4" random flow generators, the lowers split to two 1/2" rfg's each for now ,these are likely to change in the near future. I'm using a Reeflo dart/snapper hybrid gold series for the closed loop, running the snapper impeller(2700 gph @ 98 watts, less watts when valved down). I use a gate valve on the output side to regulate my flow. This all feeds an Ocean Motions 4 way (which honestly I think is a very intuitive idea, but it needs some more thought put into design and execution, but Im a handy kind of guy and can make the changes I desire), which splits to my outlets in my tank.
I have been running closednloops since I got into the hobby 20 something years ago, in all honesty, I don't think they are all that much more expensive to set up than buying a bunch of powerheads/WaveMaker, which I despise because I don't like to see a bunch of equipment int my display tank. There is a faif amount of plumbing to do with a closed loop, but if you plan it out ahead of time its not that bad (just dont let @JoshH talk you into using colored pvc and the cost to plumb it will be minimal ;Hilarious).
Everything in blue pvc is my closed loop
This is bad butt. I really like the idea of closed loop, but I have a DT with no sump, and no ability to drill the tank, so I'm looking to create closed loop, but plumbed inside the tank, along the back wall.
YOYOYOReefer
Valuable Member
I’m a closed loop fan. We use penductors for the nozzles. Makes a lot of flow. I also highly recommend iwaki and panworld type pumps for pressure and flow on closed loops
