How would you run flow in a big peninsula tank?

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

So let's say a peninsula tank that's about 72" long x 30" wide x 24" tall... How would you run the flow in it? What pumps what placement? Keep in mind that you're planning to use all 3 viewing sides, so putting pumps on those sides will detract from viewability (so aim to keep all pumps on one end if possible). How would you set it up?

 

[Tamberav]

Tunze on the overflow side and Gyre on the other side on the underside of the top euro brace with a canopy/built in wall. It won't be obtrusive on the eurobrace.

You could also do closed loop and drill the bottom of the tank and hide the outlets within the rockwork.

 

[JCOLE]

I plan on putting (8) 1" bulkheads that hold 16 locline returns. Also plan on putting gyres on the crossbraces.

 

[Shon]

40b
2 return pumps, 2 (halved) gyres, Apex control

 

[rtparty]

As someone that has currently fought this issue for the last several months, closed loop is your best option. MP60s being the second best option.

Also, keep all low flow corals on the far end and put high flow on the end closer to the pumps.

It is an absolute nightmare especially if you like torture and add sand to the system...like I did

Peninsulas are amazing and all but I'm not sure I'd do it again TBH

 

[rhostam]

I’ve tried not putting powerheads (2xWAV)on the far side of my peninsula, but flow just wasn’t reaching the far end without going 50-100%, and worse, film would accumulate at the water surface and swirl on the far end of the tank. At higher settings sand would fly around and stress corals to non extension. Mitigating the turbulence due to reflection and the rock formations was quite hard. I decided to place one powerhead at the far end and have much better control this way. Curious to see how others have solved this problem as well.

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

Closed loop. 8 1 inch bulkheads. That's a lot of volume. We do these with only two at the far end. 5 inches in from the corners. Inlets are on the overflow end. Sometimes we set them up reverse flow undergravel, mostly in freshers.

Advantage® 170 Gallon Sump Ready Peninsula Aquarium 72x18x30

Features: Choice of color back Extra thick acrylic construction Coast to coast seamless overflow Filter sidewall blackouts Removable filter cup(s) Pre-plumbed dual drains Internal return line(s) Unbreakable one piece Lexan® lids Integrated feed hatch with lid Highly customizable

tenecoraquariums.com

 

[Kodski]

Even in my 48" peninsula tank flow is something I really struggled with getting right. After my struggle I can definitively say some kind of flow provider on both ends of the tank is 100% necessary to create a randomized flow. With flow pumps on only one side of the tank, it creates more of a current than a turbulent flow that so many of us seek. Even if you say alternate left and right powerheads, its still only a switching current at best. If you have sand like I have, you're going to struggle with keeping that sand in place, even with a heavy grain sand. I found that constant current to the far end will blow away the sand no matter what, even if alternating.

So from what I've learned, gyres are the least obtrusive if you have to have a powerhead on the end. This is the route I settled on finally. Is it my preferred solution, no, but I can live with it. If I were to do it again, it would be either a closed loop system, something like Jcole has planned out, or a combination of the two. In fact, I'll be doing something like Jcole is doing on my up and coming build due to the tanks.. unique shape.

 

[TX_Punisher]

72” isn’t that long. Once you get to 8+ feet it gets a little harder.

one gyre suspended from eurobrace If using a canopy, run returns to the end and have your builder drill euro bracing for the returns which can almost be hidden. The canopy will hide the plumbing

 

[Dbichler]

Just got back from macna and sicce 10s will be my next pumps for $200 each 2 pumps would be plenty for a 8’x4’ tank. They really push water.

 

[TX_Punisher]

Just got back from macna and sicce 10s will be my next pumps for $200 each 2 pumps would be plenty for a 8’x4’ tank. They really push water.

0-10v or do they have their own controller?

 

[Dbichler]

 

[o2manyfish]

The Sicce Pumps are good. They use what looks like an actual Propeller and they move lots of water. They are a challenge to clean without breaking the propeller shafts. Finding replacement shafts has been inconsistent for me. I have several of them, but only 1 is currently usable. But for the price it can't be beat.

If you want to make all the water in the tank 'move' look at the Panta Rhei Hydrowizard. I had 1 on my 560 120x30x36t in a Peninsula configuration and it moved water all the way down one 10' length around the end and back down the other side of the tank. That's in Flow mode. You can put it in a pulse mode and adjust the pulse strength and timing to what best suits your tank and in that size tank it will probably be able to create a 3" wave.

I just moved the Panta Rhei to my new 750g - 120x48x30. I have one in the corner mounted on the back wall currently - So it only pumps 4' and then blasts into a corner. In Pulse mode it makes the corals wave back and forth on the farthest corner away from the pump.

It's more money than all the other options mentioned. But it's one pump that you can put on the end wall of your tank and move all the water all the way around your tank.

Or look into the Abyzz Flow Canon - More money still but an even more powerful pump. On that size tank it will roll the water down the length of the entire tank.

Dave B

 

[naterealbig]

2 of these, alternating 6 hour intervals. All done.

Panta Rhei ECM 63 Hydrowizard – Advanced Aquatic Ecosystems, LLC.

advancedaquaticecosystems.com

 

[lost66]

I have 8 feet long peninsula tank. Water flow was one of my biggest fears and after a lot of investigation I ended up with 2 power heads (1 each side) at the "dead end". I have overflow in the middle of the short side and powerheads fit perfectly, I don't even see these pumps. I also have 1 gyro style pump at the short view panel.

For the pumps I picked a budget option and all of them are jebao. For gyro I use SCP-150 and for regular powerheads I use SOW8. All of them run at around 20% of power because anything more is too strong for any life form in my tank

People say Jebao is junk but I have only a success with them. I have 2 UV, return, 2 powerheads and gyro. Not a single failure in 2.5 years of service.

 

[asydabass]

For a larger aquarium I would mimic something similar to what I’ve outlined below but with a large gyre pump on each side and one or two Sicce/Mp60s on each side. If a canopy were used then plumbing a dual return to the far side would get the job done in a minimally invasive fashion.



For my smaller peninsula, 4x2x16, I use an MP40 on one side of the back wall and a 4K gyre mounted vertically on the other side of the back wall. The gyre has the bottom half pointed straightahead following the long glass wall while the top half is angled inwards about 40°. This way the top flow crosses the center line of rock work about 2/3 of the way down to tank.
The MP40 and the lower half of the gyre create alternating currents depending on their intensity at a given point. The return flow, which has a RFG nozzle, is directed across the center line of the rockwork, intersecting the top half of the gyre flow to create more turbid environment. I do find that when all pumps are on the flow at the very far end of the tank is lack luster, BUT when either one of the wave makers is turned off or very low the flow at the far end is pretty strong, though not turbid.
I’m happy with the flow but not in love with it. I’m still tweaking the system as it’s only a month old.
-Don

 

[radav88]

My peninsula is only 4 feet long but I have struggled with this exact scenario. I began with two octopulse 4 pumps on opposite ends of the tank in opposite corners facing each other. This was not nearly enough movement and I struggled with a film collecting at the surface of the water. I swapped things a little and got an octopulse two and placed that on one end moving water along the bottom. To deal with the film I used one of the octopulse 4s pointed at the surface but I still had an issue with film collecting and the surface skimming not working effectively.

After doing a lot of research I realized I had significantly impacted my surface skimming because of how I configured my pumps and decided I would try a gyre pump to attempt to solve the surface skimming issue. I ordered a Maxspect XF350 and I have that on the end opposite the overflow oriented horizontally two inches below the waters surface pointing back towards the overflow. I moved my octopulses to the overflow end on either side pointed towards the bottom of the tank inward so their flow meets in the middle of the rockwork. So with the gyre doing work in the top half of the tank and all three octopulse creating a chaotic flow in the bottom half of the tank things have improved drastically. I would love to keep all the pumps on one end but that just doesn't appear to be feasible.

 

[Crotalus]

I put two long lock lines from the return to the other end of the tank right under the lid. This makes the flow all go toward the overflow. Before I did that I had some stagnant areas on the surface. Then I put in two Maxspect SF 250s. One at each end facing each other in random mode. This gives me plenty of movement.

 

[jdpiii3]

I have two MP60's on my overflow side and a Gyre XF 280 on the far side mounted under the euro brace. looks clean and moves a ton of water

Tank is 72x36x36

 

[SEPDXReef]

We have a 72” peninsula with (2) MP40’s on the overflow end. These acting in alternating currents through the day with a few tital
Surges is all we need. We have higher flow SPS on the overflow end of The tank and LPS/moderate flow inhabitants on far end. If flow every becomes an issue, we may add a gyre to the opposite end of the tank from the MP40’s to offer a sheet flow back at the overflow but it isn’t necessary. Additionally, anything stronger than an MP40 is overkill in a 6’ long system. (Old photo of initial setup for reference.)
Happy Reefing all!