Looking for advise on my new Closed Loop Tank

[bmcduffy]

Hi Everyone!

I am hoping you can help me decide on how to set up this new tank. I have never had a closed loop tank or a sump. I have a 29 gallon Bio Cube that has been up and running and doing great for a mixed reef for the last 7 years. Now the silicone is failing and it is starting to leak. So..... I purchased a beautiful 65 gallon acrylic to take it's place. I would really appreciate some advise on how I should set this up. I really dont want a sump but this tank is drilled through the bottom. (Two drains and one return) and for the life of me I can't understand why the drilled it in the spots that they did. Any sugestions? Here's a pic.

 

[bluedevils38]

Maybe they drilled it for their setup but you might want to get some eggcrate and build barriers around it so small fish crabs and nems can get sucked into it

 

[motortrendz]

Can you take a picnfrom the front? What I would do is build a egg crate box around the drains so when you do your rockwork I won't be too close and cause clogging. And the return I would change to a PVC multi head return to direct flow through the rocks to eliminate dead zones. Use a sump. Other the right way to go. But don't use those drains on the bottom BC if you loose power uour tank will drain out. I would drill 2 large bulk heads for drains on the back and one return for the sump.(like a modified herby design) where one drain has a valve and the other iis slighly higher to take the extra flow, makes the system completely quiet! The other i wound hook to a 950ish gph pump for the closed loop.

 

[bmcduffy]

Thanks for the quick response guys. I would really like to avoid a sump if I can and use this closed loop configuration with the lifeguard filter and UV sterilizer. I have a nice big Aqua C Remora HOB protein skimmer with a surface skimmer. I also have a gen X 900 gph pump that came with the closed loop hardware.

I am only leaning this way for a clean look and more flow. Plus I know nothing about sumps. I have no problem drilling the tank in a better configuration. I was thinking towards the back wall and maybe installing more "low profile" returns??

Am I totally off track here?

Here are a couple of terrible shots from the front. Thanks again!

 

[JMSKI333]

Am I crazy to say that those two striat pipes on the left and right are the intakes and the lock line it the return. That is the only sense I can make of it. Are there any other holes in there besides those three?

 

[bmcduffy]

Yep, that's what it is. Drains on both sides and return in the middle.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I don't know why you don't want a sump, they can be very helpful. Anyway, you could always remove the bulkheads and cover the holes with small acrylic 'patches' glued down with Weld-on. Done halfway right it will never leak.

You could still avoid having a sump and just use the 2 drains to feed a CL and then pump it back through the return. Loss of power won't create any issues with a CL.

 

[bmcduffy]

Hey Ron. Thanks for your advise.

It's not that I don't want a swamp so much as I just need to get this up and running before my cube fails completely. I guess I'm leaning towards this closed loop because everything I need is there, I just spend a ton of money over the hollidays like everyone else, and I don't know spit about setting up a sump.

Time is short but I don't want to go through all of this and then have regrets that I didn't take good advise so, I'm listening. Thank you.

 

[bluedevils38]

Do you plan on running a cannister filter?

 

[bmcduffy]

It came with two lifeguard aquatics models. One is a mechanical filter, the second is a UV sterilizer. I am considering using a cannister filter in the front of the line up (unplugged) to use as a first stage filter and carbon etc. holder. Got that idea from this awesome site!<BR><BR>I also have a very,very nice Aqua C Remora HOB protein skimmer.

 

[bmcduffy]

It came with two lifeguard aquatics models. One is a mechanical filter, the second is a UV sterilizer. I am considering using a cannister filter in the front of the line up (unplugged) to use as a first stage filter and carbon etc. holder. Got that idea from this awesome site!

I also have a very,very nice Aqua C Remora HOB protein skimmer.

 

[bmcduffy]

bump