Need Help Nailing Down Flow

[p3rmafrost]

Hello Everyone!

I'm looking for a little advice on upgrading and improving the flow pattern in my tank.

 

Requirements:

• Must be compatible with GHL Profilux 4
• Must meet the needs of my current 3 foot tank, but also be compatible with an eventual upgrade to a 4 foot tank
• Not Ecotech - I have a little heartburn with their customer service over an issue with a Radion light I sent in for service, I would prefer to use another vendor

 

Current Situation:

I have 5 pumps from 4 different vendors. I currently have an eheim return (I think it's a model 1102 but the sticker is very worn down and I didn't buy it), 1 Ecotech MP10, 1 Icecap 1K gyre, and 2 Sicce nanos (525 GPH). I would like to start moving my gear towards one cohesive ecosystem that also provides for expansion in the future. Most of my gear now was either stuff that came with the tank, or cobbled together from purchases here.

 

Current Flow Setup:

The Icecap 1K is on the upper left side of the tank, directly opposed to the MP10. The Sicce nanos are on the back wall, one in each corner facing the sand bed. The intent of the nano pumps was to eliminate dead spots and kick up some detritus on the sand.

 

In the image below the pumps are:

• 1 Icecap 1K
• 2 Sicce nano (this has been lowered 6 inches)
• 3 Sicce nano (this has been lowered 6 inches)
• 4 MP10, not pictured, but centered on glass across from Icecap, it has been moved since this photo was taken

 

Reasons for Change:

• I "dust" my sand and rock work every morning. Detritus and sediment settles on them over night. To me, this indicates the flow isn't powerful enough to keep it suspended in the water column and eventually moved to the skimmer.
• I would like for my gear to be cohesive and I'd like to pair down some of the manufaturers
• I have poor polyp extension on my SPS corals, it could be partially due to them still settling in, but I think flow is part of it.

 

Options I Have Considered:

• 1 Large gyre pump located on the left or right
• 2 Tunze 6095s, one on each side set to random
• 2 AI Nero 5s, one on each side set to random

 

Questions:

• What would you recommend for this tank?
• What other brands and models should I be considering?
• Are the Sicce nanos doing anything of value?
• Should I be looking at a new return pump as well?
• Does anyone have something for sale that meets the above requirements? I'll happily buy something from a member if the right tool is available.

 

Thanks y'all! I'm looking forward to your suggestions.

 

 

 

 

 

[cpeguero]

A couple of thoughts, primarily on GHL integration:

GHL recently announced a line of “stream” pumps, which I believe are just re-labeled sicce pumps - worth investigating.

Tunze has an integration solution for GHL and has a solid reputation.

For your upgrade, you could consider a closed loop (like I did), which gets the pumps out of the display, but has its own challenges. There are then different options for GHL integration.

Anything that can take a 1-10 volt control input can be run by the Profilux (or other controller), the interface is just cleaner if they have a dedicated solution.

If you include your sump and return as part of the overall flow (again like I did), that also opens up options, though I know most folks prefer to keep flow through the sump fairly low.


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[p3rmafrost]

Thank you! I'll look into closed loop. Can you share a little more on how you did it? Can I integrate it into a reefer 250? I saw the ghl pumps. They're labeled sicce, with ghl chips. I think the most powerful one caps out at 2150 gph? Is that strong enough? They're certainly affordable. 

[p3rmafrost]

The lens is the "gradual orange". Here are a few shots, same lens, very very low blue light. The tank is nearly blacked out now. 

[cpeguero]

Thank you! I'll look into closed loop. Can you share a little more on how you did it? Can I integrate it into a reefer 250? I saw the ghl pumps. They're labeled sicce, with ghl chips. I think the most powerful one caps out at 2150 gph? Is that strong enough? They're certainly affordable. 

Here’s a look no to my build thread: Captain Nemo's Escape
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=2873&share_tid=98326&url=https://wamas.org/forums/index.php?/topic/98326-Captain-Nemo%27s-Escape&share_type=t&link_source=app

A closed loop requires you to drill holes in
the tank. If you get a custom tank, it’s easy to have the vendor drill those for you. I’m not familiar with Red Sea’s process (are they built to order or mass produced?). If they’re built to order, they might be able to drill for you. If not, as long as the glass isn’t tempered, you can drill it yourself.

Closed loops used to be fairly popular, but I think the easy availability of good pumps inside the tank have reduced how common they are. Plus, once you’ve set one up, there are limits on how you can change it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cpeguero]

Thank you! I'll look into closed loop. Can you share a little more on how you did it? Can I integrate it into a reefer 250? I saw the ghl pumps. They're labeled sicce, with ghl chips. I think the most powerful one caps out at 2150 gph? Is that strong enough? They're certainly affordable. 

Here’s a look no to my build thread: Captain Nemo's Escape
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=2873&share_tid=98326&url=https://wamas.org/forums/index.php?/topic/98326-Captain-Nemo%27s-Escape&share_type=t&link_source=app

A closed loop requires you to drill holes in
the tank. If you get a custom tank, it’s easy to have the vendor drill those for you. I’m not familiar with Red Sea’s process (are they built to order or mass produced?). If they’re built to order, they might be able to drill for you. If not, as long as the glass isn’t tempered, you can drill it yourself.

Closed loops used to be fairly popular, but I think the easy availability of good pumps inside the tank have reduced how common they are. Plus, once you’ve set one up, there are limits on how you can change it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cpeguero]

Thank you! I'll look into closed loop. Can you share a little more on how you did it? Can I integrate it into a reefer 250? I saw the ghl pumps. They're labeled sicce, with ghl chips. I think the most powerful one caps out at 2150 gph? Is that strong enough? They're certainly affordable. 

Here’s a look no to my build thread: Captain Nemo's Escape
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=2873&share_tid=98326&url=https://wamas.org/forums/index.php?/topic/98326-Captain-Nemo%27s-Escape&share_type=t&link_source=app

A closed loop requires you to drill holes in
the tank. If you get a custom tank, it’s easy to have the vendor drill those for you. I’m not familiar with Red Sea’s process (are they built to order or mass produced?). If they’re built to order, they might be able to drill for you. If not, as long as the glass isn’t tempered, you can drill it yourself.

Closed loops used to be fairly popular, but I think the easy availability of good pumps inside the tank have reduced how common they are. Plus, once you’ve set one up, there are limits on how you can change it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cpeguero]

Thank you! I'll look into closed loop. Can you share a little more on how you did it? Can I integrate it into a reefer 250? I saw the ghl pumps. They're labeled sicce, with ghl chips. I think the most powerful one caps out at 2150 gph? Is that strong enough? They're certainly affordable. 

Here’s a look no to my build thread: Captain Nemo's Escape
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=2873&share_tid=98326&url=https://wamas.org/forums/index.php?/topic/98326-Captain-Nemo%27s-Escape&share_type=t&link_source=app

A closed loop requires you to drill holes in
the tank. If you get a custom tank, it’s easy to have the vendor drill those for you. I’m not familiar with Red Sea’s process (are they built to order or mass produced?). If they’re built to order, they might be able to drill for you. If not, as long as the glass isn’t tempered, you can drill it yourself.

Closed loops used to be fairly popular, but I think the easy availability of good pumps inside the tank have reduced how common they are. Plus, once you’ve set one up, there are limits on how you can change it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cpeguero]

Thank you! I'll look into closed loop. Can you share a little more on how you did it? Can I integrate it into a reefer 250? I saw the ghl pumps. They're labeled sicce, with ghl chips. I think the most powerful one caps out at 2150 gph? Is that strong enough? They're certainly affordable. 

Here’s a look no to my build thread: Captain Nemo's Escape
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=2873&share_tid=98326&url=https://wamas.org/forums/index.php?/topic/98326-Captain-Nemo%27s-Escape&share_type=t&link_source=app

A closed loop requires you to drill holes in
the tank. If you get a custom tank, it’s easy to have the vendor drill those for you. I’m not familiar with Red Sea’s process (are they built to order or mass produced?). If they’re built to order, they might be able to drill for you. If not, as long as the glass isn’t tempered, you can drill it yourself.

Closed loops used to be fairly popular, but I think the easy availability of good pumps inside the tank have reduced how common they are. Plus, once you’ve set one up, there are limits on how you can change it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cpeguero]

Thank you! I'll look into closed loop. Can you share a little more on how you did it? Can I integrate it into a reefer 250? I saw the ghl pumps. They're labeled sicce, with ghl chips. I think the most powerful one caps out at 2150 gph? Is that strong enough? They're certainly affordable. 

Here’s a look no to my build thread: Captain Nemo's Escape
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=2873&share_tid=98326&url=https://wamas.org/forums/index.php?/topic/98326-Captain-Nemo%27s-Escape&share_type=t&link_source=app

A closed loop requires you to drill holes in
the tank. If you get a custom tank, it’s easy to have the vendor drill those for you. I’m not familiar with Red Sea’s process (are they built to order or mass produced?). If they’re built to order, they might be able to drill for you. If not, as long as the glass isn’t tempered, you can drill it yourself.

Closed loops used to be fairly popular, but I think the easy availability of good pumps inside the tank have reduced how common they are. Plus, once you’ve set one up, there are limits on how you can change it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cpeguero]

Thank you! I'll look into closed loop. Can you share a little more on how you did it? Can I integrate it into a reefer 250? I saw the ghl pumps. They're labeled sicce, with ghl chips. I think the most powerful one caps out at 2150 gph? Is that strong enough? They're certainly affordable. 

Here’s a look no to my build thread: Captain Nemo's Escape
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=2873&share_tid=98326&url=https://wamas.org/forums/index.php?/topic/98326-Captain-Nemo%27s-Escape&share_type=t&link_source=app

A closed loop requires you to drill holes in
the tank. If you get a custom tank, it’s easy to have the vendor drill those for you. I’m not familiar with Red Sea’s process (are they built to order or mass produced?). If they’re built to order, they might be able to drill for you. If not, as long as the glass isn’t tempered, you can drill it yourself.

Closed loops used to be fairly popular, but I think the easy availability of good pumps inside the tank have reduced how common they are. Plus, once you’ve set one up, there are limits on how you can change it.

Would type more, but Tapatalk is acting up on my phone. Will provide more detail tomorrow if you’d like, once I can get on a keyboard

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cpeguero]

Thank you! I'll look into closed loop. Can you share a little more on how you did it? Can I integrate it into a reefer 250? I saw the ghl pumps. They're labeled sicce, with ghl chips. I think the most powerful one caps out at 2150 gph? Is that strong enough? They're certainly affordable. 

Here’s a look no to my build thread: Captain Nemo's Escape
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=2873&share_tid=98326&url=https://wamas.org/forums/index.php?/topic/98326-Captain-Nemo%27s-Escape&share_type=t&link_source=app

A closed loop requires you to drill holes in
the tank. If you get a custom tank, it’s easy to have the vendor drill those for you. I’m not familiar with Red Sea’s process (are they built to order or mass produced?). If they’re built to order, they might be able to drill for you. If not, as long as the glass isn’t tempered, you can drill it yourself.

Closed loops used to be fairly popular, but I think the easy availability of good pumps inside the tank have reduced how common they are. Plus, once you’ve set one up, there are limits on how you can change it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk