Reef nutrition

Who's got 6 foot long tanks? How do you get flow?

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sfsuphysics

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In my never ending thirst for knowledge I now ask a question on flow.

Long tanks require larger than normal amounts of flow simply because it'll fade out before it reaches the whole length. Now my problem is not only is my tank long (6 feet) but it's also stubby.. 18" tall 18" wide.. and I am finding way too many dead spots for my liking. I currently have an OM squirt that's got 4 outputs going around the tank at various places hooked to a Quiet One 4k this is because I like to run less flow through my sump (1000 gph is fine) and the squirt's limitations. I also run 4 powerheads inside the tank 1 SEIO 2600, 1 SEIO 1500, 2 SEIO 600, so if you're going by package details this technically is 5300 gallons per hour. However it don't seem that way.. now I know part of the problem is the SEIOs themselves. In fact I'm thinking of a Tunze 6100 in the future or a Vortech (which for a long slender tank should be ideal!) however not knowing what plans I'm going to do for the tank I don't want to shoot myself in the foot. I love the controller bit of the Tunze (7095), however Vortech is coming out with a controller as well (but when that is? Eh.. I don't know). But I really don't know how the lack of direction on the Vortech pump is going to come into play, yet the slim line nature is pleasing..

So that's rant aside, those of you with long tanks what's your method of moving flow? And do you feel it's adequate?

Also for anyone, would you suggest the Tunze direction or the Vortech direction? They're both roughly the same price for the same power, although the MSRP of the Vortech controller is not yet known to me. Plus there might be some Tunze's going on the market for a discount as people switch to Vortech.

As you can tell I'm thinking in the future for something, hence the string of recent posts of seemingly mindless ramblings :)
 
Mike I am running into the same issues with the tank at work (155g bowfront).

I really don't know how efficient the quiet one 4000 is on the OM squirt to be honest. I seemed to get a bit more flow when I was using my mag 9.5 with the unit. Mind you I'm comlaining about this on a 58g tank so I can see the somewhat dismal effects on a tank twice the size.

I am running two MJ 900's as additional on the 155g and the return pump is a Quiet One 6000.

I am leaning towards Korallia 4 or one if not two of the mini Tunze pumps. This is a display tank at work so I really have somewhat limited areas where I can place powerheads.

The Tunze are big bulky units. I like the Vortech (of course right :D) just because it's smaller unit and it doesn't take up much more room.
 
Yeah the QO on the OM is more of a return pump, I picked it for efficiency when my Rio HF impeller exploded, the Rio definitely pushed more. Ultimately I was thinking some sort of closed loop with the squirt, but just have been torn either way.

I know the Tunze are big, but I do have a SEIO 2600 and that's a big ass bulk in itself. I did read a couple posts at RC about making a controller for the Vortech as well, although I don't know how much I'd want to modify a 350 dollar pump controller.
 
I currently do not run the Vortech with a controller and the sps are fine and growing just fine. The way I have my rock structure I never run the Vortech more than a third of it's potential 3,000 gph these days.
 
The point about the controller was I was kind of looking to get closer to mimicing ocean currents (which I know we don't come close to) however regardless of which way I go I'll spend a bank, but if I compare it to something like a OM + Decent pump it's not too bad of a price.

Who knows maybe I'll be impulsive and just order the Vortech this week :D

You run yours on your 120 at home right? Any issues at all so far? Someone from the club (name withheld) eluded to there being some issues "look at their RC forum" was the only response and sure there's complaints about issues here and there, but they seem to do good with righting wrongs.
 
Oh.. and do the local shops in SF carry these at prices comparable to online? I'd love to toss some business to Aquatic Central or Ocean Treasure's way but no way am I going to pay the typical mark-up on hardware that stores put on.
 
I've had no problems other than some minor issues, that IceCap has since corrected. Arnold has had no issues with his pump.

Tom is running Vortechs on 1" thick glass which is stretching the capabilities of the magnet as it was designed to work with 3/4" and under. I'm not saying it can't be done, but I pretty sure Tom knew what he was up against.

I don't think there is a mark-up at Ocean Treasures or at Aquatic Central.

Whenever Ecotech gets their FCC certified thing ma jig and I receive mine you're welcome to come over and take it for a whirl.
 
I use 2 tunze 6101 and two maxijet hack saw mod controlled by my neptune jr, next week, I will replace both of those hack saw mod with one mj1200 algeafree mod
 
Just read the FCC approval is taking longer than they want.

I'm curious though do you need the wireless drivers to use the wireless controller? Having a controller setup would be nice down the road, however I don't want to be stuck with no being able to use the controller that's available because I don't mind having wires to my driver assembly.
 
Im using a vortech on a 150 and I love it. I run full blast and Ill continue to do so until I buy a 2nd one for the other end of the tank. Currently Im running one vortech and using a wavy sea wave make in the center back of the tank. Once I buy a 2nd vortech, it will reside on the other end of my tank and both will run on wireless controllers.

The flow is really amazing, since its spread out so wide. The suction also creates a huge pull. Anything not in the center of the tank is actually being pulled to the vortech.

Ive had absolutely 0 problems with my unit.
 
penductors do work. I tried using one connected to my return on my wavy sea, but it actually was too strong. If I used a closed loop, Id use them. Im going for a lower temp tank, so I chose not to run a 2nd large pump for a clsoed loop and chose the vortech.
 
Yep, sand in my tank(s) so gyres would be a no go.

I like the penductors/eductors, but don't like the look of them in a tank(s).
 
Well bit the bullet today. Swung by Ocean Treasures simply because I was near there just to see if they had a Vortech in a stock, I was really feeling generous too (read: Impulsive) so I was pretty much leaning heavily towards buying one. And the guy who works there (I don't go enough to know names) pretty much convinced me that I must buy one.. didn't take much though (might have considered two if I saw two on the shelf) and I plonked down my credit card and he bid me a good day :)

I decided, at least for now, I was going to put it on the far side of the tank... don't need the g/f going "when did you get that? ... how much did that cost?" It's funny, doesn't matter that it's my money, just don't want to let her know how much.. I think it's genetic and rides on the Y chromosome. So anyways I pulled my SEIO 2600 (which I will put back in the tank.. no sense putting it to waste yet, but I want to clean it up good), and followed all the instructions etc, hooked it up, and it's going fairly good.

Now I'm not overly impressed as of right now, I am hard to please.. and I did remove a 2600 gph (theoretically) pump. But the slim line design is definitely groovy, seems with my slender tank having a place to point it really isn't any issue. Having the cord on the outside is definitely nice since my tank is one of those TruVu looking ones (might be the brand) and it has that ugly funky "bracing" on the top with a few slots, a couple small openings, and a few dinky holes cut out for various things (damn freshwater tank!) so I don't have a cord bent all funky trying to get in the tank. It's relatively quiet, I hooked it up and hear a light hum sound no chatter that it said.. so of course I tried to adjust it... then I heard the chatter.. and moved it back. :) I've heard people say they should put the pump on low initially to allow it break in, so I don't have it cranked up all the way. I almost wanted to toss it in my softie tank simply to see how things move... well there were some airbubbles that never seemed to end that it kept sucking in (not a vortex from the surface either), so it looks good to go.

The connector looks funny, almost like the power connector for my laptop, so I'm guessing it's an inverter and feeds DC power to the thing? I could be wrong, but it is neat. I saw some mods people did to make their only controller of it so it is tempting, although not this shortly after purchasing.
 
Mike, you never move it while it's on at least I never do. I always turn it off before moving. The biggest reason is that the heavy part is on the outside and if you move it to the point where it "disconnects" it's the expensive outside piece that either falls to the floor or bangs into the side of the tank.

It's a wide dispersed flow, not like a powerhead so you'll never really feel it if you put your hand in front of it.
 
Well I followed the instructions and attached the little dohicky sticker with the tiny ziptie to the cord so that it won't fall to the floor it'll just hang there :D
 
1 inch Sea Swirl mounted in the middle hooked up to an Ehiem Pump.

4 Hagen (not Aqua Clear) 802 Power Heads. Mounted on the sides of each overflow.

1 Seio 1500. Just for the heck of it.

I bought another Sea Swirl because I always wanted to set up 2 side by side. So far, I've never done it.

On another tank, I have 2 SCWD's. They work pretty good; but, I don't like how one vibrates.

Best of luck,

Roy
 
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