Closed Loop help + advice!

I am setting up a closed loop with one or two 3/4" inlets and 1 3/4" outlet for my 200g elos 160xl. What pump would you recommend? what gph (i would like as much as possible)? Also, i want to make the flow come on and off every 15 to 30 sec so it is not constant flow. What pump would be able to handle the on and off switching without breaking and what timer can i use to do this? It is very important that the pump is as quiet as possible. I have a profilux controller but it cannot switch sockets on and off every 30sec.

 

Sorry I can't help ya, but here's a bump.

 

I actually just figured out how to do the short intervals with the profilux. So thats out of the way. Now i just need to pick out a pump that will be able to handle it.

 

Electric motors only have a certain amount of stops and starts in them. some more so than others. you will also use 2-3x as much electricity to start it than to run it. if you are looking for a variant in the flow from a close loop, I would suggest you use something like a ocean Motions device or seaswirls. I use the latter and LOVE mine.

for a close loop pump on a tank your size, I would upsize the pipe to 1" or what your pump will dictate. you will get a more turbulent flow rather than a directed flow. this is better for your corals and tank in general. this is just my experience. also, to achieve at least 10x turnover in that 200, you would need somethign rated at 2000gph. that much flow thru 3/4" pipe will have way too much force.

fwiw, I have a Reeflo dart on my tank close loop rated at 3600gph. it uses a 2" intake and 1 1/2" discharge. I have it running 1 1/2" pipe all the way to where it enters the tank thru 1" bulkheads then split into dual 3/4" lockline. just one side has enough force to reach the far end of my 180. (I utilise the seaswirls on my sump return but wish it were opposite).

 

I all ready have the closed loop built into the tank so i cant change sizing of pipes. Actually i think it has two 3/4" inlets and one 3/4" outlet. I cant tell for sure right now because tank is still packaged up. Oceans motions would be good if i had 2 outputs but i only have 1. Sea swirl would work if i had output coming from top but my output is 4" under water. I think my only options are to run continuous or use a short interval timer. I have been running my tunze streams on an off and on cycle for 2 years with no problems. Is there not an external pump that can run reliably the same way? I can also have it go from 20% to 100% flow instead of turn off completely if that will help.

I will have 2 mp40 vortech setup on the tank as well so my turnover should be ok. The vortechs will be on back wall though so i would like the closed loop flow to come across tank perpendicular to the vortechs flow.

 

You have nice tangs. Do they get along well? I really want a sohal but will probably go for the achilles due to the size and aggression of sohal.

 

Most pumps with the exception of small powerheads are limited to about 6 starts per hour so they do not build up heat in the windings.

Why not use one suction line and two discharge lines then use a OM Squirt two way? I have a Squirt on my system and love it, its been almost flawless for over 6 years now. I use a Ocean Runner 3500 pump which is equal to a Eheim 1262 and a little better than a Mag 9.5 or Quiet One 4000.

I recently decided to cut down on power usage so eliminated the closed loop pump and installed the Squirt on my returns so I still get the varied flow but reduced my power by 58 watts 24/7/365. I also use two Evolutions 1400 powerheads on a RKL controller and have them switching at 30 second intervals so have chaotic flows.

 

Differnet type of motor there bud. the big motors they use in the external pumps are not designed to run that way.

 

I have a SCWD on my returns of other tank and it works great.

On this tank I only have 1 return, I would rather not add another one as i would have to come over top of back of tank to do it. I want to have a clean minimal look from top. I would like to explore other options first.

Its understandable that there isn't pump that will run like tunze stream (off and on). However there has to be a pump that can run from 20% to 100% without turning off. Do you know of any?

 

No there are none that would be affordable. It would have to be DC powered so you could vary the voltage easily or be run by an AC variable frequency drive which is very expensive.