Closed Loop: Inline Heater and Filter and...

Ordering a Blueline 20HD, at about 480gph on 30 gallons i'm hoping I don't over do it.

I plan to have a SCWD with one return being a spray bar and the other being an outlet lower in the tank, hopefully to get a nice wave effect. Before you ask I would run a sump but the tank is a hex and there is no where but under the stand to conceal everything, and nothing 'sump like' fits under the stand. :

The whole point is to get the equipment out of the tank and cut down on maitnance. I was wondering what my options are as far as what else can be hooked up to a closed loop. I was hoping for some inline filter of some type, inline heater, and anything else that can possibly be hooked up to a closed loop, anything at all to help in maitanance and getting the equipment out, an inline skimmer would be good to, but I don't know which brands can run like that. I have enough sand and rock so that bio filtration isn't necessary, I just really want to polish off the water.

 

Look at small hot tub heaters they have titanium units that are in a PVC housing that are what is called inline.. Also Ebo-Jager Has a under sand unit also. What I'd try and do is get a good titanium heater with a remote control unit Like a "Jalli" and try and get the heater in down or between some rock work.. I also think Rainbow Used to make a inline heater, They still may make them ?
Looking now its just a 30 gal tank.. That won't require a large heater 100 watts max.

 

I'm thinking about trying the pentair aquatics filters: Pentair Aquatics

I'll probably put them in front of the pump so that less debris passes through the pump hopefully keeping it clean and free of clog. The size of the inlet and outlet has me confused though.

The pump is 3/4" inlet 3/4" outlet while the filters are 1 1/4" inlet and 1" outlet. Will the pump be able to handle that? I'm thinking that since it is going to be siphoning the water aslo that it should be able to keep up. It just seems like a lot more water will be trying to make its way to the pump than the pump will be replacing in the tank.

 

I thought Rainbow/lifeguard made that unit They make one just like that one. What are your goals for this tank down the road a few yrs full reef F/O ? .. But what you need to do with this type of filter is first off have a good high pressure and high volume pump And the 20 hd will not do it maybe a 100 will you can always slow it down.. But you need to put the filter's down stream of the pump for the water is pressurized entering the filtration system. Actually You might want to put the filters on a by pass set up . And feed it with a segregated pump like maybe 2 of the HD20's one for the main pump and one for the by pass filter ? .. that way if it stopped up while you are away ? The main flow to the tank will stay at the proper levels and amounts so as not to wipe the tank out.
But for a 30 gal tank I think this is alot of over kill for you. What do you want to do .. Do you now have a operating sump ? As for the size of the filters in and out lets just use a bushing to reduce them down..But I think its way way over the top for that small of a tank. I run a flat back hex with a mag 9.5 and a Excalibur skimmer and thats about it. The filtering through carbon is via the skimmer out let that passes through the carbon and floss when needed about every blue moon all held by a specimen cup hung on the inside of the sump its a 10 gal but a 5.5 would been fine had I had one heater is also in the sump.

 

I want to do mostly sps and zoas.

I really just wanted some type of mechanical filtration (to polish the water, it has lots of debris) and to cut down on maitanance. Getting the skimmer out of the tank would be nice too but I don't think that it is possible. I have no sump because the tank is in the corner of a room and the only place to put a filter is in the stand, and nothing fits in under the stand, a 5.5 might but I really had troubles running an open sump (without bubble traps and partitions).

Thinking about it, I could solve all of this by drilling the 5.5 and having the pump outside the sump. But I really don't want to run a 5.5 sump, I have had horrible troubles with large sumps and overflow's and returns.

I really like the idea of close loop, I might just do that and go to a sump later on down the road. The main thing was keeping the water polished as to not clog the pump.

 

Have you considered a slightly smaller hex tank for a sump? They are really cheap 2nd hand.

 

Nick, they won't fit in the stand unless I took the stand apart and dropped it in, the doors are like 8" wide.

 

What you might want to considerer just polishing the water a bit to remove debris is a Diatom filter.. Just use it as needed and or they can be ran 24/7 Old school but very effective I use one on tanks from time to time In a tank that small the water would be so clean in a hr or so that you would have a hard time seeing it..Just a thought..

P.S also with a 5.5 sump bubbles would not be a real problem just depends on how you pipe the drain to the sumps On a little sump like that I just pipe down then add two ells to make a U then a stub of pipe to be at just about water level and then all the air will just set on top where it wants to be Also has worked for me. Then you can add a filter sponge to the vertical stub and let the water flow through that as a exter buble diffuser and filter just rinse and clean it every few weeks or so depending on the systems requirments. .I have used this methoed many times on small tanks and it work perfectly. Now have the same set up less the sponge on a 40 gal flat back hex and a 9.5 mag and no bubbles..