Ok, we removed the DSB, now what?

[BuckWheat]

I guess this will be my next project, trying to get enough current in there, seems like no matter what I do I still don't have enough movement at a 26.8 turnover rate. I'm now thinking of adding a CLS.

I can blow off the rock work every day and still not get it all off, I want to really churn over things better. There is tons of plumbing designs out there but which ones is the real Man's way of moving water, at a rate strong enough to keep rocks sparkling clean and still not blow everything to one corner?

How much Pump power do you have?
How much water movement do you have?
How do you have it plumbed?

[galleon]

Iwaki 70RT at over 1400 GPH in a tank 36 x 36. Picks up from the sump and goes straight shot up to the return bulkhead.

[Spanky]

Iwaki100 on the two returns with no eductors. Iwaki70 on the returns with the eductors. They run random around the tank.
Arranging your rock work with as much off the bottom is your biggest asset.

[BuckWheat]

Those are the pretties tanks I've ever seen!

Jerel, can you hook me up with a link to those eductors, I've been looking for them and haden't had much luck finding them. I'm thinking that maybe I have too much Rocks in my tank, maybe even too much of that thin layer of substrait.

[Spanky]

BW if you have any sand/gravel at all, it's really hard to get enough flow for a tank to be truly self cleaning. The amount of flow that you need will move it around.
The other alternative with shallow substrate is you do need to clean it, of make it deeper and plan on replacing it if and when it gives you trouble down the road.

I know Aquatic Ecosystems sells the eductors. They create a massive amount of flow though and will move that sand.

The more waste you can remove the less rocks you need to process waste.

[BuckWheat]

I actually have less sand than in the photo, I'll keep sucking it up with water changes, so I don't care if it all goes away.

[Spanky]

I would up the flow on that thing. You can direct those heads toward the front glass and not hit the corals directly, just move a lot of water.
What skimmer are you using? Can you over drive it?

[mnreefgeek]

Not to hijack. I've got a 46 that I am considering setting up bare bottom. I plan on using a Mag7 and spray bar as a return behind the rocks and an Ocean Runner 6500, 1600gph, with a SCWD on a closed loop.

Do you think that is enough flow?

Would setting my rocks up on some sort of eggcrate stand elevated off of the bottom be a major benefit, or are they OK on the glass?

[BuckWheat]

I just ordered a 3/4" eductor, I plan on adding it to the 900gph pump that is also on the way. Never thought of deflecting it off the glass, I'll have to tweak it some more. The sump pump is also 900gph with about 3ft of head. I have the Tunze Stream that pushes 1800gph soft fluxuating flow, and a little itty bitty 160gph PH in the lower bottom area. In the sump I have a turbofloater 1000, fed off a tee from the main for supply, and driven by a 700gph pump for the aeration action.

[BuckWheat]

Yep, I think eventually I'll get there, if I can, I will elevate sections at a time, continue to vacuum the substrate and pump up the flow.

[Geoff]

Buckwheat-what kind of pump are you getting? to use that eductor effectively it needs to be able to handle 23' worth of head pressure. i think you would have been better off getting the smaller 3/8" size for that pump.

my little DIY ones are a great way to play around with eductors without the $25 price tag. i get good results using a mag 12, and OK results using an old Quiet One.

my .02,

G~

[BuckWheat]

Was wondering about that, I'll change my order! That OR3500 OceanRunner won't handle it!

Edit, I removed that order all together.
Even the 3/8" would take 22' of head pressure.

[Geoff]

the only info i could fine on that pump is that its maximum head is almost 11 feet! i do not think that would push an eductor real well. my quiet one goes to 12' and i think it barely works. the mag 12 pushes up to 15' for reference.

G~

[BuckWheat]

Thanks, Geoff for that awaking, after reading up on them, I decided not to go that route, Instead I'm thinking of putting the pump in at the bottom of the main display and run a nozzle directly off the outlet!

[Yellotang]

I put two of those DIY eductors on a mag 18. It really increased the flow in the tank.

Stupid question about closed loops. If the closed loop pump is on the floor, and it pulls water from inside the tank, and pumps it directly back into the tank, then the only head on it is the elbows, right? I mean its not pushing the water above the water line in the tank at all.?!?!?!?!