Nstocks Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 I'm in the process of adjusting my initial plans for my first saltwater tank and one of the areas I want to further minimise is the equipment in the display tank. I know that the majority of nano tanks use Vortech power heads which seem to do a good job, however I don't like the idea of running cables along the outside of the tank, nor do I like the price or appearance of power heads. Is it possible to effectively create 40x flow through a 200 litre tank using just a closed loop system costing less than £200? I've read that a SCWD is needed to create random patterns and these require some maintenance which is not a problem. Two less expensive power heads could work (aqua medic eco drift), but only if they are both on the back of the tank where they blend into the black backing. Link to comment
FishI Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Id would like to know the answer to this as well.... Has anyone done a closed loop with a 20 gallon? Link to comment
TheKleinReef Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I saw a tank a while back that wasn't that large (maybe 50ish gallons) that used closed loop for flow. I personally like that look better than power heads. But most powerr heads now have different wave patterns and such. So that is something to consider as well. I think it's doable, it just needs a bit of planning. Link to comment
CrazyCarl Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 +1 to above. I have never done any closed loop system, but I can't see why it couldn't be done on this sized tank for a minimal cost. PVC is cheap. Just need to maybe drill out some rock to hide the lines and whatnot. also need space for the SCWD. Like stated above needs some planning and is also more labor intensive than just sticking a powerhead in the display. Link to comment
Nstocks Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 Thanks for the replies. I've continued my research into this and it is something that requires quite a lot of planning. It turns out that it's not going to be cheaper than a couple of power heads... Even with two power head (with different flows), would it be a bad idea having them both on the back wall? The back wall will have the weir and is totally black which will make the power heads blend in quite nicely. I don't plan on having much rock in the tank but I'm guessing that the placement of rock in relation to power heads will help with randomising the flow sufficiently. Link to comment
CrazyCarl Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 It would depend on the type of powerheads, back wall isn't an issue. Do you plan on getting something that is actually controllable? If you want the cheapest option for having some kind of random flow, you can go with constant speed koralias and angle them so the flow will collide with eachother and/or your return. They also make a controller, but it is kind of expensive. You could put them on mechanical timers alternating every few hours and running together for a few etc...Or you can just get 2 jebao rw-4's and plug them in together. They come with a controller and are somewhat adjustable and have a few modes. For the price they seem to be a great deal, be advised though, skimping in this hobby usually doesn't work out long term. IME the cheapest option at the moment usually winds up costing you more in the end. My advice is spend as much as you can now to save money later. See if you can find some used MP10s on the cheap. Link to comment
Nstocks Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 The Aqua Medic Ecodrift look promising and come with a controller. Apparently dead silent as each part is wrapped in rubber. For two they are around £150 with controllers. (assuming two smaller ones are better than one larger one?) They are similar to jeabo but are stronger and made with better (German made) components. http://www.h2oaquatics.co.uk/water-flow/aqua-medic-ecodrift-4-0 I noticed the Koralias but they are quite bulkly. I hear you about not skimping on anything. I agree and don't intent to cut corners... £200 for a powerhead that seem to have issues is on area I can safe some money. Link to comment
CrazyCarl Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Those look like pretty decent powerheads, but I am not familiar with them, look for reviews on forums like this one and see what you can find. As long as you do your research and know what you are getting, you are on the right track. IMO 2 smaller would be better than 1 large. More varying and random flow can be created with 2 sources. Good luck. Link to comment
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