Close loops VS Powerheads

[Basile]

I'm setting up a new tank, 65g. I read alot about closes loop and Some say powerheads are the new way. Which is less troublesome, for price i think you can put them even if you go quality. So wich system is better and more flexible. I'm sure those upgrading tanks are divided over the subject.

[strapingyunglad]

i prefer powerheads, more diversity and if you need to you can change the flow patern on tha fly to say clear up some destitus, kill cyano, or help out coral.

[MGXsport]

I loved the closed loop on my 65 gallon. You can still direct the flow anywhere if you plan the system out right.

[evilc66]

My next tank is closed loop. You can't beat it for clearing up the display of equipment. It does require more planning to get it right though. For some with closed loops, powerheads are almost a certainty after a while. It's just so easy to add flow where you need it.

[Mr. Fosi]

Power heads = good if you can't make up your mind or have need to drastically change flow pattern. They also add plenty of heat, take up precious real estate and aren't very pretty.

 

Closed loops = good if you know what you want and only require marginal changes to flow. They add less heat per unit flow than powerheads (no data to back this up), they clean up the display and there is only one pump to service instead of many.

 

If you are clever, your closed loop can be very modular in design and leave you with good options in case you need to make changes. They also cost less than using 5x powerheads both in terms of wattage and up-front cost.

[strapingyunglad]

Mr. Fosi............why you gotta break balls? JK/ youve got a point, im just to dump to do a closed loop.

[Basile]

Power heads = good if you can't make up your mind or have need to drastically change flow pattern. They also add plenty of heat, take up precious real estate and aren't very pretty.

 

Closed loops = good if you know what you want and only require marginal changes to flow. They add less heat per unit flow than powerheads (no data to back this up), they clean up the display and there is only one pump to service instead of many.

 

If you are clever, your closed loop can be very modular in design and leave you with good options in case you need to make changes. They also cost less than using 5x powerheads both in terms of wattage and up-front cost.

 

 

I was pretty much sold on loop, but read a few charts about powerheads, some article saying that powerheads now are more advanced and more energy efficient and heat transfer negligable. I want to avoid a lot of holes in my tank, and if i want to redesing the thing some times, does loop flexible for that. The powerhead i can just move, What do you think of this powerhead http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_p...t_ID=tz-tsn6055 2 of those at variant speed, just saw a tank with them.Hiden in the rocks , there's even a rock sold for them.

 

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem.aspx?idproduct=TZ1551

 

It may be just a question of prefference after all, both tech seems to have pros and cons. Thank for taking the time

[Shoot Me_I Explode]

Or you can go with 1 vortech mp40. No heat, lots of flow, looks great, what's not to love

[Sctn4Elk]

Closed loop FTW....Display tank is for displaying coral not PH

[masterbuilder]

Powerheads, even the ones that are not toooooo bad looking (vortech) are just plain old ugly and really take away form the natural look of a reef tank. Nothing is perfect.......I will take a closed loop anyday.

[Basile]

Hi, i have no pretentions,i'm new to the hobby, but i just red it and it blew me away. A magazine at my dentist had that article about aquarists and lack of hygene that can kill. A 25 years veterant aquarist ; had a 390G , home built tank. He came back one night , and saw one of his coral that he had fraged himself lying at the bottom of his tank. So he replaced it where he had put it before. Two days later he found all his inverts, dead and in a week most of his corals and fish, lost the hole tank in 10 days. Didn't have a clue at what had happen or why. Did all his test...nothing out of the ordinary. He was so mad , and desperate to find the cause of this tragedy( his tank was 10 years old), he when to a private company specialised in water sampling, test his water, $ 250 for the hole test battery. From chemical, biological and other kind i'm not familiar with. The test results where mind blowing, from heavy metals , from benzen and other i don't remember to 16 kinds of bacterias and different kinds of polycarbs i think they are called if i remember. Anyway , all indicative of oil. Its on the way back home from the test center that it hit him. He was on his way to fill his truck and it hit him. That day that he had replaced his coral, he had stoped at the gaz station to fill up his car, and had probably not washed his hands. Basically a cross contamination, from the nozzel to his tank. It gets worse.... The company told him that not only the bacteria but all the polycarbs something where probably lodged in his rocks , plumbing or any material and could not be removed. So he had to clean out everything, including his tank. Which by the way had been built in his limestone wall; man what a crap that must of been... anyway all his plumbing, motors everything had to be taken out, par of his wall becaused he had planed his tank and made a work of it, from special power box etc a real pro job, they didn't say how much it was$$$ but man talk about hitting yourself with a frying pan.... So i guess we'll all wash are hands after filling up won't we. I just thought that , this story was worth mentioning, because we all do it, filling up don't we? New and Veterant! Bye now.

[vangvace]

closed loop manifold system would be my preference.

[kermitthedaniel]

i would say go both, the closed loop to do most of your flow and to remove dead spots in your tank, and the power head to create a cross current with them, or to change the current everyone once in a while. im always changing around my PH.

[Basile]

Well i made my decision, and here's why. I'm gone for 45 days at a time(Good job, travelling alot) So if there is a leak or a bad seal when i'm gone i got 65G of problem and a furious neighbor downstairs, plus an insurrance policy that will be void, because i'm gone more than 6 days. So PH will have to do. I will have one in a rock that's sold, and the Vortex that will be hidden between the rockwok in the back near the coast to coast overflow. I"m building a rockface from the bottom to the rim orf the overflow, just like a mountain rockface. I figure most of my 70 t0 75 lb of LR will be needed to build this rockface wall to wall, with some in the middle like an island. I 'll be able to glue my corals at any level with that method.

 

What do think.

By the way read this article on water flow, thats what i'm gona do a gyre waterflow.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/1/aafeature#h4

[Shoot Me_I Explode]

That's a nice idea to try and hid the powerheads, but the back of the vortech needs to be touching the glass and preforms better when placed closer to the surface about 3-4" from the top of the water.

[FateX9]

vortech FTW!!!

cant reproduce what it does with any closed loop system

i have both on my system so i like a mixture but i still like vortechs just as much

[yeast]

Closed loop:

- No visible equipment (except locline from the back wall, bulkheads visible)

- Lots of holes drilled in your tank. Weakens the glass.

- The back/bottom of your tank will look like garbage with tubing going everywhere

- Much more wattage/flow

- Difficult to clean

 

Powerheads

- Powerheads in your tank

- Adjustable, can move them anywhere

- More flow/wattage

- Easy to clean

[RayWhisperer]

Closed loop:

- No visible equipment (except locline from the back wall, bulkheads visible)

- Lots of holes drilled in your tank. Weakens the glass.

- The back/bottom of your tank will look like garbage with tubing going everywhere

- Much more wattage/flow

- Difficult to clean

 

Powerheads

- Powerheads in your tank

- Adjustable, can move them anywhere

- More flow/wattage

- Easy to clean

I think you have those two reversed.

[Basile]

That's a nice idea to try and hid the powerheads, but the back of the vortech needs to be touching the glass and preforms better when placed closer to the surface about 3-4" from the top of the water.

 

 

From what i red about the vortex, 6" to 9 " under the water line is best, The flow is too strong if put near the surface and you dont benefit from it power. The vortex will be responsable for the mid to surface flow, the tunze hiden in its made rock will take care of the bottom flow. And the return flow will take care of the surface flow and provide aireation wave. And yes for the vortex, it will touch the glass, the rock will be glued around the magnet area, the desing was just showing the desired position.

[Basile]

I think you have those two reversed.

 

 

No from my observation if well hiden from view the powerhead are more effective, and as for cleaning , i cleaned the powerheads of a friends tank, just take it out brush it once in 6 month. Is loop, had to disconnect the line and have a long brush put back in water everywhere A MESS. and if you want to change desing of tank you can't they are not has flexible, and the wave maker are bulky on the top. Sorry.

[SPS20]

If by "powerheads" you mean Tunze controllable powerheads or Vortechs, then I would have to say the powerheads produce a much better result overall.

 

If you don't want to spend the extra money on really good controllable (DC) powerheads, then go with a closed loop.

[RayWhisperer]

No from my observation if well hiden from view the powerhead are more effective, and as for cleaning , i cleaned the powerheads of a friends tank, just take it out brush it once in 6 month. Is loop, had to disconnect the line and have a long brush put back in water everywhere A MESS. and if you want to change desing of tank you can't they are not has flexible, and the wave maker are bulky on the top. Sorry.

I think you misunderstood what I was saying. Look back at my original reply. I had made bold what I thought you had confused. The wattage vs flow portion......

 

 

A closed loop easily has far less wattage and more flow, than several powerheads.

[Basile]

I think you misunderstood what I was saying. Look back at my original reply. I had made bold what I thought you had confused. The wattage vs flow portion......

 

 

A closed loop easily has far less wattage and more flow, than several powerheads.

 

 

Ok got lol Yes i think your right.

[SPS20]

I think you misunderstood what I was saying. Look back at my original reply. I had made bold what I thought you had confused. The wattage vs flow portion......

 

 

A closed loop easily has far less wattage and more flow, than several powerheads.

 

It really depends on the powerhead. Prop-based powerheads are FAR more energy efficient.

 

The Vortech can push 3k GPH with 40W. Try doing that with a closed loop.

 

The reason prop-based powerheads are more efficient than any closed loop pushing similar volumes of water is the fact that a powerhead doesn't need to operate under pressure, it just has to generate movement.

[BKtomodachi]

Are vortechs what we are talking about here? When I think of a powerhead, I don't think of a vorthech at all.