Increasing Flow for 3,000 gal mixed reef?

[MrMarth]

Hey everyone,
I take care of a 3,000 gallon mixed reef that needs some increased flow. Dimensions are something like 15' long x 5' wide x 4' deep.

Current flow is a 2HP pump for closed loop (poorly plumbed and set in concrete, cannot be modified) valved back 60%. In the tank are (4) hydrowizard ECM 63.

Any suggestions on supplementing the hydrowizards? All plumbing must be concealed from the viewing pane, which leaves around 1' x 1' footprint to play with on each side.

Thanks for the help!

[Dmorty217]

I would talk to someone in sales at Maxspect probably. They have a 200 size Gyre they had at MACNA last year that was a working prototype that would fit what you are looking for. I will warn you I tried to email back and forth with them after speaking with them and got nowhere as far as getting one goes but that was about 6 months ago. Or maybe look into a large surge tank or two

[e55driver]

Check out this.

http://www.tunze.com/US/en/catalogue/katalog-ii.html?user_tunzeprod_pi1%5Bpredid%5D=-infoxunter019

[tom obrecht]

I'd try and contact Joe Yaiullo at Atlantis Reef Aquarium. His 20000 reef has been up and running for many years and is simply incredible. If anyone can give you quality first hand info on large reef tanks it's Joe.

[MrMarth]

I would talk to someone in sales at Maxspect probably. They have a 200 size Gyre they had at MACNA last year that was a working prototype that would fit what you are looking for. I will warn you I tried to email back and forth with them after speaking with them and got nowhere as far as getting one goes but that was about 6 months ago. Or maybe look into a large surge tank or two


I actually talked to them about it there, haha. It won't hurt to try following up.

[MrMarth]

Check out this.



http://www.tunze.com/US/en/catalogue/katalog-ii.html?user_tunzeprod_pi1%5Bpredid%5D=-infoxunter019


Those are one of the options I was considering. They put out some serious flow based on their specs.

[Shark.Bait]

I've heard good things about the hydrowizard. Joe uses one too

[Dmorty217]

I actually talked to them about it there, haha. It won't hurt to try following up.

So did I but they weren't helpful after the fact. Don't think that has gotten out of the prototype stage. Masterstreams are a option but I personally think the Tunze quality has gone down. Hydro wizards are another option but with the few on here that actually run them they have had their problems with them. pmrogers has one in his 1700g and had to send it in to be worked on after only a short time of running. Just put a 50hp boat motor on the tank and call it a day!

[dave.m]

I had high hopes for the Hydro Wizards until I found out how unbearably loud and noisy they are. Disappointed.

Have you tried contacting any of the other public aquaria to see what they're using? I'm thinking of people like Charles Delbeek, originally with the Toronto MAST group, now working at the Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco. As I understand it, a lot of the public aquaria maintainers in the US are in contact with each other and can probably give you examples and suggestions. There are also public aquaria in Canada like the Vancouver Aquarium.

The other path is to go directly to the larger aquarium pump manufacturers to see what they recommend. You should be able to get full specs on all their models to determine what would be most suitable for your situation.

Dave.M

[rbarn]

I'd try and contact Joe Yaiullo at Atlantis Reef Aquarium. His 20000 reef has been up and running for many years and is simply incredible. If anyone can give you quality first hand info on large reef tanks it's Joe.

There is a detailed vid where he explains the tank's flow. It uses a surge system and sea swirls with eductor nozzles, hydrowizard, and closed loop returns

Flow dynamics start about 9mins in....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pxTBHtnl-s

[bigrock]

I had high hopes for the Hydro Wizards until I found out how unbearably loud and noisy they are. Disappointed.

Dave.M

I am looking into the hydro wizard for a large build coming up so I am curious about the statement you made above. Which model have you worked with and could you compare it to any other power heads with regards to the noise?
I haven't read to many reviews of the ecm63 but the few I have rave about it.
Thanks

[dave.m]

Which model have you worked with and could you compare it to any other power heads with regards to the noise?
I haven't used them myself. I am going by comments by others plus some Youtube videos. There is no question of their power, but if I wanted to use one in the quiet of the home then they would have to be dead quiet, too.

Dave.M

[pmrogers]

I wonder if you just need an oscillating output or two in the mix to help randomize the flow you already have in tank. Our 13.5 x 4 x 4.75 system has a crazy amount of current with only 2 ECM-63s and a single Abyzz 420 closed loop for in-tank flow. You don't mention return pump specs, but I would assume you are pushing at least 80gpm. The return pump on our system is a 3hp dialed back to 100gpm outputting through two 1.5" sea swirls.


. . . Hydro wizards are another option but with the few on here that actually run them they have had their problems with them. pmrogers has one in his 1700g and had to send it in to be worked on after only a short time of running.

Quick clarification here regarding my ECM-63 since Dmorty217 missed the followup post in my thread. It turned out that I did not need to send in the pump and was able to resolve the lockup by running in vinegar as recommended by the manufacturer. Also, the issue that caused the initial lock up was an extreme alk overdose that locked up 3 Abyzz and 5 Tunzes; every pump in the system except a 3hp Pentair.

Regarding noise, the ECM-63 is audible outside our tank at a level roughly equal to a cell phone on vibrate. I don't think it is any noisier than the equivalent flow from Tunze Streams. Our system initially alternated one ECM-63 against a tower of 5 Tunze streams. The combined streams, delivering about 20% more flow, were louder than the one ECM-63.

[bigrock]

Thanks Paul for the follow up on your experiences with the ecm62. I have taken many great ideas from your build and these power heads are one of them. I think you have me sold on them for a 1500 gal build I'll be doing shortly.

[d-man]

Abyzz put out serious flow. Saw one in action. $$$$$$ though