Flow options for a large system

leslie hempel

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Guys what are your go to flow options for a large system?

I'm wanting powerful concealed flow but I dont want to see it (yes I know it's a tall order)

Just keen to brush up and see what new developments there are!
 
My tank is 3.2m wide. I got 3 * MP40 at each endpoint. Yet over time I found that they do not provide enough flow, especially in the middle part of the tank. had 2 BIG Voyager 16000L/h in the middle but they packed up due to old age beginning of the year. Thought that all those MP40 would be enough, but during the year I got algae growth on the rocks. And it is due to settlement on the rocks. Had to take out parts of the system and scrubbed the rocks down plus rinsed them out a lot.

The tank is very close to the wall. 1cm gap between the back of the tank and wall. With a piece of ABS sheeting covering that gap. NOTHING, as in no livestock has gone over the back of the tank. They simply cannot, not even snails. The downside is that I cannot get any pumps on the back pane that got big magnets.

Got myself the best bang for buck pumps that's available, SunSun 10000 L/h with magnet mounds JVP133. Their magnets are luckily thin enough to slide down the back using braai tongs. They are big, bulky and BLUE! But for under R500 per pump, they got the best Rand to flow ratio of any pumps out there. And I can already see the difference after just over a month. Plus they are not that blue anymore.
 
My tank is 3.2m wide. I got 3 * MP40 at each endpoint. Yet over time I found that they do not provide enough flow, especially in the middle part of the tank. had 2 BIG Voyager 16000L/h in the middle but they packed up due to old age beginning of the year. Thought that all those MP40 would be enough, but during the year I got algae growth on the rocks. And it is due to settlement on the rocks. Had to take out parts of the system and scrubbed the rocks down plus rinsed them out a lot.

The tank is very close to the wall. 1cm gap between the back of the tank and wall. With a piece of ABS sheeting covering that gap. NOTHING, as in no livestock has gone over the back of the tank. They simply cannot, not even snails. The downside is that I cannot get any pumps on the back pane that got big magnets.

Got myself the best bang for buck pumps that's available, SunSun 10000 L/h with magnet mounds JVP133. Their magnets are luckily thin enough to slide down the back using braai tongs. They are big, bulky and BLUE! But for under R500 per pump, they got the best Rand to flow ratio of any pumps out there. And I can already see the difference after just over a month. Plus they are not that blue anymore.


Thanks @RiaanP im not wanting to see any pumps in the system, ive been looking at the tunzes and Panta Rhei pumps but they are in ther region of R30 - R55k a pop and i need 3

So ive actually found a nice pump through m search for brand imports which is actually manufactured for a very well known brand overseas! gotta love the east!

Ive ordered 1 of each size as samples so in the next 2 weeks i sould have them in front of me. to decide. one is 30000lph for 70w which is not bad and still way cheaper than a Tunze, i will conceal them in side boxes simply because i want a sleeker look. but you know how it goes, plans change from day to day!
 
Carlson surge device might be one option.

ive always wanted the entire side of either side of the tank to be a flow wall, but the pressure required is insane and would bugger pumps up propperly, i also wouldent get great brisk flow as it would be very dispersed.

so have had to look at other alternitives
 
I saw a tank earlier this year that was over 4m long and about 1m high. It didn’t have any pumps at all inside. Adriaan from Idol said that he had used pool pumps to create the flow. The pumps sat underneath the tank in the area where the sump usually sits (sump was in the garage). The flow inside the tank seemed perfect I was amazed. Maybe reach out to him to ask how he did it. He did say the power consumption on those pumps running continuously was ridiculously high.
 
He did say the power consumption on those pumps running continuously was ridiculously high.
That I can believe.

Closed loops are the best as far as looks go. No pumps inside the display. But they are all heavy on power. Pool pumps would be around 750w each. Unless he went bigger.

i will conceal them in side boxes simply because i want a sleeker look
I though about that at some stage. The problem was the inlet into the side boxes should be so that it does not suck small fish in, or a wandering anemone.
On that tank Hannesco had, with the wave box, he did use Tunze. Basically the box was large enough to hold enough water for the push when pump kicks in, portion of a second later pump stops and water flow through the pump into the box filling it again.
 
I saw a tank earlier this year that was over 4m long and about 1m high. It didn’t have any pumps at all inside. Adriaan from Idol said that he had used pool pumps to create the flow. The pumps sat underneath the tank in the area where the sump usually sits (sump was in the garage). The flow inside the tank seemed perfect I was amazed. Maybe reach out to him to ask how he did it. He did say the power consumption on those pumps running continuously was ridiculously high.

thanks for the input, i do have 2 x reeflow pumps i bought for a project but i was planning to build them into a DIY skimmer to purify water i collect, might be an option to use them they are 16000lph ea and low wattage! would have just liked something more controllable though.
 
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