We had "spoken" in the past on other forums about my plans for my new 200 GAL setup and closed loop, sump, etc.

I have since redesigned and would like your (or anyone elses for that matter) input about my new plans before I start drilling...

The tank will be mostly fish and softies (Leathers, polyps, etc.)  The specs are:

200 GAL (7x2x2) tank on the first floor
100 GAL Stock Trough Sump in the Basement
100 GAL Stock Trough Refugium also in the basement
100 GAL Stock Trough "settling tank" in the basement (For settling out the microbubbles before pumping back to the Main tank via an Iwaki MD70RLT).

I am also going to do a Closed Loop Manifold using a Sequence Hammerhead.

Couple of questions:

I am going to drill the back of the tank one evening this week and am planning on the following holes:

2 -  2" holes in the back top for the overflow to the sump
1 -  1" return hole for the Iwaki return from the sump
1 -  2" hole (approx. 8" down from the top) for the input/flood for the Hammerhead Closed loop and bring it's return over the top of the tank for the Manifold.

Here is a quick (ugly) pic of what I am thinking.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions, cautions, or ideas.

Thank you.

Tom (The Tool Man)

If you do the math my friend and are sticking to the usual (good) recommendations... then we are falling short here on total flow. With CLMs and tanks in general, we seek a (low) minimum of one effluent tee per ten gallons (300-400 gph min). You can imagine in fact that a single such effluent (as from a small/medium sized powerhead) in an ten gallon aquarium would not likely be able to provide all water flow needs for that tank. The limited volume and direction would invariably leave some dead spots. I say this in defense of the (gross) minimum rule of "one tee per ten galls" for CLMs.

So... on a 200 gall aquarium, with approx 20 working tees (have at least 24 and cap 4-6 as needed)... you will need to have around 7000 gph total flow to get into the ballpark of basic flow required for a reef tank. In fact... its a tad below the average of 40-60X turnover that many successful reef aquarists cite. You might even look to Paletta's "Ultimate Reef Aquariums" book to see their (older) average of 37X turnover cited.

Bottom line here.... you plan for one Sequence pump falls short to drive the full CLM for this tank. You need to scale back the CLM and add other water moving deives (like Tunze Streamers) or you need a second pump my friend to make the numbers.

.

Anthony Calfo