Bonus Check will burn a whole in my Pocket!!

[skippyreef]

In February (end of the month) I will get a nice check

I am thinking about getting the "Pump of Doom" so to speak, A Red Dragon. After reviewing my plans for the tank, looking at the reef ceramics, and placement of the wave box and tunzes....... I will not need a pressure rated pump to run penductors and thus nhave no use or a 380 watt at 3.4 amps 24/7 and could instead use a energy miser built to last!

so with a 270 gallon tank with twin 1.5 inch drains would I go for the 6m3 or the 8m3? What do you guys think?

I am gravity feeding my H&S from a drain if that makes a difference in figuring out the size.

[OUinLA]

you don't need a pressure rated pump for the penductors? if you are trying to achieve "flow" with your return then go with the 8m3. If you are just using it as a way to get water back up to your tank (like I do) then go with the 6m3.

[skippyreef]

Thans Madison,

I meant that I have decided to nix teh penductor idea all together and use the Tunzes to create teh flow in the tank. With stream rocks, those reef ceramics (which are the bomb guys) wall plates to hide chords ect..... I have re thought things.

Once I got the reef ceramics in the tank I started to get a better idea of how things could work, what could be hidden, where to place corals, what fish would really fit (even though i wanted Anthias all along) in this environment. The RD pump is a logical choice when i remember all the ceramic shaft that I have replaced and pumps that wore out.

I like the idea of just using it to feed teh skimmer and move enough waterthrough the sump to turn it over maybe 5 times and hour. Less micro bubble hassle and noise.

[nyfireman3097]

I hear ya im doing the same but im goin w/ a 10 i have a mag 18 and its killin me w/ electric

[skippyreef]

The thing that really cememnted this for me was the craftmanship. I don't know if it's just because I am older (well 32 isn't crusty but you know) or have learned some things recently. Maybe it is this forum, maybe it is being able ot appreciate craftsmanship now, maybe it has to do with all the hands on work I have gotten doing this large basement project.......

I could use the Iwaki but is it the best thing long term? Am i gonna look at teh electric bill every month and want to regurgitate my lunch? I know me (maybe really well now) and I know that a noisey pump is not going to make me happy. Just like the 14-3 wire that I was told to run will drive me crazy. So crazy that I am ripping it out of teh wall and replacing it with 12-2 on 20 amp circuits to be safe.

I have come to this strange cross roads where if it isn't right I cannot settle for it. I cannot just settle for a noisey pump, high power consumption, bulky size, made with materials that can corrode (externally) when there is something that is slightly more expensive but many times better.

I think it is the basement thing....It's all the work we have done ot make this a reality, all the things we have re-done because it was not as right as it could have been, the time nad dedication that has gone into this has brought about some changes in the way I do things now

[gqjeff]

Good move going 12-2.. Thats what I wired all my circuites on for my fish tank also.. Another good trick is to piggy back to receptacles off 1 circuit and run the top one as a GFCI.. That way if it trips both of them will trip and you do not have to run extra lines.. I run my pumps though on a hardline without GFCI... I ran 6 20amp new circuits to the tank and I have 24 plug ins with the piggy back...

[skippyreef]

What does piggy back mean? I am not sure I guess the electrician will know though?

[gqjeff]

instead of running 1 receptical with 2 outlets run another underneath and wire it to the first one.. That way you get 4 plug ins per circuit instead of 2.. I figured out all my loads and I do not push over 8 amps on any circuit...

[skippyreef]

I call that stringing them together

I actually have it calcualted that this entire system will only pull around 8-9 amps. Using all low wattage items like hte Tunze, Red Dragon, Eheims, ect leaves only the 2-250 watt halides and teh 4-4ft VHO on the I/C660.

The Qurantine system will be set up with T5HO and I will utilize my Deltec MCE600 as the skimmer on it. That is also designated on a different circuit from the main tank.

I bought 20 amp plugs which I found to be costly compared to the 15amp (about 6 times more expensive) but wanted the heavy duty plugs.

The red Dragon will reduce the amps out considerably for me.

[Miguelito]

Man you have the nicest dry set-up on the planet. ;-) I don't know how you can be so patient!

Are you "curing" your reef ceramic?

[nbd13]

Sounds good Mike,

i would go with the 6m3. i dont think you "need" the extra flow and it will be nice to not have to deal with massive amounts of flow through the sump which leads to microbubbles......

Nick

[gqjeff]

Mike, sounds good and seems VERY well thought out....

[skippyreef]

I learned a lot just surfing here and talking to all of you. I have been in the hobby ofr 16 years but I have to say that the last two have been much more rewarding for me.

I know it is a nice dry set up and It is way hard sometimes on me but I need to stay focused on this.

The Red Dragon I have thought about for a while. I started looking at teh set up under teh stand and the size of the Iwaki combined with the amperage it takes to run it. Then once I got the lights turned on in the uility room this week I could really see. That is when I started scouring this forum and royale exclusive web site for information on the Red Dragon and why it is costly compared to other pumps.

After looking at all the information and thinking about the fact that I "Enjoy the Silence" of a tank I decided to go for it. I am selling the Iwaki now with the penductors on Ebay and after that is gone ordering the Red Dragon pump. It will free up space in teh stand, amps on the line, and will be quiet. from what I am reading about these pumps they are pretty much made one at a time. I dont think you can get that kind of quality from mass produced pumps. Since teh pump is a very imoprtant part of the system I feel good knowing mine was tested and re-tested by persons who are perfectionist.

[nbd13]

Mike- little of topic here, but what did you ever decide to do about the bottom of the tank? i know it will be BB, but last time i think you were talking faux sand bed, or was it a painted bottom?

Nick

[skippyreef]

Nick,

I am still in indecision mode on that one

My gut is telling me that if Iwant to do a BB system to just flip the tank over, paint the bottom black and be done with it. Becuase I am going to place a couple 6080 streams on the bottom in stream rocks to make sure I have good movement along teh bottom of teh tank I am leaning towards the second option now.

I have been reading that in the Zeo tanks if your without a sand bed you can use less product and the tank nutrient levels fall off faster.