Energy Efficient Tanks

[tomgl]

I have been reading up on pumps and energy use. I'm old school and always flipped the tanks through the refugium 15 to 20 times and hour Now I am reading that you can get away with 4 to 6 times an hour and save on the energy used to pump the open loop. Then use energy efficient power heads to move the water in the tank. For those of you who use a refugum and not a sump how many times are you flipping the tank an hour? I think I am going to flip an 80 gallon tank through a 30 gallon refugium 6 time an hour. Any thoughts?

[TheGreatAukSociety]

I'm still doing 20 times per hour or so.

[tomgl]

I just reread the article in Coral Magazine and the author states that the tank only need to turn over 100 times a day through the filtration as long as there is pumps in the tanks for movement. I'm not afraid of change so I may try this.

[tbone74]

My return moves about 1000 gph on my 240. I do circulate about 4000 gph with powerheads

[tomgl]

That would put you inline with the article. What are your experiences and suggestions on the lower flow filtration? I found a pump the will flip it 6 times and I'm going to tie in the calcium and GFM reactors in the return side.

[tbone74]

I havent really had any problems. I have lost some corals in the past but I think thats from nuterient issues and not flow. I get cyno probably once a year but not that bad and it clears up in about 2 or 3 days.

[Justintaylor62]

Tom if you can pick up a book called "Ultimate Marine Aquariums." Its got a ton of tanks in it that run systems like that(low filter turnover). There's one tank in there that has no filter or refugium at all, just powerheads for movement, and to ensure there is no deadspace.

[Troylee]

i run 3000 threw my sump lol..... i have a 200gal display with and about 6000 in the display.... for a total of 9000gph running at 90 watts combined.... i used the most energy efficiant pumps i could get....;) atb airstar return runs at 65 watts and pushed 2900 gph... no fuge "never had luck" the rest are modded ph's....:) now my lights are the worst ever i run mh's on hqi m80 magnetic ballast...."power hogs"

[Adam]

Here is a tank I had that used about 150 watts total. 180 gallon display, 100 sump, 20 gallon macro algae tank, and 50 gallon DSB/mangrove tank

http://i612.photobucket.com/albums/tt201/triterium/2005-03-04_151719_12reef1.jpg

[fishman]

I read the same article as Tom did. I was thinking about cutting my hammerhead down from max at 5500 gal per hour to a Baracuda which is I think 4000 gal per hour. I got the part to do it from reef flo with the 5500 thats about 10 times and with the 8 times with the less powerful pump I think it save 100watts per hour. I was wondering if I needed all that flow, esp since I have 13000 gph with my powerheads on full blast. I was thinking of maybe adding 4 more evolutions behind the rocks at 1400 gph 8w each or somthing. But everything is running and I have to put the effort in to changing the part in the hammerhead.

nice tank with low watts used

[tbone74]

Funny how this thread pops up again today! I installed a KILL O WATT Meter this morning and it read 1180 watts with everything running but the heater... Thats another 500 or so....Ouch!

[tbone74]

Here is a tank I had that used about 150 watts total. 180 gallon display, 100 sump, 20 gallon macro algae tank, and 50 gallon DSB/mangrove tank

http://i612.photobucket.com/albums/tt201/triterium/2005-03-04_151719_12reef1.jpg

I don't see any lights.... I assume from all those windows it's naturally lit, Very Nice, I wish I could do something like that. Was that tank in Henderson?? I ask because I don't think I have ever seen a "sun room" here in the desert :cool:

[lvsuckerfish]

being I live in the go green state now. I have been in constant battles with folks about whats right and what you can do. I believe there is no way to say you can or cannot run that lower cycle. there are people here running 4 to 5 times through the sump. they say it gives better macro growth. I tell them lower the nutrients then you do not have to worry about better growth. but lately alot of folks here in the NW have been changinf all the pumps to low energy pumps powerheads and also lights (LEDS) to make a better cost effective setup. can it be done I think so I am not sure i will change over as my flow is good in my display and also in my sump. I look at it like this 5x 20x the water is in an enclosed system there is nowhere for it to go. ig it constitues buying all new pumps and equipment and it is going to last as long to see the actual savings then go for it. but for me a quality pump will still be a few hundred depending on tank size and korlias evo for controlled flow 30-60 a piece or tunzes or vortec pumps Leds is where you will see the biggest cost. then the skimmer most out on the market are low watt pumps and most use the sicce pumps now. but for some that will be hard on the bigger systems. I do think it will work but i look at the actual cost savings for a new setup i would say yeah go for it but to replace the pump before the life is ended on it I would wait until it is time to replace.

[Adam]

The tank is in a greenhouse. There were no lights, just sun. The tank was in Salt Lake City, but I'm planning a similar setup for Henderson.