"Barrel" Style Flow Pattern on CL

[Pprice01]

I've been surfing around as usual while designing the plumbing and flow for my next tank (hopefully this one will see water). I've seen this barrel-type of flow pattern on the OM website (seems to have been designed by Paul of OM and been used for awhile) - and it seems to make sense as a good option.

I'm leaning toward a 48x24x20 setup this time, and am debating CL vs. Power heads.

Have any of you used this setup? Thoughts on it? Anyone seen it done on a peninsula setup, of so, we're there any mods to the basics? Also, anyone run it without the OM 4-way - or heard of it done without one?

Thanks.

Paul

[Narazbad]

If you are gonna go with 48x24, might as well make the height 24 as well. That is the dimensions of a standard 4 foot 120 gallon tank..which is what I plan on going to sometime in the future. Might make design and availability a little easier.

[RickMartin]

Never heard of barrel style flow or OM. A little more details maybe

[Pprice01]

Sure, sorry about that.

OM was short for OceansMotion - the company that makes a device that randomized flow from a single source/pump into multiple outlets - aka an Oceans Motion 4-way.

I believe Troylee has one on his most recent cube and has it pictured in a plumbing thread.

The Barrel concept is such that flow from a CL and your returns are pushed through outlets in a pattern that creates a rolling, or barrel shaped, flow through the tank.

For example, the tank has two returns on the back of the tank, mid-way up the back wall, and they 90 to point straight down the back wall of the tank.

Then, the water is redirected from two CL returns on the bottom rear of the tank through 90's to flow forward toward the front wall of the tank.

The water then hits the other 2 CL returns which are positioned near the front wall of the tank - where it is redirected up and back (45*) toward a center or C2C overflow.

If you were to look at the tank from the left side (left when facing the front of the tank) the water would rotate in a counter-clockwise motion.

Essentially, since most of us stack our reef rock to slope down from the back to the front, this motion/flow would "roll" the water behind the back and then over the front of the reef.

Adding the OM 4-way would add an additional variable to the flow pattern for what I'm guessing could be considered a more turbulent flow.

If anyone out there has experience with this setup, please correct me where I left the track. :)

I'm really curious as to how this would work in the absence of the OM 4-way too.

Thanks all.

Paul

[RickMartin]

OK familiar with Ocean Motion although I have never owned one and the "barrel flow style" although by other names (can't remember any right now lol) and its been around longer than OM. The circular flow setup works well and is useful for getting more flow from fewer pumps. I even remember some discussion about you may get better flow going clockwise in the northern hemisphere, like toilet bowls that flow clockwise, the coreolis factor. Although I can't validate that.

[TheGreatAukSociety]

Sounds like the old idea called the Gyre. Basically you position the powerheads so they don't shoot at eachother but in a circular motion. So like in a tank with a powerhead on each side one is high and one is low and it makes a swirl.

[five O]

I have really good luck with the Barrell method. I've just always called it a whirlpool though. IMO it works the best if you have minimal rock in the tank. I additionally recommend that all the rock be some what centered in the tank so it does not interfer with the current.

[Pprice01]

Thanks everyone.

Keep the thoughts coming if you have them.

[hendersonshaun]

There was a guy on these boards a few years ago named jenkmatt that did exactly this, 120 gal rimless, OM 4 way, all the goodies, plumbing was a nightmare. If you can still search the archives he had a tank build in 2008. It worked well.

[fishman]

ssucks matt only had tank with bells and whistles set up for a few months nice build though

[Pprice01]

Thanks guys.

Do you think there would batrial negative affect to the benefits of this method if I eliminated the OM 4-way from the plumbing for simplicity?