Vicki's Melding of Art & Science

[Techno-Vicki]

So the journey begins…..First, I want to begin by telling you the ‘plan’. I want a very unique design. Having a BA in art makes me want to design a tank that is a work of art. I want it to be a living sculpture. Having my masters in science education makes me want to make it a well designed fish and coral habitat, with the different species coexisting in close proximity. I have most of the corals I want in it now, but I will be doing some changing and adding of the fish and inverts.

Tank: A 180 gallon glass tank with Euro bracing, measuring 24 x 24 x 72.

Lighting: Ok, I am in the poor house now because I went big time and got the PFO Solaris 400 Watt 72” LED computer ran lighting system. I am totally in love with my lights. The computer has year round sun times; in other words, the days are longer and shorter according to the time of year. It has a lunar setting (and I love the lunar lights on the corals at night). It is on the 28 day cycle: no moon to full moon back to no moon. My corals all do well under the light. I have excellent growth, polyp extension, and the most amazing colors. Jack brought a friend (the guy I bought Mom’s 175 from, Mike) to show him my lights. He sat in awe, went home, opened his electric bill, called Jack and told him to order the light for him. They are the lights of the future, and yes, someday the price will come down. Here is a website with a review: Advanced Aquarist's Online Magazine - Product Review: A New Horizon in Lighting: PFO's Solaris LED System Well, enough of the sales pitch…but I do love the lights, thank you PFO for the design.

Flow: Ok, here is where things get tricky….Jack and I are ‘discussing’ this constantly. Now remember, as I stated above, I am in it for the science and the art. After researching what is the best flow for corals, I have decided to try to create a system that generates a gryo flow . I really liked this article (as well as it’s predecessors) and the design comes from this key point:

“In order to maximize the output of water flow equipment, aquarists should design water movement systems so that all the components work together to minimize resistance and move the entire water mass of the aquarium. The best way to combine the energy of moving water to produce maximum water motion for an aquarium is to encourage the formation of a circular course of water movement called a gyre. Like the wheel, a gyre takes advantage of feedback mechanisms which preserve momentum by minimizing resistance. An aquarium gyre somewhat resembles a conveyor belt of water movement and it is characterized by mostly laminar, unidirectional flow. By alternating the rotation of the gyre from one side to the other, it is possible to evenly distribute turbulence on all sides of corals and therefore increase photosynthesis and respiration.

With this in mind come Jack and my discussion. Again, art and science: gyro and sculpture. The difficulty is in the placement and design of the overflow boxes. The tank will be an island design; you will be able to observe it from 3 sides: the itty bitty kitchen eating area, the passage between the living room, and the mini dining room/kitchen; therefore, I want a major overflow on the unobserved side of the tank. I want it to help with the gyro design and move the water in a circular motion, with minimal obstruction and maximum artistry. Jack and I are struggling over the overflow design. I have come up with several versions, but the one I like best is the following diagram (excluding overflow 1). If I have overflow 1, it goes to the top of the tank and artistically is awkward from a side perspective. However, Jack seems to feel that overflow 2 is not enough. (see the pic below)


If you notice the design of overflow 2 creates an indent in the center. I will design a rock wall (hand sculptured using the garf formula for rocks, a clay pre-sculpture, and a fiberglass mold). The rocks will curve in order not to limit the flow of water, creating a circular motion.

I have purchased the Motions design 4 way, using the “1 & 3, 4 & 2” design (thanks Steve). Oceans Motions I will have it switch after 15 minutes in order to give the gyro maximum effect. In other words the water will circulate for 15 minutes in one direction, and then go in the other direction for 15 minutes. I have not completely decided where the location of the returns will be located yet, but I have decided that they will come from the top as well as the bottom, thus helping to eliminate ‘dead spots’ of flow.

P.S. Jack will constantly make me rethink the overflow design, again, and again , and again…(but, I’m done it is number 2 only…hee…hee..hee)

Pump: I have a purchased a Sequence Dart 3,600. We have this on Mom’s 175 and I really like the energy efficiency, the flow, and how quiet it is. I like the pump (thanks Steve).

Skimmer: I have the Aqua C EV180. I have the Aqua C 120 on my 125 and it works well.

Sump: We are not absolutely sure what we are doing with that yet. We want at least 60 gallons and are debating what we will do. TBD.

Stand: Now this gets fun!! As we were driving back from LA last week, I had an epiphany: we take out the dinning table (we never eat there), the cabinets on the back side of the tank, put in an identical stand facing opposite (but 18 inches – Jacks idea), a granite counter top, and bar stools to view the tank from the kitchen side. We both liked the idea and I am excited about the finished design.

And so the journey begins………………………………………..

[Dentoid]

Great idea Vicki! I have two Ecotech Vortech pumps in my 90. They are mounted on each side wall. At first I had them alternate, but now I have them both on at the same time. This creates two circular motions that meet in the middle. When the two laminar flows meet in the middle they go down, circle along the bottom and come back up the sides to meet the vortech. It's interesting because you can see the flow when food is added. My BSJF was right in the middle of the tank, I think because much of the food would circulate there. In fact when it's feeding time all of my fish will congregate in the middle before I put the food in the tank. I've always been a firm believer in circular water flow.

[bluespotjawfish]

That is going to be pretty cool. You BSJF will love his new home!

[lcstorc]

Wonderful start. I have a peninsula 125 with and overflow similar or at least in the same place as overflow 2 and it has worked great for us.

[sasquatch]

Ok so you want an island, why bother with the end overflow at all, increase the center O.F into an oval shape and direct the gyro with surface mounted eddy streams, in the actual island incorporate some upward flow with a closed loop to push detritus up and over? Steve

[AQTCJAK]

I am still thinking the overflow situation though I have to calculate can I get a tru 3600GPH out of the single larger OF or do I need to utilize the second one. I personally would prefer 1 OF

[Techno-Vicki]

Sasquatch, Jack and argued long and hard (aobut a month) on that subject. I don't want a total center design because it is toooo centered. It needs to be off center in order for me to design the aquascape the way I want. Believe me, this was a concession on both our parts. When he finally said ok, it was like FINALLY! Give me time to draw up the sketches. Also, I will be building a mini model so that I can shape the clay to work it until I find the design I want to achieve both flow for corals and shape for art. It will take time, but that is the fun of it......the adventure. Life is not the destination....it is the journey.

[Techno-Vicki]

Lynn, I am really looking forward to having a BSJF!

[dobejazz]

Very cool project I look forward to your progress. I saw a speaker earlier this year explaining a gyre type flow and it sounded really cool I actually adjusted my flow in the 95 to a more circular pattern after his presentation (I can't remember his name though )

[kathywithbirds]

Oh, this'll be cool. I'm sitting Mike in front of this thread too. He majored in art for a year, he should get a kick out of this!

Can you post some pics of where this is going?

[AdvanceAquatics]

This is very interesting and Im deffently excited by the ideal the lights seem killer i can wait to see a video, the flow ideal is reall on point IMO. I like to see how you set the aquascape up? is it 1 or 2 islands?

[boozeman]

some good ideas so far. Note that some corals and fish do enjoy 'caotic flow' created when opposing curents collide. If you want to get 'crazy' you can make cutouts into that end overflow to accomodate two pairs of tunzes and then pair them with the controller to created alternating flow. First two pulsing on top then... off...then two pulsing on the bottom. This should force the majority of the water into a circular pattern across the tank. as for the center overflow part... rigging a pair of wavyseas at the top powered by some high flow pumps would provide awesome chaotic frow at the end. that was what I had planed for my large penninsula tank that I was going to build. but that was for a 300+ gal tank and is a bit overkill on a 180. But...thats not to say that you couldnt do a similar thing with that OM4way.

[sasquatch]

I know, let a sleeping dog lie, but hey! come on this is fun!!!! we need imput

[AQTCJAK]

Well we have removed OF #1 so now it is just going to be @ the end of the tank

[Techno-Vicki]

Ok – here is what we have come up with so far:
• It will be a 224 instead of a 180. I decided that it was not going to give me enough room on the sides to get the flow.
• We will tear out the current ‘junky cabinet’ between the kitchen and the living room, take out the little kitchen table, and put a granite counter butted against the tank on the kitchen side with bar stools (we never eat in there anyway and now we will enjoy meals with the fishes and corals).
• We (ok Jack and dad) will build a room outside the tank to hold the sump, skimmer, UV sterilizer, the media reactor, the DIY evaporative chiller (Big Red Dog’s design – thanks Steve), DIY auto water change system (Jack’s design – thank you honey), RO/DI system, and main pump.
• We will have a 3,600 dart for the main pump circulating the water between the sump and the main tank.
• We will have a Sequence ReeFlo Tarpon UNO Pump, 1440 GPH on a closed loop.
• Both the closed loop and the main circulation system will have the 4-Way on it. We are currently talking with Paul at Ocean’s Motions about the 15 minute delay timing on it. They are currently working on this timing sequence.
• I have not completely decided on where the returns will be. I will get that figured out as I work up the scale model out of clay and decide where the corals will go in terms of flow and light.

Now, Sasquatch, thank you for continuing to bug both Jack and I about this. I am sure he will get my board tomorrow…..right Honey?