Upgrade to 120Gs: Quiet is Key

Discussion in 'Show Off Your Fish Tanks!' started by magnetar68, Jan 27, 2011.

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  1. ReefBruh

    ReefBruh Giant Squid

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    Your setup is well planned. But IMO, I would do the MP40's because I have heard the MP60's operate and you will hear them operate especially in pulse mode. Maybe 2 MP20's on opposite sides one high and one low or one MP40 and MP20 on opposite sides.
     
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  3. magnetar68

    magnetar68 Astrea Snail

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    Hmmm, I will need to read your post. I understand the submerged elbow facing up instead of the fully submerged drain in the herbie design. Its the "open channel" drain that looks like it is a siphon in the BeanAnimal design (i.e., it does lift water). Regardless, the key for me is that the flow is laminar down the walls of the durso drain.

    The egg crate is vertical, not horizontal, so it works exactly like typical teeth, but is just above the water line. Fish cannot fall onto it. My plan is to tune the drains with a gate value on the drain and a gate value on the return. If it is tuned right, then only a small thin sheet of water goes over the beveled lip of the overflow into the external overflow compartment. The bottom of the egg crate is above this by say 1/4".

    Maybe this closeup helps? (click on it to see it bigger).

    [​IMG]
     
  4. magnetar68

    magnetar68 Astrea Snail

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    Well, on challenge is that the acrylic is 1" thick. I had head only the MP60 worked through that spacing?
     
  5. magnetar68

    magnetar68 Astrea Snail

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    Idea to Hide the external overflow

    I was thinking about using a divider, maybe black acrylic, to hide the pipes in the back. Not sure this will work though:

    (BTW, this is the stand I am thinking about too)

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  6. ReefBruh

    ReefBruh Giant Squid

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    Well if you are going with that thickness of acrylic then yes the MP60 is the one for you. The benefit is that you don't have to run it full blast and thus that should quiet the sound.
     
  7. magnetar68

    magnetar68 Astrea Snail

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    Another shot of the tank with the side blinders:

    [​IMG]
     
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  9. Powerman

    Powerman Giant Squid

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    I see what you mean on the egg crate.

    A MP60 would be plenty of flow in a 120g. If it were me, and I realize it's just opinion.... the fact that you have to use 1" acrylic would be the deal breaker for me. You would have much better flow and plenty of other options running two MP40s in a 120g. I also know you will be using your RK.... it would be nice if they hurried up with a wireless controller like Apex.... the control you have using a controller on two vortech is awesome.
     
  10. magnetar68

    magnetar68 Astrea Snail

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    I am worried about this myself. I called Vortech and they said with the various modes on the MP line that one MP60 will create plenty of random flow in a 120G, but what else are they going to say? If worse came to worse, I would need two MP60s dialed way down, but this is about $450 more than two MP40s. The price one pays for a designer tank!
     
  11. Powerman

    Powerman Giant Squid

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    Exactly. It's a good thing they put out the 60 but not if you don't need it. I had 2 40s on my 90 and I had them dialed back. But it is what it needed. 2 60 s would be serious over kill. The 40 would reach across a 48" tank, but yours will be a little wider. Plus two is better if one should go down. Keeping a spare wet side is a good plan.

    Have you ever talked to DA? Are they ever going to put out a wireless board for Vortechs. Vortech released the radio board to Neptune and DA. I had it on my Apex with my two 40s and it was awesome. true one touch feed, unlimited mode profiles to run it as far as your imagination could go. If DA isn't going to do one that would be enough for me to switch to Apex.
     
  12. magnetar68

    magnetar68 Astrea Snail

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    I am still undecided about DA. The hardware did not work out of the box, and my pH probe simply did not work; I returned it for a pinpoint pH monitor. Also, I bought the controller specifically for their salinity probe, but that probe as been a complete quagmire. It looks like they may have that sorted out, however, we'll see. I asked about a wireless NET controller, and they said it's easier and cheaper for customer to buy an add-on wireless gaming controller. I don't know about whether they will support the wireless Vortechs. I did see something on their forum about they won't support for a lot of customization around supporting controllers for LED lighting systems, although they do have some basic support. I get the sense they are understaffed. Their support has been great, albeit a bit slow to respond sometimes. And they certainly know how to style, market, and promote their products. I don't know the ecomomics of the aquarium contoller market, but I can't see it being a very big market, so I usually cut these guys some slack.