Brand New 8 gallon bio cube

[sfin52]

Does it help with lightning. I guess my back glass has so much crud you can't see the wires any more

 

[Fin]

Black background for me. I used it in my 140 and it made the black overflows and equipment less noticeable. I even had black plumbing inside of the tank for my closed-loop system and you had to really look to see it. I did use blue in my nano. It looks cool, but doesn't hide anything. I even painted all of the bulkheads and overflow the same color, but still pretty noticeable.

 

[sfin52]

Black background for me. I used it in my 140 and it made the black overflows and equipment less noticeable. I even had black plumbing inside of the tank for my closed-loop system and you had to really look to see it. I did use blue in my nano. It looks cool, but doesn't hide anything. I even painted all of the bulkheads and overflow the same color, but still pretty noticeable.

What's a closed loop system

 

[Fin]

My goofy pirate chest tank for those that have never seen it - Pirate's Reef. It actually has water & rock in it and a few frags. No fish yet.

 

[TheShrimpNibbler]

What's a closed loop system

It’s where you close off part of your tank from the rest with panels. There is a pump inside used for flow in the tank. It reduces some of the risks associated with power heads, such as chopping stuff like anemones up.

 

[Fin]

What's a closed loop system

Method of water movement inside the tank. There is a drain drilled into the tank that is hooked directly to an external pump intake. The outlets can be anywhere in the tank, even in the bottom glass. If power is lost, all of the water stays inside the loop (plumbing and pump). Kinda old school nowadays, but was very popular at one point.

This is a picture of the closed loop in my 140, before I added water.

 

[sfin52]

So what's the difference from an aio and closed loop

 

[TheShrimpNibbler]

I’m sure that none of you all care, but I’m a little disappointed in aqua forest right now, and I have nowhere else to talk about it. They had a reef related meme making contest, and I was one of the winners. The prize was a calendar. So I gave them my shipping info upon there request. This was over 3 weeks ago, and I’ve not heard anything since. The calendar hasn’t come. I messaged them on Friday to ask about when it would be shipped, but they haven’t responded yet.

 

[sfin52]

I’m sure that none of you all care, but I’m a little disappointed in aqua forest right now, and I have nowhere else to talk about it. They had a reef related meme making contest, and I was one of the winners. The prize was a calendar. So I gave them my shipping info upon there request. This was over 3 weeks ago, and I’ve not heard anything since. The calendar hasn’t come. I messaged them on Friday to ask about when it would be shipped, but they haven’t responded yet.

I had this happen with a r2r contest. It all ended up working out. They even sent me bonus hats and stuff.

 

[TheShrimpNibbler]

I had this happen with a r2r contest. It all ended up working out. They even sent me bonus hats and stuff.

I hope it works. It might have been sent to the wrong house, considering that you would probably want the calender sent for the start of the year. Sorry for bothering you with this.

 

[JoshH]

So what's the difference from an aio and closed loop

AIOs are for filtration (Rear sump), closed loops are for flow in your tank. You don't have to have an internal box for a closed loop, just drill a bunch of holes lol! However if you have an AIO it's MUCH easier and safer to add a closed loop as everything, pump included can be installed in the AIO section. This is what I did on my RSM C130, it was a pretty basic closed loop, 1 pump and one outlet. My new tank will have two pumps and 4 outlets drilled through the bottom of my tank.

Basically you can hide the outlets in your rockwork much easier than you can regular powerheads hanging off the glass while still providing excellent varied flow throughout your tank.

I'll add that if anyone is ever planning on setting up an AIO, especially if they have decent room in the back section like the Nuvo 30Ls and such. These tanks are PERFECT for a closed loop setup and I'd really encourage one to set one up like that.

 

[Fin]

So what's the difference from an aio and closed loop

No comparison, really. An AIO has all of the filtration housed in a separate compartment at the rear of the tank. An overflow, filter section and return pump. No filtration involved with a closed-loop. Strictly for water movement and the outlets can be anywhere in the tank, not just on the back wall. MIne had four returns hooked up to an OceansMotions 4 Way valve. The pump was a ReeFlo Dart.. The valve opened two returns at once and continually alternated those outlets.

 

[sfin52]

I understand now. Thanks. It's good seeing you back @JoshH.

 

[anon9896]

Does it help with lightning. I guess my back glass has so much crud you can't see the wires any more

It does on different degrees.
Some people put some aluminum foil but if you put black it absorbs light (the reason I picked blue).
The blue you see from my tank is like 5 times darker than it is true color.
I think perhaps its becose of the glass itself wich is polaryzed (they do it a lot for tempered glass).
One other thing I did think about is that when you dive around a nice reef , what you see far away is blue , not black so that was another point for blue.
It will get covered at some point but its hard to make it 100%.

 

[TheShrimpNibbler]

I understand now. Thanks. It's good seeing you back @JoshH.

WOW! I was starting to think he was just made up like the 8 gallon biocube! There’s obviously not really a biocube

 

[anon9896]

No comparison, really. An AIO has all of the filtration housed in a separate compartment at the rear of the tank. An overflow, filter section and return pump. No filtration involved with a closed-loop. Strictly for water movement and the outlets can be anywhere in the tank, not just on the back wall. MIne had four returns hooked up to an OceansMotions 4 Way valve. The pump was a ReeFlo Dart.. The valve opened two returns at once and continually alternated those outlets.

I'm thinking to create a closed loop system for wave making with a piston like the wave pools ... my project is a little weird though.. I want to recreate a linear fraction of a reef from the abyss to the reef then to the section where there is sand. Its a little hard to explain but i'm pretty sure it will be amazing. I want it to even have crashing waves and a beach

 

[Fin]

Sounds interesting. I am no stranger to weird projects.

 

[JoshH]

I understand now. Thanks. It's good seeing you back @JoshH.

Just popping in to make you all jealous, the Canadian way....

 

[Katrina71]

I’m sure that none of you all care, but I’m a little disappointed in aqua forest right now, and I have nowhere else to talk about it. They had a reef related meme making contest, and I was one of the winners. The prize was a calendar. So I gave them my shipping info upon there request. This was over 3 weeks ago, and I’ve not heard anything since. The calendar hasn’t come. I messaged them on Friday to ask about when it would be shipped, but they haven’t responded yet.

Me too. Ha ha!

 

[Why-Me]

Just popping in to make you all jealous, the Canadian way....

You have to show ID for that bottle of goodness? ;Smuggrin