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Circulaton for a 180 G Reef ready
- Thread starter esmithiii
- Start date
The plot thickens:
I just talked to oceanic. To get the split brace, it is 50% more than the regular price. They say there will definitely be a heat issue with the center brace and MH lighting. The other option is a 215 gal "brick style" which has no center brace, it is the same footprint but 27" tall (instead of 24") and is made of 3/4" glass (hence the no center brace). Strangely enough, the 215 is the same price as the 180 w/ split bracing. The 3.75" perimeter bracing 180G tank is twice the cost of the standard 180G and I don't think you can put sea swirls on the perimiter bracing model.
I am totally lost as what to do here! Any ideas? Anyone w/ the standard 180G design and MH lighting?
Ernie
I just talked to oceanic. To get the split brace, it is 50% more than the regular price. They say there will definitely be a heat issue with the center brace and MH lighting. The other option is a 215 gal "brick style" which has no center brace, it is the same footprint but 27" tall (instead of 24") and is made of 3/4" glass (hence the no center brace). Strangely enough, the 215 is the same price as the 180 w/ split bracing. The 3.75" perimeter bracing 180G tank is twice the cost of the standard 180G and I don't think you can put sea swirls on the perimiter bracing model.
I am totally lost as what to do here! Any ideas? Anyone w/ the standard 180G design and MH lighting?
Ernie
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by esmithiii:
<STRONG>The plot thickens:
I just talked to oceanic. To get the split brace, it is 50% more than the regular price. They say there will definitely be a heat issue with the center brace and MH lighting. The other option is a 215 gal "brick style" which has no center brace, it is the same footprint but 27" tall (instead of 24") and is made of 3/4" glass (hence the no center brace). Strangely enough, the 215 is the same price as the 180 w/ split bracing. The 3.75" perimeter bracing 180G tank is twice the cost of the standard 180G and I don't think you can put sea swirls on the perimiter bracing model.
I am totally lost as what to do here! Any ideas? Anyone w/ the standard 180G design and MH lighting?
Ernie</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I have 3 175W MH on my Oceanic 180. No problems with the center brace. Pretty cool to the touch even. I do have the MH lights mounted up in the top of a 12" custom-built canopy.
I think Oceanic is just covering their *ss when they tell you MH lighting will cause issues with the center brace. As cool as my center brace stays, I'd even be surprised if 400W MHs caused a problem.
IMO, you should be fine if you mount the MH up a little and don't put them right on the glass. Use some fans to keep things cool in the canopy.
As many Oceanic tanks as there are out there, and as much as they want to charge for split braces, I don't think they'd do very good business if there was a problem with the center brace and MH lighting. If the center brace was a problem with MH lighting, I'd think my tank would've come with some warning labels or something. And IMO if there was a problem, they'd be redesigning the tank to make 'em all with split braces because there are too many reefers out there using MH lighting.
Just my $0.02. I think what they told you about the center brace is pure hogwash.
<STRONG>The plot thickens:
I just talked to oceanic. To get the split brace, it is 50% more than the regular price. They say there will definitely be a heat issue with the center brace and MH lighting. The other option is a 215 gal "brick style" which has no center brace, it is the same footprint but 27" tall (instead of 24") and is made of 3/4" glass (hence the no center brace). Strangely enough, the 215 is the same price as the 180 w/ split bracing. The 3.75" perimeter bracing 180G tank is twice the cost of the standard 180G and I don't think you can put sea swirls on the perimiter bracing model.
I am totally lost as what to do here! Any ideas? Anyone w/ the standard 180G design and MH lighting?
Ernie</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I have 3 175W MH on my Oceanic 180. No problems with the center brace. Pretty cool to the touch even. I do have the MH lights mounted up in the top of a 12" custom-built canopy.
I think Oceanic is just covering their *ss when they tell you MH lighting will cause issues with the center brace. As cool as my center brace stays, I'd even be surprised if 400W MHs caused a problem.
IMO, you should be fine if you mount the MH up a little and don't put them right on the glass. Use some fans to keep things cool in the canopy.
As many Oceanic tanks as there are out there, and as much as they want to charge for split braces, I don't think they'd do very good business if there was a problem with the center brace and MH lighting. If the center brace was a problem with MH lighting, I'd think my tank would've come with some warning labels or something. And IMO if there was a problem, they'd be redesigning the tank to make 'em all with split braces because there are too many reefers out there using MH lighting.
Just my $0.02. I think what they told you about the center brace is pure hogwash.
I've got the AGA 180with 3 X250HQI MH, but I use an Aquaspacelight that is suspended 8" above the water surface and an open top with a 12" fan that comes on at the same time. The 2 braces are cool to the touch. With the spacing of the lamps and the spacing of the braces, it works out that no bulb is directly over a brace.
Mitch
Mitch
e,
i have an oceaninc reef ready, but would prefer an AGA because of the center brace..plastic unimold and very small..the oceanic large center brace is probably overkill and decreases light into the tank and also makes positioning rocks/corals/powerheads(if you want them) a tad more difficult
you can also still fit a durso mod into the AGA smallr overflow
if you have 2-3" behind the tank, you can also run the return to the sea-swirls behind the tank w/flex hose and use the returns in the overflow boxes for closed loop circulation by drilling a hole into the acrylic overflow, putting a bulkhead on it and running it down to an external pump
i recommended 2 pumps in case one fails, and i still rec the sea-swirls
worm...again
i have an oceaninc reef ready, but would prefer an AGA because of the center brace..plastic unimold and very small..the oceanic large center brace is probably overkill and decreases light into the tank and also makes positioning rocks/corals/powerheads(if you want them) a tad more difficult
you can also still fit a durso mod into the AGA smallr overflow
if you have 2-3" behind the tank, you can also run the return to the sea-swirls behind the tank w/flex hose and use the returns in the overflow boxes for closed loop circulation by drilling a hole into the acrylic overflow, putting a bulkhead on it and running it down to an external pump
i recommended 2 pumps in case one fails, and i still rec the sea-swirls
worm...again
Mitch-
Couple of questions on your AGA 180 RR:
1. What is the position of the two holes in the overflow? (One is the overflow to the sump, and the second is for the return line)
2. What is the flow rate of the two overflows? Did you modify the overflows?
Thanks in advance,
E
Couple of questions on your AGA 180 RR:
1. What is the position of the two holes in the overflow? (One is the overflow to the sump, and the second is for the return line)
2. What is the flow rate of the two overflows? Did you modify the overflows?
Thanks in advance,
E
Sorry, my AGA 180 is a FW that I converted to SW, so I have no built-ins. I use a CPR hang on overflow. (which BTW is the single cause for many floods) In the spring I'm going to be drilling it out for built in overflows Not sure how yet. I'm watching all these threads for info.
Mitch
Mitch
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