Closed Loop Folks...High Big is The Intake?

[Modo]

I'm planning on running a Closed Loop on my new tank I'm working up. I was wondering how large is your intake bulkhead? Do you wish it was larger do to suction, etc?

I figure the larger the better do to the force of suction. I would hate to look back there and have about a dozen snails and a couple of fish stuck to the strainer!

Where do you guys think the best placement would be to drill the bulkhead for the intake? I was thinking midway down and to one side to hide behind the LR. Where are yours?

Thanks,
Kurt

 

[Len]

Yup, you've hit it on the nail. The larger the intake, the better. Depending on your pump, the diameter will vary, but the larger the better. Midway down is a safe bet as well. The first small closed loop I did had the intake 3/4 way up, and that was a big mistake .

 

[Modo]

Why was it a mistake? Could you see it... was it in the way...sucking in fish like Anna Nicole at a Sushi Bar?

 

[damonbrodie]

I have two closed loops on my 65G. One is midway down on the back of the tank and the other is 3/4 the way down on one end of the tank.

The bulkheads have pretty long strainers to reduce suction (maybe 2" long) and the snails have no trouble with them. In fact I've seen several snails crawl onto and then off of the strainers without difficulty.