POwerhead and water movement suggestions

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Electrobes

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
May 5, 2003
Messages
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Location
Greenwood, SC
Hey everyone, I am almost done setting up my system of a 45G tall tank, with a 29 gallon refugium. For the return and oveflow, I am getting a 500 (or more rated) gph overflow with a mag 7 pump. I want to make an order today but I wanted to know what powerheads and how many should I put in the main tank? I am mainly growing soft corals, but will have some hard... like a 75% to 25% ratio. The flow from the overflow alone (for the flow in the refugium) should be fast enough because I came to understand that refugiums require a bit slow flow for the macro algaes to filter out the water. Thanks!
 
I have a 45 myself and have a 1200 on each side at the top, one in the middle and a 600 at the bottom. I do not have any dead spots..
 
I have a 55gal and plan on having 2 maxijet 1200s and 2 Via Aqua 200gph in my tank.. All hooked up to a wavemaker pro along with my Rio 2100 return pump.

James
 
What I would suggest would be setting up the overflow and return pump. Plumb up your returns how you want them but if you can put the return on the opposite side as the overflow. Then once thats running look at the tank and try to figure where you want more flow. Then place your PH's where you need additional flow or where you want more flow.

Its kind of hard to establish where the flow will be needed since each tanks rock structures will affect how the water flows around the tank.
 
If I were going to use powerheads, I wouldn't even look at anything other than the Maxi Jets. IMO, they are the best value available. I think a good combo for your tank would be 3 MJ 1200's or 900's on a Natural Wave powerstrip. I realize it's not a fancy setup with bells and whistles all over, but it will work great. It also won't cost you a fortune. You should be able to get this as a package for around $110.00 or maybe less. I'd place one powerhead at each end of the tank and set them on the two outlets that alternate. I'd place the third one on the back of the tank pointing at an angle toward the front glass. Put it on the third outlet that has a slightly longer run time. That way, you have the back and forth wave action generated by the two on the ends with the third one coming on at different times making some turbulence and disrupting the currents. JMHO.
 
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