Powerhead situation

[Flaxon-Waxon]

Thanks for reading... I'm a NOOB, so please be as helpful as possible without judging I have a 55 gallon FOWLR, and originally had a Koralia Evo 1400, but had a HUGE dead spot behind a piece of rock and under the filter. I added another Koralia 550, and it seems to be pushing water through there now. Is this a good GPH or am I going a bit high?

 

[crister13]

You really can't go too high. Imagine the flow in the ocean. A lot of people have over 50x flow rate through their tanks.

 

[Sniperhank]

I always say the more flow the better. I have been having issues with flow in my 55 so I keep taking PHs out of my 36. I just took the last PH out of my 36 today. This won't be a major issue as it is FOWLR...but it will need replaced in the near future.

 

[Schism]

Thanks for reading... I'm a NOOB, so please be as helpful as possible without judging I have a 55 gallon FOWLR, and originally had a Koralia Evo 1400, but had a HUGE dead spot behind a piece of rock and under the filter. I added another Koralia 550, and it seems to be pushing water through there now. Is this a good GPH or am I going a bit high?

Not to high at all, the only limiting factors are how much you can have before sand blows everywhere and/or corals are affected but since this a is FOWLR thats not an issue. Fish can handle way more flow then we usually even consider for a tank.

I have around that much flow in my 29g reef lol

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

Thanks crister, sniper, and schism...that was my
gut feeling, but I didn't want to cycle the tank, and then put a fish in there and watch him get pushed around all over the place!

 

[Nick862]

I have 2x 2400l/h, 1x900l/h Koralia ph and the return from my filter plus my skimmer, plenty of flow in my 46g reef corner tank, I have no dead spots and the fish seem happy,

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

So I am going to upload a pic... Please check out the PH placement... The 550 to the right is aimed towards the opposite corner of the tank. The 1400 on the left is aimed more toward the front of the tank and up to create a bit of turbulence on the water surface and move some water to the lower left corner. Should I adjust these so they are aimed at each other, or is there no absolute way and every tank will react differently? Sorry, I'm new!

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

 

[pcdebb]

I just learned something new....thanks guys! lol

i'm off to walmart to get another PH

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

PCDEB... How many PH's do you have now? And what did you learn... I hope I didn't miss anything haha!

 

[pcdebb]

I only have just one, plus the filter return. they are both sort of pointing in the same direction, so there's definitely a dead spot there.

when I setup my 75 gallon i'm going to need a few powerheads or at least a circulation pump or something

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

It's a pretty huge pain trying to position them properly, plus I'm a novice so I really don't even know what to look for that is making it correct... Just trying to keep an eye out for dead spots and making adjustments from there...

 

[pcdebb]

we are both in the same boat, i'm totally new to this SW thing

 

[Schism]

It's a pretty huge pain trying to position them properly, plus I'm a novice so I really don't even know what to look for that is making it correct... Just trying to keep an eye out for dead spots and making adjustments from there...

Yep thats the whole goal, surface agitation and no dead spot. Thats what your trying to achieve. In a reef sometimes it can be hard without blasting corals so at first you be moving them around a lot playing with different positions.

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

So far the neatest thing is bringing home new live rock and seeing what came with it... Brought home a few pieces today and scored a snail, hermit crab, and 2 baby brittle starfishes (which didn't make it unfortunately 8( )

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

Thanks schism... I think that reinforcement to decisions is going to go a long way in the confidence factor for setting up a tank, I just never thought setting up power heads could be so complex!

 

[pcdebb]

OMG seriously? I swear I saw something move under a rock that I didnt put there LOL I think I have a stowaway as well

 

[pcdebb]

Yep thats the whole goal, surface agitation and no dead spot. Thats what your trying to achieve. In a reef sometimes it can be hard without blasting corals so at first you be moving them around a lot playing with different positions.

so when you say "surface agitation", meaning I need to make sure the top of the water has movement? I do believe I am achieving that now with the filter return

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

OMG seriously? I swear I saw something move under a rock that I didnt put there LOL I think I have a stowaway as well

Ha! I had a black and white striped damsel hitch a ride home... It was pretty cool, but wish it didn't because my tank was going through an ammonia spike and died the next day



Pretty shocked to see him swimming around an hour after the rock got put in the tank!

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

so when you say "surface agitation", meaning I need to make sure the top of the water has movement? I do believe I am achieving that now with the filter return

PC... Pretty sure agitation should be a bit more than the filter return... The way i positioned my 1400, the ENTIRE surface has movement, not just the side of the tank with the filter. It looks like a little wave pool...!