Do I have a deadspot under my spray bar?

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richieh

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
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Apr 20, 2020
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I am currently running a custom river tank with dimensions of 72’x6’x8’, a long and narrow tank. The canister filter intake is on the right side of the tank while the outflow is on the left side, distributed by a 1 ft spray bar.

Due to the design of the tank, it is impossible to place the spray bar under the water surface. Therefore, the spray bar is placed so that it is shooting water at the front glass, limiting the amount of gaseous exchange as I am running pressurized co2.

The problem is that there is a 1 inch area on the far left side of the tank where the spray bar is unable to reach. That same area also happens to be where the co2 diffuser is located. My worry is that the water and co2 in that 1 inch area is unable to circulate to the opposite side of the tank where the intake.

PS: My tank is fully filled to the top! The back wall is shorter than the front and side walls so it looks like its not filled to the top.
 

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I am currently running a custom river tank with dimensions of 72’x6’x8’, a long and narrow tank. The canister filter intake is on the right side of the tank while the outflow is on the left side, distributed by a 1 ft spray bar.

Due to the design of the tank, it is impossible to place the spray bar under the water surface. Therefore, the spray bar is placed so that it is shooting water at the front glass, limiting the amount of gaseous exchange as I am running pressurized co2.

The problem is that there is a 1 inch area on the far left side of the tank where the spray bar is unable to reach. That same area also happens to be where the co2 diffuser is located. My worry is that the water and co2 in that 1 inch area is unable to circulate to the opposite side of the tank where the intake.

PS: My tank is fully filled to the top! The back wall is shorter than the front and side walls so it looks like its not filled to the top.

You are fine with circulation. Most spray bars don't even cover half of a tank's surface area and enough water gets pushed around. That looks like a really unique system you've got there. A picture of the whole setup would be nice to better understand how everything works.
 
Sorry I can’t get a good picture of my setup due to the tank length. In the picture I’m running a 20” spray bar but I have recently removed a section so it is only about a foot long. I decreased the length of the spray bar hoping to decrease co2 loss due to surface agitation. Should I revert back to the original spray bar length shown in the picture?

Ps. the picture was taken before I installed a co2 system. There is a diffuser on the very left side of the tank, under the area where the spray bar is unable to hit.
 

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Sorry I can’t get a good picture of my setup due to the tank length. In the picture I’m running a 20” spray bar but I have recently removed a section so it is only about a foot long. I decreased the length of the spray bar hoping to decrease co2 loss due to surface agitation. Should I revert back to the original spray bar length shown in the picture?

Ps. the picture was taken before I installed a co2 system. There is a diffuser on the very left side of the tank, under the area where the spray bar is unable to hit.

Wow! Really cool setup. The length is unusual! I would say you're probably going to be fine with circulation, but you will probably have to play it by ear. If you start getting a serious detritus buildup on the side of the tank opposite the spray bar, a small powerhead might be helpful.
 
Thank you! Do you think a powerhead will be of any danger to shrimps?

Would a skimmer be more suitable for my setup as I am only looking for a current that will push water to the right side of the spray bar. Once the water passes the spray bar, it should have no problem flowing to the intake, right? I’m worried a powerhead will cause a flow that is too strong, and the propellers might be a problem for my shrimps.
 
I've never used a powerhead in a shrimp tank so maybe someone else can chime in on that. I wouldn't think it is a huge issue, but maybe it can be. You could get one of the small ehiem surface skimmers and basically use it as a powerhead as well. I have had small fish get trapped in them before though so that is another thing to take into consideration.
 
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