I had a slight issue with oxygen depletion (I believe) with a sudden fish death (all in one night, while all water quality tests were OK). I did notice a slight film on the surface, which makes me believe it may be oxygen depletion. Obviously the first thing to do is re-aim my power heads. The tank I am talking about here is a Red Sea Max for my daughter. It has two powerheads built in, but I can only run one at a time becuase if they both run, they sometimes overpower the amount of overflow going through all the filtration, chiller, etc. (I may cut the amount of pre-filter media down some more and just clean/replace more often). When I did this (go to only 1 pump) I added a Koralia inside the tank. My question is how I should set this up. It looks like others have said that having the powerheads on opposite ends is causing some film build up. I originally set it up this way because I thought (probably in error) that the two jet flows would cause more agitation when they meet. However, I have seen some say to put one near the bottom. So, should I continue to leave the two permanent mount powerheads pointing down towards all the live rock, and move the Koralie down low also and point in a similar direction, but upwards? Any help would be appreciated.
Flow - enough is never enough
- Thread starter wayne
- Start date
im thinking the problem goes deeper than thatCan you tell me what strength powerhead I should get for my 50 Gal tank? I don't know much about these, but was leaning towards the Maxijet 1200, which says it gives 295 gph. I was also looking though at the Marineland Penguin PH 550 or the 1140. I only have two clownfish and one damsel, no live rock, and an external canister filter. I'm also thinking of getting a dwarf angel soon.
Btw, do you know if you can add a biowheel to a canister filter? I read that they also help churn the water, but I'm not sure how much better or worse they would be. Thanks!
Btw, do you know if you can add a biowheel to a canister filter? I read that they also help churn the water, but I'm not sure how much better or worse they would be. Thanks!
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Hi Guys. I am very new to the saltwater aquarium hobby but I am learning fast thanks to the posts within this forum.
I have a 120 gallon tank with a Euro Reef RS 135 Protein Skimmer and Quiet One 4400 HH Pump. To provide flow I am using two Koralia Hydor #4 Powerheads rated at 1,200 GPH each. I'm assuming with the powerheads and main pump I am moving about 3,400 GPH. I have one powerhead at each end of the tank mounted on the back and pointing towards the front about 4" to 5" below the surface. The outlets from the main pump are pointed towards the sides and front of the tank.
My questions are...
Do you think I have enough flow?
Should I rearrange my powerheads from the back of the tank and mount them to the sides?
Should I move the powerheads deeper in the water?
Should I purchase more powerheads in order to have a couple at the surface and a couple near the bottom?
Sorry for being so long winded just want to make sure that I have covered all my bases. Thanks in advance.
I have a 120 gallon tank with a Euro Reef RS 135 Protein Skimmer and Quiet One 4400 HH Pump. To provide flow I am using two Koralia Hydor #4 Powerheads rated at 1,200 GPH each. I'm assuming with the powerheads and main pump I am moving about 3,400 GPH. I have one powerhead at each end of the tank mounted on the back and pointing towards the front about 4" to 5" below the surface. The outlets from the main pump are pointed towards the sides and front of the tank.
My questions are...
Do you think I have enough flow?
Should I rearrange my powerheads from the back of the tank and mount them to the sides?
Should I move the powerheads deeper in the water?
Should I purchase more powerheads in order to have a couple at the surface and a couple near the bottom?
Sorry for being so long winded just want to make sure that I have covered all my bases. Thanks in advance.
It sounds like you have enough flow. Positioning/direction of the powerheads can take a little time. Make sure you don't have dead spots in the tank where there is no flow. It's a good idea to have at least one of the powerheads moving the surface of the water to help with oxygenation. If you have an overflow, have the powerheads positioned so the water naturally moves around then tank and then towards the overflow.
I think the 600GPH power head would be fine. You could probably get away with the 425GPH model it is designed for 15-30 gallon tanks. It depends on the corals in your tank. It's been my experience that stony corals like lots of flow and soft corals not so much flow. They key is to ensure that you have good flow all over the tank to eliminate any dead spots where debris and uneaten food can gather. Good luck.