Water circulation and substate cleaning

chris383 · 04/12/2007, 10:40 AM

I want to thank everyone at this forum for helping out us intermediate noobs. I have kept saltwater fish only setups for over 10 years, but I am going to dive into a reef setup since I aquired a 55 gallon tank.

2 questions:

1) for circulation, I want to go with a couple Hydor Koralias. If anyone is familiar with these...what is adequate?...# 3's or 4's and is the best place to put them on each end of the tank? (48 inches)

2) I decided on sand rather than crushed coral....I have always used a simple siphon tube to clean coral, but what is available to vaccuum sand and not suck the sand out of your tank?

Thanks all!! Great site!!

TXStateUnivReef · 04/12/2007, 11:10 AM

hydors are great. you get the flow of a tunze but for a fraction of the cost get 2x #4s put one up high pointed across the tank and one down low on the otherside that way it will circle the tank. as for the sand... unlike in FW where you clean your substrate all the time with the sand get hermits etc to clean the poop and dont stir up your sand you will get beneficial bacteria in ther that will help with your nitrate levels. with that flow however it should keep all waste off the bottom and you wont need to vaccum

chris383 · 04/12/2007, 11:17 AM

Great..thanks for the advice.

now will one of the Hydors placed down low stir up the sand and cause a messy sandstorm in the tank?

chris383 · 04/12/2007, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by TXStateUnivReef
hydors are great. you get the flow of a tunze but for a fraction of the cost get 2x #4s put one up high pointed across the tank and one down low on the otherside that way it will circle the tank.

Thanks for the input. Now if I get 2 #4's...that is about 2400GPH right?...would that be too much? Maybe knock down to a couple of #3's?

04/12/2007, 10:40 AM	#1
chris383 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 10	Water circulation and substate cleaning I want to thank everyone at this forum for helping out us intermediate noobs. I have kept saltwater fish only setups for over 10 years, but I am going to dive into a reef setup since I aquired a 55 gallon tank. 2 questions: 1) for circulation, I want to go with a couple Hydor Koralias. If anyone is familiar with these...what is adequate?...# 3's or 4's and is the best place to put them on each end of the tank? (48 inches) 2) I decided on sand rather than crushed coral....I have always used a simple siphon tube to clean coral, but what is available to vaccuum sand and not suck the sand out of your tank? Thanks all!! Great site!!

04/12/2007, 11:10 AM	#2
TXStateUnivReef Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Rosenberg Texas Posts: 197	hydors are great. you get the flow of a tunze but for a fraction of the cost get 2x #4s put one up high pointed across the tank and one down low on the otherside that way it will circle the tank. as for the sand... unlike in FW where you clean your substrate all the time with the sand get hermits etc to clean the poop and dont stir up your sand you will get beneficial bacteria in ther that will help with your nitrate levels. with that flow however it should keep all waste off the bottom and you wont need to vaccum __________________ -Chris 90 gallon

04/12/2007, 11:17 AM	#3
chris383 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 10	Great..thanks for the advice. now will one of the Hydors placed down low stir up the sand and cause a messy sandstorm in the tank?