Power head positioning

[wetjet43]

I'm thinking of moving the placements of my 2 main powerheads in my 55 gal bowfront. Right now, they are at the top of the tank, in the back. One is pointed toward the other side of the tank, directly across from it, and the other is pointing more toward the front. See the high quality photo below:



I'm thinking of moving one of them possibly upside down so it moves some of the water more on the bottom of the tank. Maybe that would help with getting some of the sand stirred up, but not too stirred up.

Ideas anybody? Thank you.

[jeeper_reefer]

been curious about this also, I've always just pointed them across from each other but not so sure its getting the best circulation, Awesome High Quality Pics wetjet!

[wetjet43]

Thank you! Took forever to whip that up.

[Finsky]

Hello wetjet43:

There is a possiblility of facing each to the opposite front corner and somewhere near the center the currents would collide.

Another possible idea would be to aim each to the middle of the opposite end.

When I have used powerheads from the back corners I have tended to use them to crash the currents "somewhere" in the middle of the two.

This would be when I had only two flows, i.e. power heads on lift tubes.

I have two Seio water pumps facing each other from the back left and the back right with the right Seio a bit higher.

I have recently added two 660 Penguinj powerheads with sponge prefilters in the lower front corner and lower right corner with both facing up to the middle.

I am planning to put a Hydor Mag 8 in the upper left corner and face it across to the upper right end (somewhere from the front to the back). My BTAs are in the lower right end rocks.

Or you could stay with what you have.

I have always like the idea of pump flows crashing into each other and swirling the current?

[wetjet43]

I like the pump heads crashing the current into each other idea. Thanks Finsky!

[james3370]

to check the flow, i have found a turkey baster w/ freshwater in it works good. you can put it right in the path of the powerhead output & see the "cloud" that freshwater & saltwater mixed makes for a few seconds before it dissipates

flake food works too if it's feeding time

i had a bowfront nano that had return on one upper rear corner of the back wall & i put a korillia nano on the same point on the other side. i then pointed each at it's respective side near where the curve started. i found when the flow hit the wall at a clancing angle, it developed a counter-clockwise swirl to it & then followed the curve of the front of the tank. when these 2 currents intersected each other at the front center, they deflected off in a random pattern up the center creating very random flow throughout the middle of the tank



btw.....i think i'm better at paint than you LOL

[jeeper_reefer]

Thanks for the ideas guys, I dunno though I think wetjet has got you beat on the paint app, on a side note wetjet, I've been wanting to get some professional portraits of my 2 boys would you be interested? just kidding with you, much better than I could pull off!

[wetjet43]

I'm wicked with the 8 bit color brush!

I do like your idea james3370. I'm going to give that a shot and see how it works out.

[jeeper_reefer]

Originally posted by wetjet43
I'm wicked with the 8 bit color brush!

I do like your idea james3370. I'm going to give that a shot and see how it works out.

+1 Keep us updated on How it turns out

[Finsky]

I have two Koralia Hydor 8s which I have placed six inches under the waters surface and three inches in from front glass, one on the left end and one on the right end. I aim them slightly upward with the left one toward the back right and the right one toward the left front. I have a Hammer, Goniopora, Torch, Elegance, and Encrusting Montiopra along the front substrate going left to right. The flow is just perfect with a slightly moderate flow on the lower corals. I have five goinioporas, five lobed brains, and two Red Rose Bubble Tip anemones in the rocks along with two rocks covered with palythoa polyps. The rocks do not go much higher than half way to the surface.

I have not had a problem with over circulation and my fish can swim into the current of my left 8 about two to four inches in front or they can swim lower which has plenty of slower flowing water although the entire tank has at least a low moderate flow.

09/24/07 XP4 canister filter
12/01/07 XP4 canister filter
06/13/09 Aqua Medic Turboflotor Multi SL 1000
04/20/09 Hydor Koralia Magnum 8
06/27/09 Hydor Koralia Magnum 8
12/01/06 Liverock - total 150 pounds

Koralia Hydors have changed my aquarium in a big(good) way.