Powerheads?

[beddru]

:iamwithst

I have been reading up on the importance of water movement...I'm curious to know what size "gph" and how many power heads would I need in a 26gallon bow front tank to properly circulate the water...and also does anyone have an opinion on where to place them for optimum circulation?

I've been admiring all the setups on the Manhattan Reefs site and every tank has at least 2 power heads moving water upward and downward...

I'm in the process of turning a fish only lr/ls tank into a reef tank...


I currently have a fluval 305, basic aeration, and a protein skimmer that barely trickles water...

I know these questions sound retarded...lol thanx for any advice

 

[duke62]

i would go either 1 koralia 2 or 2 koralia 1.that will give you some decent flow.i would also think about getting yourself a sump and either drilling the tank or get a overflow.the sump will give you more water volume and help hide some of the equipment you have and gives you more options for better equipment such as a carbon reactor and phos reactor.JMO

 

[beddru]

Thanx for the input

I decided to go with this pump - Hydor Koralia 3 Circulation Pump/Powerhead UL 850 gph...




Is that too much gph for a 26 gallon tank or should I go with a 600 gph?

 

[CHEMCHEF]

A #3 might be too much flow. I have a 3& 4 in a 72-48" long and its too much. I should have gotten 2 #3's
Imo a #3 is going to be like a sandstorm in your tank.
I would get a 1 & 2
The 2 pointing up and the 1 down

I decided to go with this pump - Hydor Koralia 3 Circulation Pump/Powerhead UL 850 gph...




Is that too much gph for a 26 gallon tank or should I go with a 600 gph?

 

[Killerdrgn]

The K2 in my 29 is even a bit much. I should have gone with 2 K1's.

 

[beddru]

Thanx guys!!

Thanx I'm going to go with the 2 adjustable k1, setting the one flowing up with a higher gph than the one pointing towards the reef...this way if its too much water flow I can regulate it...

I seriously appreciate all the advice...:birthday:

 

[jrobbins]

just my 2 cents...

the amount of flow in your tank really depends on what you plan to keep, so any advice given without knowing what you are going to have in your tank i would take with a grain of salt (i couldnt help myself).

and i have no idea how you plan to regulate the flow on a koralia, pls explain...

 

[beddru]

Here are the specifics...

I've decided to keep sps corals...I'm going to order my lighting system along with 2 adjustable k2 hydor koralia power heads in early April.

They have adjustable hydor koralia power heads, where you can regulate the flow of water from lets say 160-450 gph and so forth depending on the product number...They are more expensive than the original koralias but I think a $5-$10 difference is worth it, if you are able to make adjustments.


Again thanx for all the advice...

 

[jrobbins]

i thought the only way to use the controllable koralias was with the controller which is like $300....

 

[beddru]

You can see for yourself...

I dont see any information regarding having to purchase additional parts...you adjust the water flow by turning it...


http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewI...view~idProduct~HD00590~idCategory~FIPHAD.html

 

[Killerdrgn]

I dont see any information regarding having to purchase additional parts...you adjust the water flow by turning it...


http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~category~Hydor_Koralia_Controllable_Pump_Powerhead_Saltwater_Aquarium_Supplies_Powerheads_Adjustable_Flow~vendor~Hydor~SearchStr~koralia~action~view~idProduct~HD00590~idCategory~FIPHAD.html

No no, they mean the direction of the flow in that link. Koralias have a bottom "shield" (for lack of a better word) that is where the dead space would be.

But if you don't use the concentrator, the flow is very wide and spread out so it's not coming out with a lot of speed.

 

[beddru]

Does that defeat the purpose? Does the water flow need to be direct?

 

[Killerdrgn]

Does that defeat the purpose? Does the water flow need to be direct?

Ummm I don't think so, It's a matter of preference and tank needs. I have a 4ft tank rectangular tank (90 Gallon) and I use 2 K4's without the flow concentrators on opposite ends of the tank and it give good flow coverage everywhere. But my friend with a 4ft room divider tank needs to use the s K4's with the concentrators because one of his walls is curved and he can't stick anything to that side. So if he didn't use the concentrators the flow would not reach the other side of the tank.

 

[aznt1217]

For the adjustable Koralia's you NEED the controller for it to work.

 

[jrobbins]

Read the second paragraph of the link you provided...

I dont see any information regarding having to purchase additional parts...you adjust the water flow by turning it...


http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~category~Hydor_Koralia_Controllable_Pump_Powerhead_Saltwater_Aquarium_Supplies_Powerheads_Adjustable_Flow~vendor~Hydor~SearchStr~koralia~action~view~idProduct~HD00590~idCategory~FIPHAD.html

 

[Killerdrgn]

Read the second paragraph of the link you provided...

The Koralia 1 12V range is specifically designed for & can be used only with the Hydor Koralia Wavemaker system.

If you don't like following links.

 

[jrobbins]

:splitspin

 

[beddru]

Seriously you guys are the most informative bunch...I'm happy I joined this reefing community...



:thanks:
:splitspin