Powerhead placement

Reefscape

I shoot people with a Canon
Staff member
Nov 8, 2006
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Staffordshire, UK
seethroughmylens.co.uk
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Blinky
I would just like some thoughts off people about where to be placing the powerheads in my tank..They are both MaxiJet 1200's...

Have put on a picture ( crappy i know )...

Seem to be having a bit of a problem with algae build up on the sand and starting to look not nice..I dont seem to be able to get them right...

Hope you people can point me in the right direction

Niko

Water Flow.jpg
 
There's so many possibilities...

My first suggestion to try would be to move both PHs to the back of the tank and point the outputs directly at the glass. This will allow the deflection of the flow off the glass to create indirect and more random flow patterns. Also, I'd remove the plastic flow diverters from the output. It might just be me, but I think those things are so ugly.

I've been able to create a nice random flow pattern doing this in our 90g tank with just 2 MJ 900s and our return pump outlet. Both PHs are on the back glass, one on the right points at the side glass and the other on the left at the front glass. Our return jet comes out from the back left and points towards the front center of the tank. Many people would say this is an inadequate amount of flow in our tank (in terms of gph), but it has worked very well for us and our soft corals and LPSs wave back and forth nicely, even the ones down on the sand. The sand stays algae / diatom free, too, and there aren't any noticable dead spots where detritus builds up. We don't have problems with excess detritus on the rock either, but I do use a turkey baster to stir up the little that there is when I do water changes.

I hope that helps some...
 
Algae is a result of excess nutrients and light than lack of water flow.
Propwer water flow or movement is important (esp in SW tank) but NO3 and PO4 and the real culprits when it comes to algae.
I would check the these level along with NO2 or NH3.
Rohn
 
I have 3 on each side, Upper, mid and lower staggered across, plus the sump return dumps into a dual spraybar that shoots behind the live rock
this to me eliminates Deadspots
 
Great info people, thanks for all your input..Will have a play with putting them both on the back tonight..All levels and parameters are really good that is why i thought it is going to be where my PH's were positioned

Niko
 
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