flow/powerhead positions???

[hux]

okay so this is my tank below...
the red is basically my live rock and where my corals will be...
the big red patch is obviously the main liverock and corals (LPS and softies possibly some SPS)
and the little red patch in the opposite corner is where i want an anemone for my clowns...
and the green circle is my input into the tank from the overflow...
that is fixed and blows water stright to the right side of the tank

Now the return is about 800gph back into the tank
and i have 2 tunze nano stream 6025 which do around 650gph

the point of this is to get some opinions of where i should situate the powerheads...

the first picture is what i would prefer cause it kind of hides the overflow box a bit...
but this might not work as good as the second because the overflow return is pushing water straight on to the liverock/corals?


so my question is what is a better location for the rocks left or right?
and where should my powerheads go...


first option?

second option

let me know where you think the best position will would be..

thanks in advance...
hux

 

[greech]

I like the second option. Tough to say what the best places are for your PHs until you get water and life in the tank but I probably would have started out with the same placement you have there. The Tunze you have are really nice and easy to tweak when you need to. I like the scape plan you have there a lot. It should look great and will work very well for coral placement. I would try and incorporate several caves/holes into that slope so water can flow through it. You don't want a detritus buildup behind there that you can't get too.

 

[xsdbs]

I would say the 2nd choice as it should sweep debri upward toward the overflow

 

[Amphiprion]

The structures will likely operate about the same for you no matter what. At least for aesthetic purposes, the first option will cover your overflow for you. If your return is that powerful, it will bounce off the glass and sweep over the sand and, to some degree, over the structure. So, unless your corals have higher water motion requirements, I'd go with the first option for overall utility, IMHO. I think the second option would be better if you decide to get more flow-demanding corals, but you'd lack good flow in other parts of the tank. Of course, this is just an educated guess. You won't really know until you have the structure in and can see the hydrodynamics at work. You'll find that some careful tweaking once all is said and done will actually make a huge difference.

On a different note, if you want more flow later, you could always mod those nanostreams like I have. It more than doubles their output. You'll probably find that you'll also have to cut down the nozzle a bit to de-velocitize the flow, given the dimensions of the tank.

 

[davocean]

Yep, agree w/ that ^^^
I like first option best as well, similar to what my own setup is.
I have pics showing how to do tunze mods if you choose to do that.
I always do both flow increase, and wider flow pattern mods, pretty easy to do.
Keep in mind though, your plans for nem at the very spot you want it may or may not be nems choice too!LOL
I would seek a sand dwellar nem as well.

 

[hux]

thanks for your advice everyone...
will definately keep looking...

i have a build thread if anyone is interested...
ill keep everyone updated through that thread.

thanks again.
hux

 

[xsdbs]

Interesting, I would have thought that #1 would have had more dead spots in the rear of the tank. Also I would have thought that the waste in the water column would be pressed downward in the rear of the tank and upward into the front corner away from the overflow. I guess maybe thats why some use multiple power heads.

The structures will likely operate about the same for you no matter what. At least for aesthetic purposes, the first option will cover your overflow for you. If your return is that powerful, it will bounce off the glass and sweep over the sand and, to some degree, over the structure. So, unless your corals have higher water motion requirements, I'd go with the first option for overall utility, IMHO. I think the second option would be better if you decide to get more flow-demanding corals, but you'd lack good flow in other parts of the tank. Of course, this is just an educated guess. You won't really know until you have the structure in and can see the hydrodynamics at work. You'll find that some careful tweaking once all is said and done will actually make a huge difference.

On a different note, if you want more flow later, you could always mod those nanostreams like I have. It more than doubles their output. You'll probably find that you'll also have to cut down the nozzle a bit to de-velocitize the flow, given the dimensions of the tank.