I have been reading on here trying to figure out all of this stuff about water flow. I've gathered that I need 10-25X turnover for my 55 gallon. My question is this--do I just add the flows of everything that is in my tank (trickle filter, power filter, wavemaker) and then if it is less than what I want add another powerhead or something? My 30 gallon is going well at 6 months old but I think I want a little more water movement in my new aquarium. Thanks in advance!
Water Flow
- Thread starter jl-sullivan
- Start date
Some do it that way but I just shoot for it with my powerheads and figure the pump and everything else is gravy.
So I should just get a powerhead at the lower end of the range and that will be okay? I already have a wavemaker (I guess--that's what it says but really I think it is just an oscillating powerhead, unless that's what they all are) not sure about GPH...should I am them toward each other on either end or arrange them in some other way?
make them so you think there is no dead spots in your tank (were the water doesnt flow). then if you see any thing laying on your substrate, you know you have a dead spot. This will change with LR and such.
So I basically want as much flow as possible (within reason) in several places. My smaller tank has a lot of "stuff" (algae?) on the sand and I'm hoping to keep this from happening in the new one--do you think increased flow will help--especially toward the bottom? I have 6 of the snails (nassartius?) that are supposed to stir up the sand but they don't seem to be doing much...
What kind of algae?
You are indeed trying to prevent dead spots in the tank. You want to keep stuff in the water column so that the filter, overflow, skimmer etc. can help rid the tank of it. Plus filter feeders will appreciate it as well. Some corals also appreciate higher levels of flow. I've found the fish were more active with higher flow as well.
Not sure what kind of wavemaker you have. Some use specific powerheads I believe.
You are indeed trying to prevent dead spots in the tank. You want to keep stuff in the water column so that the filter, overflow, skimmer etc. can help rid the tank of it. Plus filter feeders will appreciate it as well. Some corals also appreciate higher levels of flow. I've found the fish were more active with higher flow as well.
Not sure what kind of wavemaker you have. Some use specific powerheads I believe.
I dont' know what kind of algae it is. It is very tiny and brownish green. Some spots don't have any (where filter pushes water back in from the sump) but some spots (mostly the back) are nearly covered. When I first got the snails and they crawled under the sand it got rid of the algae in those spots. I guess they just don't go in the back of the aquarium.
The wavemaker was fairly cheap ($40) and is just a little thing that sucks water up from the bottom of it (through a sponge) and blows it back out of an oscillating arm. It does move the sand at the bottom a little, but not much. It's not attached to anything else.
The wavemaker was fairly cheap ($40) and is just a little thing that sucks water up from the bottom of it (through a sponge) and blows it back out of an oscillating arm. It does move the sand at the bottom a little, but not much. It's not attached to anything else.
It is it a powdery brown? Diatoms? If so I'd use that is from lack of flow behind those rocks, it is getting trapped without the flow. Not familiar with the equipment you have but it does sound more like a powerhead than a wavemaker.
Yes, powdery brown. I think it is the same stuff that gets on the glass but wipes off easily with my magnet algae scrubber--don't even have to scrub.