Help with designing flow setup in a 75g

[jrgilles]

Hey guys, I was wondering if I could get some input on the best way to set up flow in my 75 gallon tank.

What I have: Neptune Apex Controller, return pump doing about 650 gallons at head pressure (aimed in 2 different directions.)

What I'm going to buy: 2-4 Koralia Evolution powerheads (controllable and at a great price)

Powerhead options:
750 GPH, 1050 GPH, 1400 GPH

I was originally planning on getting 4 powerheads. I would alternate between sets of 2 having a clockwise then counterclockwise rotation (as recommended by fragman.) Using the controller, I would have them power up and down in a fashion to simulate a smooth(ish) transition between the two directions of flow.

If I kept the tank at 30X circulation per hour...
that would be ~2200 GPH flow I would want. My return pump is giving me about 650, so that leaves around 1450 left.

So, options I'm now considering:
Buy 4X 750 GPH powerheads, have 2 on at any given time at opposite ends of the tank.
Buy 2X 1400 GPH powerheads, and have one on at any given time, with the powerheads again at opposite ends (the return pump will cross the flow and introduce some randomness.)

2 powerheads is cheaper than 4, but what do you guys think is the best setup flow wise?

Oh, I have SPS, LPS, Softies, and a few small fish. Tank setup is in my sig.

If any of you guys have some experience with flow setups, please enlighten me as to what you like. I've done some reading online, but would love to hear what you all have to say.

Thanks!

 

[NWDiver]

Riding along to soak up the info

 

[DolphinLVR]

Well it depends i think on how you want your tank to look!

I personally would only want 2 powerheads in the tank, but then thats just me

 

[jrgilles]

yea, I guess 2 would look better. I was originally thinking 4 with the alternating clockwise then counterclockwise currents because of a conversation I had with fragman. Also seems it would lead to less dead spots.

2 does look nicer in the tank though

 

[jrgilles]

What fragman was talking about (as I understand) would be setting up a 'gyre'. I think you can do this with 2 powerheads if you add in a dividing wall, but you can do it without a dividing wall if you use 4 powerheads (2 on, 2 off)

 

[DolphinLVR]

yeah I dont have a Gyre going on thats for sure!

 

[lvsuckerfish]

I would go with the 4 smaller ones and 2 on 2 off and can have rotataing opposite sides of the tank. rt rear on lt front on then switch to opposite sides. or save all the power head money and but a MP20 lol or a mp40

 

[jrgilles]

there is a apex controller WXM that works with the vortech pumps which is 124 dollars. If only the MP20's weren't so expensive. Would I need the Vortech controllers that seem to come with each unit if I also had the WXM? Could save a bit of cash if they weren't needed, but I can't seem to find them without the controller.

I'd use the apex controller over the vortech one, because it has all the same programs, plus I can program on a web page and add scripts, etc. Don't understand if the WXM is in addition to the mp20 controller or in place of.

Vortech seems awesome, but from what I can find online, if I put in 2 mp20's controlled by the apex, it would be close to $800 after tax, where putting in some of the koralia evo's would cost about $200-$250... I'd still be able to do some different current simulations, but wouldn't have the variable speed pumps. Seems like its not really worth 600 bucks more.

Unless someone has some used ones they want to sell

 

[Chichas01]

You should be able to find some MP20's around 600.00 or less for a pair...at least for the older model anyways. I paid about that much for mine about 8-9 months ago. I'm not sure that you really need a controller with them as I've found they work just fine with the programs that are available with the driver so if you drop that part, you have money to put towards the Vortechs. This would also let you have the ability to upgrade in the future to the newer drivers adn a controller if you still really want one when you are ready and have more money.
2 MP20's will really move things in that 75. Feel free to let me know if you would like to stop by sometime and see how they work. I'm over in W. Seattle.

 

[jrgilles]

Thanks for the offer to check out your mp20's. I would like to stop by and see these sometime.

After thinking about this for awhile now, I think I'm going to go with 4 koralia evo's.

What do you guys think in terms of sizes? I'm thinking either:

2X 750 gph and 2X1050 gph maybe.
or
4X 750 gph.

I'm a bit worries about the 750's being able to carry current all the way down to the other end of the 4 ft tank, but I guess the gyre will help pull things around too.

There won't be any variable speed in the powerhead like the vortechs, but the cost is much less.

An advantage of going this way (besides cost) is that I can probably do some cool things with how I cycle them on and off with the apex programs. I will have more variablility with this with 4 individual units than I would with 1 mp40 or 2 mp20's.

I'm going to have to purchase another energy bar 8 for my apex, but I think my tank and myself will be happy with the setup. The 750 evo's are also very small.

 

[NWDiver]

the 1400 rocks the other side of my 4' tank even after bouncing off a side.
Not high velocity, but lots of movement. I would think that you will have plenty of motion off the 750.
If you can mount the 4 heads in a visually pleasing way, I'm sure that the additional control via placement and on/off state will pay off big time.
I am thinking about adding a 750 to the back of my rock work out of sight and just to push water up. Can't beat the price!

 

[wpitrof]

what kind of controler do you need for the koralia evo's. does it come with them?

 

[jrgilles]

They don't come with a controller. They just have the ability to turn on and off a lot without breaking. I was going to use them with my aqua controller, but you could also use them with any timer, wavemaker, etc.

A while ago fragman recommended this item to me, which is a budget way to do it:

http://www.amazon.com/Chauvet-SF-4005-Channel-Chasing-Timer/dp/B0008G2FJK

 

[wpitrof]

that's really interesting. i wonder how well it would hold up around salt water. can you controle them with a RK?

 

[jrgilles]

yea, you should be able to control them with a reefkeeper. They aren't variable speed, just on and off, but they should work good with any controller from what I understand