POWERHEAD placement

[Pickles]

I have a 75 gallon tank with three power heads. Where is the best way to place them?

 

[bbehring]

What size/type PHs are they? If you can, place 1 on the back, behing the rock. Place 1 at each end of the tank in the corner (or on the side panel) directing the flow to the front middle of the tank.

 

[Pickles]

They are maxi jet 1200, I have three of them.

 

[returnofsid]

To start with, I'd consider adding the Maxijet Mods to them. 3 MJ1200s are giving you less than 900 GPH flow. That's minimal for a 75 gallon tank. The mods are inexpensive and increase the flow amazingly!! As for placement, a lot will depend on your rock scaping, coral placement and such. You want to create the most random or turbulent flow you can. This is usually accomplished by having powerheads aimed in a way that their currents collide with one another, collide with glass or rocks. MJ1200s are great lil' pumps for their size, but they put out a very "linear" flow. You want to disrupt the straight lines of flow and make them more random throughout your tank.

 

[bbehring]

If you are going to keep SPS you will definately need more flow. You might want to look at putting the 3 MJ's behing your rockscape and biting the bullet and buying a vortec 40PH or Tunze 6080 and placing it at one end of the tank. If not, Returns advise is real solid. Do you have sump return? You could put a penductor/eductor on the sump return side which would increase the flow from your sump by 4 or 5 times. http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/ca...d=137&osCsid=fef5fef0ffe6c5a3ce73036625ec446f

 

[Pickles]

What is SPS? Sorry, I am new to this whole world.

 

[Pickles]

To start with, I'd consider adding the Maxijet Mods to them. 3 MJ1200s are giving you less than 900 GPH flow. That's minimal for a 75 gallon tank. The mods are inexpensive and increase the flow amazingly!! As for placement, a lot will depend on your rock scaping, coral placement and such. You want to create the most random or turbulent flow you can. This is usually accomplished by having powerheads aimed in a way that their currents collide with one another, collide with glass or rocks. MJ1200s are great lil' pumps for their size, but they put out a very "linear" flow. You want to disrupt the straight lines of flow and make them more random throughout your tank.

I am a bit confused about what adding a mod is. Is that something to make the flow more "wave" like. Do they sell maxi jet mods anywhere?

 

[jake65]

To answer your last couple questions, SPS are Small Polyp Stoney corals, basically the hard colorful ones you see in tanks and the "mods" sid was referring to are just that, mods you can add to your existing maxijets for better flow. Theres tons of links out there on both these subjects. Here's just a couple to get you started

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...&Product_Code=AF-SF1600&Category_Code=Maxijet

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/aquarium-fish-supplies.cfm?c=597+322

 

[returnofsid]

Mod is Modification. Sorry about that...lol. Yes, it modifies your MJ1200 to put out much more flow as well as a wider pattern of flow.

 

[brandyrb]

I prefer to place my powerheads spread out evenly on the back glass toward the top of the aquarium and pointing up so they agitate the surface water. Breaking the surface water promotes gas exchange and I get a lot of good flow through the aquarium this way. The flow ripples the water surface and bounces off the glass through the whole aquarium.

Here's an article that explains gas exchange: http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=233

 

[danno14]

Hi Pickles (cats name?)-
Brandy is on track with her thoughts regarding gas exchange. That said, most reef tanks implement a protein skimmer and overflow/sump configuration. Does your setup have one/both of these?
Either of them will ensure greater O2 exchange than your powerheads agitating the water surface. What are your (current) hopes and desires for your system? By that I mean what animals do you hope to maintain (fish, crabs, clams, corals, etc.). Current also means noone will hold it against you if you change your mind.... we all have

Knowing what you want to grow will help to steer you in the correct direction.
I would also suggest you visit as many peoples tanks as you can, to see what it is that you want to do and how they have been able to.
Best,
D

 

[warforged]

I have a 75 gallon tank with three power heads. Where is the best way to place them?

There was a nice thread made by Major Reef ..and I did try to find it for you. He discussed flow.

What I gathered from reading bits of it was how GPH though important wasn't the focus. It's placement of the powerheads that makes a differences.

From what I do understand...placing power heads strategically was very important. What you are trying to accomplish is trying to keep the stuff in your water from settling in the sand bed... so creating a flow that keeps things suspended longer in the water was ideal.

Supposedly the sand bed can handle only handle so much debris collection and breakdown of it ...and problems could occur if too much settles. So getting flow to keep a whirlwind of water flow going around the tank keeping the stuff like foods suspended till corals snag them was the thing to accomplish.

If anyone here has the link please post ...I can't find it. It has diagrams of where to place the powerheads it was pretty good info actually.

 

[Pickles]

I prefer to place my powerheads spread out evenly on the back glass toward the top of the aquarium and pointing up so they agitate the surface water. Breaking the surface water promotes gas exchange and I get a lot of good flow through the aquarium this way. The flow ripples the water surface and bounces off the glass through the whole aquarium.

Here's an article that explains gas exchange: http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=233

this has worked really well for me...thanks.