Need Advice

nemo79 · 08-01-2006, 05:03 PM

Ok, I Have 4 Powerheads But I Am Not Sure The Placement Is Good.

I Have 1 Mj1200 On Each End Of The Tank

1 Mj400 Below Each 1200. Is This Good?

Should I Keep My Filter Running With The Sponge And Carbon? I Don't Think I Have Enough Lr To Filter My Tank With Just The Protein Skimmer. What Do I Do?

Do I Have Too Much Flow For A 55g?

2 Mj1200 295 Each Gph)
1 Mj 400 (110gph)
1 Aquaclear (176gph)

Total Gph 876

serotonin · 08-01-2006, 08:32 PM

From what I have read so far ( which pails in comparison to many on these forums ) is that this is a pretty diversified topic. In my own opinion, I think this is on the higher end of the amount of circulation you'd want in your tank. But then it depends on the species in the tank too, especially the inverts and corals.

Monacle · 08-03-2006, 06:31 PM

If you don't think you have enough live rock, then by all means keep the filter running. For the flow question, have you considered connecting your powerheads to simple timers? You could have the power heads on the left come on for 4 hours then shut off, then have the ones on the right come on for four and so on... Kind of make it like a little tide change thing. Just a thought. Good luck.. IMO, I like a very high amount of flow, so sounds good to me.

nemo79 · 08-05-2006, 07:50 AM

thanks, ya u can see everything moving in my tank, so i think i'm good to go for now.

coral reefer · 08-05-2006, 11:26 AM

The ideal is to have a minimal amount of dead areas in your tank(paleaic area). There really isn't any exact formula as everyones tank is different as far as set-up in concerned. The more live rock and coral you have the more crucial it is to have stronger water flow to get through and around these areas where waterflow is hindered. It will not hurt you if you have more water flow than required as long as the powerhead isn't facing directly on a coral causing stress and the polyps to not open. Sufficient water flow is crucial for waste and oxygen transfer as well as delivering food to corals etc.

nemo79 · 08-08-2006, 09:30 AM

I Think I Have Good Flow, My Clowns Love Playing In It And Everything Moves Around Really Good. I Guess I Will Know More When I Get To The Coral Stage. How Long Do U Wait B4 Adding Corals Like Mushrooms And Bubble Coral? Not In A Rush But Would Like To Prepare For Them. Are All Anemone's Hard To Keep? I Know Clowns Don't Require Them But If I Can I'd Like To Provide One For Them.

rickzter · 08-08-2006, 11:31 AM

You have to figure out how you want the flow, how strong, etc. You have to consider this when setting up powerheads for the flow. If everything is waving violently, then slow it down. Some corals will not like too much flow and the strong flow will prevent them from coming out for light. It really all depends on you and the type of corals you have. Most mid to low corals dont require a lot. So the flow should be strong on the top with moderate to low flow on the bottom.