How Important Are "Power Heads"...?

We have a 125 gallon SW, with a Fluval FX5 Pump, 2 Fire Fish, Coral Beauty, Fox Face, Tri-color Wrass, Bi-color Angel, 2 Blood Shrimp, 2 Peppermint Shrimp, and 1 Flame Scallop. We added 70 lbs. of LR about a month ago...(yes I'm the one who was seeking help because my clowns were dying because of the amount of LR added at one time) My Nitrate soared, but that was the only thing that changed during the "cycle" of the new LR. Everything is back to normal levels, except a little cloudiness? We bought a Koralia Magnum Turbo Pump/5 flow rate, for more current, but the fish won't come out now, they stay behind the rock except the fire fish, and when the do come out you can see them struggling against the flow, is this too strong of a power head? I'll try to post a couple of pictures of our tank, you can see the clousiness except when looking through the small sides it look's crystal clear, how can this be?

 

How much GPH do you have running through your tank? Typically, you should aim for 20-30 times your gallonage for LPS and even more for SPS reefs.

 

most saltwater fish are fine in high flow areas, they are "built" to deal with high flow.

 

try to have the flows intercept and bounce off the walls to break it up and make it random. High flow and being blasted constantly from only one direction aren't exactly the same thing.

 

The filter processes & recirculates 563 GPH and can be used for upto a 400 gallon tank. The #5 power head is 1,650 GPH. They do seem to be coming out a little more, maybe we shouls exchange for a 4 flow Rate, my husband always has to get the "best" then it's not what he expected. I also forgot to mention our enemone while listing the fish, he's having a ball in the flow, his color is back, he looks great! I want to get 2 or 4 percula clown fish (hope I spelled that right) does anyone know if they like the current of the power head? The guy at the LFS said we could bring it back for a smaller one, what do you guy's suggest? And "thanx" for all your help too!

 

My percula sometimes plays in front of the powerhead...

 

I would leave the new one in the tank. Your fish will get used to it. Just try to make sure it isnt blowing your sand around and isnt aimed right at the front of the rocks. Like Peredhil said, bounce the flow off the front of the tank or maybe mount is 5 or 6 inches down and aim in slightly upward. This will generate a lot of O2 exchange and keep your sand on the bottom.

 

More, smaller powerheads are far superior to one, larger one. For a 125 long like that, a couple of koralia 4's at each end with maybe another 3 in the middle would be great

 

Normally I would agree with this, however, it looks as though those are all (dead) decorative corals. If that is the case, I would leave the one large one and the fish will acclimate.