Flow Correction?

[Aspect]

Hello, I have attached an extremely advanced and detailed drawing depicting my tank's current flow setup. I am curious if there is a way to optimize flow. My corals and fish are happy, but there is some floating particulates that are driving me crazy and I'd really like to fix. Please let me know if there is a better way to setup my flow, all powerheads/return nozzles are approx 2" below water level.

 

[UncommonSense]

Hello, I have attached an extremely advanced and detailed drawing depicting my tank's current flow setup. I am curious if there is a way to optimize flow. My corals and fish are happy, but there is some floating particulates that are driving me crazy and I'd really like to fix. Please let me know if there is a better way to setup my flow, all powerheads/return nozzles are approx 2" below water level.

It looks like the top left power head in your diagram is blowing a substantial amount of detritus away from the overflow box in this clockwise flow spiral!

Consider running that powerhead only intermittently, turning it on when you want to feed so it blows food away from the overflow teeth!

 

[Jekyl]

I have one powerhead on either end of my tank about 1/3 of the way down and pointed slightly upward. Both are turned up high enough for surface agitation and to remove dead zones in the tank.

 

[Aspect]

It looks like the top left power head in your diagram is blowing a substantial amount of detritus away from the overflow box in this clockwise flow spiral!

Consider running that powerhead only intermittently, turning it on when you want to feed so it blows food away from the overflow teeth!

My thought was it will keep fish away and when it pulls water in, it will also be puling particulates across the overflow. I have tried it without this powerhead and there was really no difference

 

[UncommonSense]

My thought was it will keep fish away and when it pulls water in, it will also be puling particulates across the overflow. I have tried it without this powerhead and there was really no difference

Oh fish shouldn’t fit through the overflow!

I’m surprised it isn’t making much difference… that area usually sees a lot of detritus!

 

[Aspect]

Oh fish shouldn’t fit through the overflow!

I’m surprised it isn’t making much difference… that area usually sees a lot of detritus!

They dont fit, but I have had fish get stuck to the overflow before, it is a large tank and pulls a lot of water through the overflow.

 

[X-37B]

How big is the tank?

 

[Aspect]

How big is the tank?

Around 400 gallons

 

[Aspect]

Oh fish shouldn’t fit through the overflow!

I’m surprised it isn’t making much difference… that area usually sees a lot of detritus!

I will try again with shutting that powerhead off. Do you think the overall flow setup is good though for just trying to clear particulates?

 

[UncommonSense]

I will try again with shutting that powerhead off. Do you think the overall flow setup is good though for just trying to clear particulates?

I think so! The spiral of flow causes any detritus stirred up in the water column to pass by the overflow box, as opposed to just turbulent flow in the center of the tank spraying the majority of particles away from the tank’s actual filtration system!