Flow in a SPS dominated 12” aio cube?

[Wbreef]

I have some acro coming in on Friday for my little UNS 30a. I’m currently running a hygger 6w powerhead on the right wall of the tank. The pump says it 692gph and I have it on a random mode, but I just don’t know if what I have is sufficient.

I was hoping to get some input on the optimal model powerhead, power/mode settings, and placement for this tank.

I have been tossing around ideas in my head like maybe swapping a Nero 3 in the same place, or running a tiny gyre pump on the top or even just getting an additional hygger and putting both on opposite sides of the back wall.

Any input is greatly appreciated!

Here is my tank and scape for reference… 4 acro frags will be scattered across the top edge of the scape.

 

[ndrwater]

Get another Hyger. Place it on the opposite side and go anti-sync if you can.
Lots of flow is important, but random flow is more important. Experiment a little. The corals will make it known if they are happy... Or unhappy ..
Spending less on very serviceable Hygers gives you more money for corals

 

[UncommonSense]

Let’s keep in mind that a 12” cube is 1 cubic foot, or 7.48 gallons!

This would also be displacement, not volume; so it’s closer to a 6.5g tank!

Given this, your current return pump and powerhead have you at in excess of 100X display turnovers per-hour…

 

[Wbreef]

Get another Hyger. Place it on the opposite side and go anti-sync if you can.
Lots of flow is important, but random flow is more important. Experiment a little. The corals will make it known if they are happy... Or unhappy ..
Spending less on very serviceable Hygers gives you more money for corals

Unfortunately these cheap power heads don’t have the option to sync :/ but I think I’m leaning this way in order to eliminate dead spots behind the scape.

Thanks for the input and go ducks!

 

[Wbreef]

Let’s keep in mind that a 12” cube is 1 cubic foot, or 7.48 gallons!

This would also be displacement, not volume; so it’s closer to a 6.5g tank!

Given this, your current return pump and powerhead have you at in excess of 100X display turnovers per-hour…

For sure! I think it’s closer to 5 after displacement honestly….

However I’m having a problem with the whole turnover rate thing because even though I’m 100x turnover and every website tells me that’s overkill, I still have dead spots and I don’t feel that the tank as a whole has the flow to support acro.

 

[UncommonSense]

For sure! I think it’s closer to 5 after displacement honestly….

However I’m having a problem with the whole turnover rate thing because even though I’m 100x turnover and every website tells me that’s overkill, I still have dead spots and I don’t feel that the tank as a whole has the flow to support acro.

What do you consider a dead spot? Like detritus settling on a rock?

If that’s the issue, try sticking the powerhead on the AIO divider, lower down in the water column… possibly firing through that hole in the scape?

 

[Wbreef]

For sure! I think it’s closer to 5 after displacement honestly….

However I’m having a problem with the whole turnover rate thing because even though I’m 100x turnover and every website tells me that’s overkill, I still have dead spots and I don’t feel that the tank as a whole has the flow to support acro.

What do you consider a dead spot? Like detritus settling on a rock?

If that’s the issue, try sticking the powerhead on the AIO divider, lower down in the water column… possibly firing through that hole in the scape?

Yes behind the scape for the most part. I am going to do exactly that. I just got this on Amazon , we will see how it works!


Also planning to see if I can get adequate flow with both pumps on the back glass. With such a small tank, even the smallest of power heads are a giant eyesore…

 

[Acros]

I previously kept acros in a 25 gallon nano tank and flow was one of the most challenging things to get right. Often times, these tanks are too shallow to get away with just 2 pumps on opposite ends. Cranking up flow with large pumps will often result in them sucking air and micro bubbles in the tank. My advice is to go with multiple smaller pumps. I believe I had 5 pumps in total towards the end. 4 Nero style low powered jebaos and 1 gyre.

To begin with, you can get 2 small pumps such as jebao slw 10 and put them on both ends.

You can see some of my pump placements in this picture.

 

[Skippy The Meh]

Let’s keep in mind that a 12” cube is 1 cubic foot, or 7.48 gallons!

This would also be displacement, not volume; so it’s closer to a 6.5g tank!

Given this, your current return pump and powerhead have you at in excess of 100X display turnovers per-hour…

For sure! I think it’s closer to 5 after displacement honestly….

However I’m having a problem with the whole turnover rate thing because even though I’m 100x turnover and every website tells me that’s overkill, I still have dead spots and I don’t feel that the tank as a whole has the flow to support acro.

Not having even or random flow is not due to not high enough turnover. Its the type of flow your power head is putting out. On a tank that size i would consider a small gyre. Maxspect and AI have the smaller ones inexpensive. Imo add more heads for same result just decreases view angles of the tank which is already small.

 

[UncommonSense]

On a tank that size i would consider a small gyre.

Sooo…. You want OP to spend $200 minimum on a wave maker which is designed for a tank 10X the size? Then stick it in a $50 tank?

Seriously, think about this for a second…

Its the type of flow your power head is putting out

And what type of flow might that be, exactly?

 

[X-37B]

In my 15g, 10g's total I started with a Jebao ow10. It worked well but the shaft broke. I replaced it with a Tunze 6040.
I set it to come on for 9 minutes then off for 9.
Works well. You can do the same with a jebao.
No need for 2 in a system that small.
The 6040 is compact and does not stick out like the jebao did.

 

[NC AL]

small gyre wave pump

 

[X-37B]

small gyre wave pump

Yea I have the smallest hygger crossflow in my 13. Works well but I could not place it in the 15 the way I would have liked so I went with the Tunze.

 

[exnisstech]

Yes behind the scape for the most part. I am going to do exactly that. I just got this on Amazon , we will see how it works!


Also planning to see if I can get adequate flow with both pumps on the back glass. With such a small tank, even the smallest of power heads are a giant eyesore…

I have that pump on a little 8g but I don't have acro in the tank. Its not a very strong pump but I'm not a gph guy and never calculate turnover rates but instead watch how food or coral snow blows around the tank. In my limited experience you can't give acro too much flow as long as its random and not blowing directly in the coral. I think flow is as important as light. I would get as much flow as you can without blowing sand around. An example, I have a 36x22x22" acro dominant tank and in addition to the jebao DCP 5000 return I have 2 MP40s, 2 Nero 5s, a Jebao MP40 knock off and two orca 6075s and corals seem happy and growing. Even the LPS on the bottom look happy and stay inflated.

 

[Wbreef]

In my 15g, 10g's total I started with a Jebao ow10. It worked well but the shaft broke. I replaced it with a Tunze 6040.
I set it to come on for 9 minutes then off for 9.
Works well. You can do the same with a jebao.
No need for 2 in a system that small.
The 6040 is compact and does not stick out like the jebao did.

Thankyou for the input, tank looks AWESOME!

 

[Wbreef]

small gyre wave pump

Yea I have the smallest hygger crossflow in my 13. Works well but I could not place it in the 15 the way I would have liked so I went with the Tunze.

What’s your review of this pump? How long have you had it and how often do you have to clean it to keep flow rate ?

 

[Skippy The Meh]

Sooo…. You want OP to spend $200 minimum on a wave maker which is designed for a tank 10X the size? Then stick it in a $50 tank?

Seriously, think about this for a second…


And what type of flow might that be, exactly?

its not uncommon to find gyres in the $50 - $100 range whether its name brand used or off brand new via amazon.

im positive that every tank i have had has been far cheaper than the equipment it takes to run it and the live stock in it. Now, different livestock require more money while other livestock requires less money in equiptment. Acros are one of those types that just take more. mushrooms for example will do great under a $25 amazon light and powerhead.

Glad you asked about type of flow. in my experience, a concentrated jet of flow hammers a specific area of the tank. if your acros are getting blasted by the jet, you dont get polyp extension, if they are out of line of the jet they dont get enough flow. when i first started experimenting with acros i started with a nero 3 on a 10 G AIO and i could never get them placed in a spot they were happy. i then started using laminar flow as created from a gyre on a random pulse mode. all my corals did better from top to bottom. now, with each tank ive had since then, ive had to figure out only by experimenting, what works best.

IMO gyre is best bang for buck on smaller tanks. its a 1 and done leaving largest viewing space possible, with flow that circulates through whole tank.

 

[X-37B]

What’s your review of this pump? How long have you had it and how often do you have to clean it to keep flow rate ?

It's been running for 4 months and I have not cleaned it. Flow is fine and does not vary.

 

[NC AL]

What’s your review of this pump? How long have you had it and how often do you have to clean it to keep flow rate ?

It’s in my son’s 20 gallon, I like it. It has not been cleaned in almost a year. It’s pretty strong for its size.