My tank has been up for 4+ years and I’ve gone through 3 types of in tank flow systems. When I first built the tank(2013) I was running Tunze 6105 pumps x2. They were large bulbous eye sores and failed a month apart two years in. The flow was great but not ideal in my system. Placement was a pain due to the large size.
So I switched to the Gyre system (x2) (2015) and 6 weeks in started having all the issues. Purchasing and replacing enough parts to easily pay for a third gyre, I laid them to rest. The flow pattern was amazing and if I had not had so many issues and costs to maintain they would probably be still on my system.
Then came the MP40qd’s (x2)(2016). I had been avoiding these for the simple reason that it feels like you have to run them on the sides of the tank (L+R) to maximize the flow pattern and they are Omni directional. When placed in the L/R orientation it kills the view on the sides and you still have cords crossing the glass. My tank looked like it had ear buds on. Over the holidays I rescaped my system and moved the pumps to the back of the tank. Loved that they disappeared and opened up the sides again, but the flow has been ech.. as I have to turn them down so far to not cause a sand storm. Every other day I’m moving sand back into the front corners of the tank, trying to find corals that have been buried. I’m having a bit of a green Cyano outbreak. It could be due to the movement of the scape, but makes me feel like there is not enough flow. If I had been able to, I would have used 4 MP10’s along the back, but my glass is to thick at 3/4”. Today at 5:30 am, the clicking of a bad wetside woke me up from a dream. After my gyre experience, I had purchased a spare wetside unit just in case, so I had to find it half asleep and made the switch. Again, moving sand back to the corners.
So here I am spinning the hamster wheel and trying to figure out what I need to do to sort my flow whoas.
Adding a third MP40 (L/C/R) on the back wall, I could maybe reduce the flow a bit more on the two sides and maybe avoid burying rocks/corals. It would be tricky to get it back there as the tank is against a wall and 30” front to back. Also may lead to having to rescape a bit to accommodate the flow. But I fear that I may still be fighting the sand issues. I’ve looked at the Apex WAV system, which I had almost bought instead of the MP40’s. I held off because they were a new product( again fear after the gyre issues) and wanted to wait and see how they held up after some time in hobbyists tanks. Reading reviews seem to hint at failures happening around the 18 month mark.
Another system I have been trying to research is the Panta Rhei Hydrowizard but it has been difficult to find info in English.
Any help/advice would be appreciated. If you made it this far in my rant, thanks. And if you have tips on training diamond gobies to move sand back to my corners and keeping corals unburied please PM me
So I switched to the Gyre system (x2) (2015) and 6 weeks in started having all the issues. Purchasing and replacing enough parts to easily pay for a third gyre, I laid them to rest. The flow pattern was amazing and if I had not had so many issues and costs to maintain they would probably be still on my system.
Then came the MP40qd’s (x2)(2016). I had been avoiding these for the simple reason that it feels like you have to run them on the sides of the tank (L+R) to maximize the flow pattern and they are Omni directional. When placed in the L/R orientation it kills the view on the sides and you still have cords crossing the glass. My tank looked like it had ear buds on. Over the holidays I rescaped my system and moved the pumps to the back of the tank. Loved that they disappeared and opened up the sides again, but the flow has been ech.. as I have to turn them down so far to not cause a sand storm. Every other day I’m moving sand back into the front corners of the tank, trying to find corals that have been buried. I’m having a bit of a green Cyano outbreak. It could be due to the movement of the scape, but makes me feel like there is not enough flow. If I had been able to, I would have used 4 MP10’s along the back, but my glass is to thick at 3/4”. Today at 5:30 am, the clicking of a bad wetside woke me up from a dream. After my gyre experience, I had purchased a spare wetside unit just in case, so I had to find it half asleep and made the switch. Again, moving sand back to the corners.
So here I am spinning the hamster wheel and trying to figure out what I need to do to sort my flow whoas.
Adding a third MP40 (L/C/R) on the back wall, I could maybe reduce the flow a bit more on the two sides and maybe avoid burying rocks/corals. It would be tricky to get it back there as the tank is against a wall and 30” front to back. Also may lead to having to rescape a bit to accommodate the flow. But I fear that I may still be fighting the sand issues. I’ve looked at the Apex WAV system, which I had almost bought instead of the MP40’s. I held off because they were a new product( again fear after the gyre issues) and wanted to wait and see how they held up after some time in hobbyists tanks. Reading reviews seem to hint at failures happening around the 18 month mark.
Another system I have been trying to research is the Panta Rhei Hydrowizard but it has been difficult to find info in English.
Any help/advice would be appreciated. If you made it this far in my rant, thanks. And if you have tips on training diamond gobies to move sand back to my corners and keeping corals unburied please PM me
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