IM 20 Flow improvements

[chansman]

Been cruising the AIO thread and am thrilled with the number of IM20 owners. I had a 75 gallon salt set-up a few years back but then changed over to a fresh water planted angel fish tank but now i'm coming back. I just picked up a Fusion 20 and while doing the leak test I noticed how horrible the stock 211 gph pump is for flow. My question is should I upgrade the return pump first or add something like a Jebao ow-10. I see the mighty-jet on the IM site and like that it has some control. What do you guys think?

 

[smilinteddy]

From what I've heard and read the suggested turnover rate for return pumps has decreased from what it used to be. Slower turnover through the return pump allows for slower flow through your chambers in the back of the AIO tank and allows for more contact time with skimmer, filter media, fuge, etc.

That being said flow in the tank is still important and very few reefers rely on their return pump as the sole form of water movement.

If it was me, if you already have a return pump that works, I'd invest in a powerhead to add flow to the tank. By using a powerhead it will give you way more flexibility in adding flow to the tank as opposed to tryi g to just rely on a more powerful return pump, because with that you will be limited on where the flow is produced based on the location of your returns.

 

[ReeferReefer]

+1 on using a powerhead over replacing the return pump. I'm using the stock pump on my Nuvo 30L and added a MP10 for flow.

It might be smart to get a upgraded return pump now though, since a return pump failure can happen at any time and having a back up is a smart thing to do.

 

[Jeff Hargis]

I upgraded my return pump in my IM 20 with a Sicce syncra silent 1.5. Has a little more flow and a very silent pump. Been running a AI Nero for flow in the tank.

 

[Esage]

I upgraded my return pump in my IM 20 with a Sicce syncra silent 1.5. Has a little more flow and a very silent pump. Been running a AI Nero for flow in the tank.

Hows the Nero working in your tank? What setting are you running the pump on?

Thanks

 

[Aprod]

I have an MP10 in my Nuvo 20 as well as the Sicce Syncra 1.5 return pump with Random Flow nozzles from VCA. I have a lot of flow in my tank, but can't figure out a way to make it so the Euphyllia is not all blasting in one direction constantly. My rockwork makes the flow in the tank like a race circuit so it just keeps flowing in one consistent circle (I think?). Anyone have any experience on this? Suggestions to improve?

 

[Joshua Mummery]

i did 2 sicce syncra .5 to control each nozzle on the returns. Also run the icecap nano skimmer inbetween the two return pumps

 

[smilinteddy]

I have an MP10 in my Nuvo 20 as well as the Sicce Syncra 1.5 return pump with Random Flow nozzles from VCA. I have a lot of flow in my tank, but can't figure out a way to make it so the Euphyllia is not all blasting in one direction constantly. My rockwork makes the flow in the tank like a race circuit so it just keeps flowing in one consistent circle (I think?). Anyone have any experience on this? Suggestions to improve?

I suspect your mp10 is located on one side near either the front or back wall and that is primarily what is creating your "racetrack" flow pattern.

All I can think of is you could either place your mp10 more centrally on the side wall, so instead of blowing along either the front or back wall, hitting the opposite side and coming back along the front or back wall, it more goes down the center of the tank, maybe getting broken up by rockwork etc. And then deflects off the other wall and works it's way back...

Or, keep your racetrack flow but try to angle your returns down more? So that their random flow breaks up the racetrack a bit and at least makes it change trajectory a bit?

 

[btmedic04]

I have an MP10 in my Nuvo 20 as well as the Sicce Syncra 1.5 return pump with Random Flow nozzles from VCA. I have a lot of flow in my tank, but can't figure out a way to make it so the Euphyllia is not all blasting in one direction constantly. My rockwork makes the flow in the tank like a race circuit so it just keeps flowing in one consistent circle (I think?). Anyone have any experience on this? Suggestions to improve?

I've got a sicce 1.0 with spinstreams and an mp10wqd programmed through a reeflink. I found that putting a few hours of 30% power on gyre mode on 5 second intervals helped with the race track issue for me

 

[Jeff Hargis]

Hows the Nero working in your tank? What setting are you running the pump on?

Thanks

It is working out great! I run it in random mode. It starts ramping up in the morning and hits peak random flow in the late afternoon. Then it starts ramping down in the evening. Late night is on a slow constant flow. I can't remember what I set my maximum flow at. I would have to look when I get home.

 

[Esage]

It is working out great! I run it in random mode. It starts ramping up in the morning and hits peak random flow in the late afternoon. Then it starts ramping down in the evening. Late night is on a slow constant flow. I can't remember what I set my maximum flow at. I would have to look when I get home.

If you wouldn't mind that would be awesome

 

[flchamp89]

I like the mighty jet with spinstreams. I use it and a sw4.