Powerhead Placement (2xMP40) 100 EXT

[PigDaddyF15E]

I've been reading lots of posts on powerhead placement and they say "a picture is worth a thousand words". My aquascape is offset in that the rocks are closer to the front on the rights side and further back on the left. My though was that the right side is near a hallway so people can walk around that side to see behind the rocks. The front if further back as that side is where my equipment / ato is going to be housed.

I'm trying to figure out placement:
A. Should put the powerheads on the sides but near the back of the tank...and let the returns from the sump flow towards the front?
B. Should I put the powerheads towards the front and try to turn the return flows to get more towards the back/center?
C. Place one powerhead in front of the scape and the other behind. kinda making a toilet bowl effect around the tank. use returns to to straight ahead/toward center to get water hitting the front glass and swirling in the front?

 

[blaxsun]

Could you post an image of the front of the tank?

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

Could you post an image of the front of the tank?

 

[Lavey29]

I have a similar size tank and somewhat similar scape also. I use 2 MP40s on the sides of the tank in the middle about 3: below the water line. I run them at 40% on lagoon mode for my LPS dominated tank.

You really have to kind of play around with it a little until you find the best spot for good all around flow n your tank.

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

I have a similar size tank and somewhat similar scape also. I use 2 MP40s on the sides of the tank in the middle about 3: below the water line. I run them at 40% on lagoon mode for my LPS dominated tank.

You really have to kind of play around with it a little until you find the best spot for good all around flow n your tank.

I just started the cycle yesterday...so I thought I'd attach them and just run them to help keep things stirred up while the tank is cycling. It'll be a couple months before we make any livestock additions and then I'll probably end up moving things around based on the eventual coral placement.

 

[Lavey29]

I just started the cycle yesterday...so I thought I'd attach them and just run them to help keep things stirred up while the tank is cycling. It'll be a couple months before we make any livestock additions and then I'll probably end up moving things around based on the eventual coral placement.

Thats what I did and I kept my lights off also for almost 3 months while the tank settled in to prevent nuisance algae. When I did turn the lights on after adding the first few fish and corals my ugly stage was not that bad at all. I also added pods and various bacteria supplements before the lights came on to try and establish the bio diversity in the tank.

 

[Lavey29]

I tried playing around with the MP40s on the back or one on the back one on the side but really the best set up is across from each other in anti sync mode.

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

I tried playing around with the MP40s on the back or one on the back one on the side but really the best set up is across from each other in anti sync mode.

That's what I thought...my issue is the aquascape is nearer to the front on the right side than the left...so I'd have to put the powerhead pretty close to the front on that side. Not that it's a deal breaker...it just messes with the "clean" look of the glass

 

[Lavey29]

That's what I thought...my issue is the aquascape is nearer to the front on the right side than the left...so I'd have to put the powerhead pretty close to the front on that side. Not that it's a deal breaker...it just messes with the "clean" look of the glass

It looks like you have room at the top though so the flow would go over that high point. Here is my set up and you can see how mine are placed near the top to give surface agitation but I can tell you that MP40s have significant flow power and you need to have them placed right and the intensity set right or you will get a lot of sand movement and blowing around to.

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

It looks like you have room at the top though so the flow would go over that high point. Here is my set up and you can see how mine are placed near the top to give surface agitation but I can tell you that MP40s have significant flow power and you need to have them placed right and the intensity set right or you will get a lot of sand movement and blowing around to.

Your tank looks great!

Obviously I'll have to wait and see how the livestock reacts...but I like symmetry so it would be nice to have them setup that way. I guess now is the best time since I can move them around if I need to and test out different configurations.

 

[Lavey29]

Thank you, I tried the one on the right on the back wall because I wanted to keep that side of the tank clean for viewing but the flow was just very one directional so I ended up going across from each other and yes you are right now is the perfect time to experiment a bit with your set up and see what the best placement will be for you, Ultimately the corals will tell you also

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

Update / More feedback:

I currently have them installed with one in the lower corner of the left side when facing front...the other is high on the right side. I have them just barely running as turning them up just seemed to scare the heck outta my wife and daughter. Our pair of clowns were getting blown around when in the current and it seemed they were gonna get sucked in when they swam near them. We did put some screens over the powerheads (not installed in these photos).
The pair of firefish we have didn't seem to like to move around much until they were off...then all the fish would go exploring the tank.

Corals (when facing the aquarium): GSP in the lower left...seems to get blown around quite a bit with just 1%. Zoa in center on bottom with a frag of Cyphastrea behind it on a rock in the shade (center front). Ducan on the right front. Favia visible from the left side seems to be doing pretty good. In the back is an orange Stylocoeniella. Obligatory Xenia visible from the right on the bottom which seems to get quite a bit of flow on the piece that is facing the back MP40. Montipora in the upper rock area visible from the right pic.

Currently have them running just 1% (constant)and it seems to be moving water around pretty good but I just feel like I'm really underutilizing these things. Run them on a higher setting and they seem to pretty readily create suction/vorticies all the way to the surface which I don't want in the long run.

Possible change: I was thinking of moving the lower one up to around mid tank.

Speed change: Am I just being paranoid with the speed settings? I used the vortech calculator...and a pair of these is at the bottom of the range...so it seems keeping them on a pretty low setting is the way to go. I would love to experiment with some of the other modes...but am afraid the settings might be a little too much. I do understand I can customize them...so probably gonna keep the numbers in the single digits.

Thoughts?

P.S. Wish I could take photos like the coral sellers do...they make those corals pop. Best I've been able to do is hold this single filter over the phone while snapping pics.

 

[Lavey29]

I have a smaller tank and run my MP40s at 38% during the day and drop to 28 overnight in lagoon mode. The fish are fine swimming in that. Think of how rough the ocean current is for them. If it's mounted to low it will blow sand.

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

I have a smaller tank and run my MP40s at 38% during the day and drop to 28 overnight in lagoon mode. The fish are fine swimming in that. Think of how rough the ocean current is for them. If it's mounted to low it will blow sand.

Thanks for the reply! I was hoping you'd see my update and weigh in.

I like where they are...in terms of one in front and one behind the rockwork to make sure the water flows. I might move them both closer to the middle and try ramping things up a little while it's just corals and inverts in the tank ATM.

 

[Lavey29]

The eventual flow intensity will be dictated by the corals you choose. LPS and softs don't need that much but SPS require higher flow.

 

[Lavey29]

Plus you want to be sure you have good surface agitation for the 02 levels in the tank.

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

Plus you want to be sure you have good surface agitation for the 02 levels in the tank.

I wanted to place them closer to the surface..but they create a vortex that makes a horrible sound...so I've got to find the balance

 

[Lavey29]

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I wanted to place them closer to the surface..but they create a vortex that makes a horrible sound...so I've got to find the balance

That's strange, I have mine 3 inches below the water line straight across from each other and the water ripples nicely but no sounds.

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

Got one 3.5 inches from the waterline in Nutrient Transport Mode 5% (anti-sync with the other)...haven't heard any noises. I'm just keeping an eye on them. Might go up to 10% later if it doesn't seem to be ticking off any corals.

 

[Lavey29]

Got one 3.5 inches from the waterline in Nutrient Transport Mode 5% (anti-sync with the other)...haven't heard any noises. I'm just keeping an eye on them. Might go up to 10% later if it doesn't seem to be ticking off any corals.

Nutrients transport mode should be used sparingly daily. Flow should be reefcrest or lagoon typically depending on coral needs.