Powerhead placement/suggestions

[jpil]

Hello all!

Looking for some insight or ideas for getting rid of a somewhat dead zone for flow. The tank is a 36x18x24 65 gallon, currently have 2 Reef Breeders RP-M pumps on the back wall toward the ends. I have good random flow across the front and around the top of the rock work, but behind it is pretty slow.
With the tank position I have the back wall and the left end to put pumps on as we want it to have unobstructed view from the front and right end. I aquascaped it to have room for corals, etc. on the back side of the rock work too.

Have been tossing around the idea of a IceCap 2k gyre on the top left end, or maybe a Nero5 or another RP-M half way down along the back blowing left to right, or even one of those two centered on the back wall to help create more of a upwelling back there.

Trying to keep the profile as low as possible, but need to get it moving behind back there.

Trying to keep it under $200!

Any suggestions?

 

[Billldg]

First things, have you tried to move the pumps to the sides? You can try a Gyre, but they move a ton of water, I have them so I know. I had a Gyre 350 in my 120 and had to keep it at 30 percent max. You can add a pump on the left side to move water across the back.

 

[Apollo7235]

I love your aquascape, by the way!

I have a similar issue on my 38-gallon tank, so I’ll be following this!

Unfortunately, however, I think the solution may be what has already been suggested (placing one power head on each opposing end). My tank placement is the same as yours, just opposite so I really haven’t wanted to place a power head on the exposed side in plain view..... Maybe one on one side and the other on the back in the opposite corner...? Hmmmm

 

[jpil]

First things, have you tried to move the pumps to the sides? You can try a Gyre, but they move a ton of water, I have them so I know. I had a Gyre 350 in my 120 and had to keep it at 30 percent max. You can add a pump on the left side to move water across the back.

I tried putting one pump on each end, one on the left end and one on the back wall right, etc.
The center cave area and the bottom in the back just is a dead zone for me.

The RPM Pumps move a lot of water at low velocity, and it only makes it about half way down the tank. Sure you can get a wave rocking back and forth with them, but it doesn’t move a lot down low

I took advantage of BRS having the IceCap Gyres on sale and have a 4K headed this way, hopefully will be the cure for me, as I really don’t want to have a pump on the right end wall. We shall see!

 

[jpil]

I love your aquascape, by the way!

I have a similar issue on my 38-gallon tank, so I’ll be following this!

Unfortunately, however, I think the solution may be what has already been suggested (placing one power head on each opposing end). My tank placement is the same as yours, just opposite so I really haven’t wanted to place a power head on the exposed side in plain view..... Maybe one on one side and the other on the back in the opposite corner...? Hmmmm

Thanks! I spent a while getting the rocks just right with space all the way around it for flow and future growth. The coralline covered rock on the left end is borrowed from a friend’s basement sump/liverock/fuge to kick start this tank with some well aged rock/coralline. It’ll eventually end up in the sump as it is blocking a cave.. lol

I now have a IceCap 4K gyre on the way, so we are gunna see how that goes. I more or less refuse to put a pump on that end wall, so it’s going to be trial and error. I have seriously considered a cheaper Tunze Nanostream hidden down low back there, but the wife eventually plans on a anemone and a pump that low makes me anxious. Without a anemone in there a stream pump of some sort would wake that back area up for sure. Once I get the gyre in there I’ll try to remember to update this thread.