Pump For Nano Reef Help

[Tristanyurieef]

Hi everyone! I have an Innovative Marine 15-gallon AIO cube and recently added my first corals (some zoas and mushrooms). I’ve also been dealing with a small cyano problem, so I thought adding a wavemaker might help improve flow and keep debris from settling.

I originally bought a Hygger Mini Wave Maker rated for 15–40 gallons, but it was way too strong. I then tried the Hygger Lite DC Wave Maker (6W, rated for 10–50 gallons), but even on the lowest setting it still blew sand around, made my clownfish struggle against the current, and caused my corals to close up.

So I’m wondering:

• Is there actually a wavemaker that’s appropriate for a 15-gallon tank?
• Do I even need additional flow if I’m primarily keeping soft corals like zoas and mushrooms?
• Is increased flow likely to help with my cyano, or should I focus on other methods?

I’d appreciate any advice on finding the right balance without stressing the fish or corals!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

the real problem is the flow goes across the tank hits the glass then follows the glass causing the sand to move. Try to direct your powerhead flow towards the return flow, so the 2 flows meet and bounce and create random flow patterns.

I use 2 of those hyyger dc powerheads in my 15 gallon softie tank, mostly mushrooms and zoa's. They are pointed directly at each other. Even mushrooms and zoa's need some amount of flow.

Or consider adding another powerhead. It might be hard to believe, but it is easier with 2. Good flow is very important IMO for a healthy tank.

 

[Servos]

I just picked up a Jebao ELW-3 for a 10 gallon. So far I've been happy with the flow and would recommend for your use case. The Hygger lite is similar, though a bit more powerful. Is the flow too much even at the lowest settings?

While soft corals don't need as much flow as say SPS, they still do appreciate a fair amount. Flow will also help keep detritus from settling and discourage cyano (though not a silver bullet to completely prevent).