Wave Maker Too Strong?

[kay-dee]

Is my powerhead placed incorrectly & is it too powerful? It created dunes..

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

One powerhead will create a one way linear flow which circles the tank and creates dunes. 2 is always better, so that you can position them across from each other so the flows meet and bounce in the middle to create random flow patters. Also, creating surface agitation is very important to help oxygenate the tank. You also have very little rock in the tank (you should have more rock), so there's nothing to break up the flow.

 

[kay-dee]

One powerhead will create a one way linear flow which circles the tank and creates dunes. 2 is always better, so that you can position them across from each other so the flows meet and bounce in the middle to create random flow patters. Also, creating surface agitation is very important to help oxygenate the tank. You also have very little rock in the tank (you should have more rock), so there's nothing to break up the flow.

More rock is definitely on my list to get next. As for the wavemaker, should i stick to a lower powered one since its only a 20G tank?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

The way it works is, the pump gph divided by the gallons. For example, if the pump is 100 gph, divided by 20 gallons, is 5x turnover. A salt tank should have 20x turnover minimum. You can easily go over the 20x number, I run my tanks at about 40x turnover, but 20x should be the minimum for a healthy tank IMO.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Is my powerhead placed incorrectly & is it too powerful? It created dunes..

Video does not play but signs of strong would be sand moving, vigorous wave action with coral and fish swimming while resisting strong flow. Please post a 20-30 second video if you can under bright white light