Wavemaker for 29 gallon

[TingeOfGinge]

Hi everyone,
I was hoping to get some advice on wavemaker sizing. Right now, I have a Voyager Nano 1000 AC powerhead, but it doesn't seem like quite enough for my 29 gallon tank. It has a very narrow stream, which doesn't cover a lot of the tank, but if pointed directly at the corals, they close right up. I was thinking of getting a gyre/cross flow type of wavemaker, since that seems to be a better fit for what I'm going for, but I'm having trouble with the sizing. I'd like to get something that is wide, but not so powerful that it irritates the corals. I only have softies and LPS in my tank, so I don't need tons of flow.
I think I found a decent wavemaker on Amazon, however, I'm not entirely sure what size I should go for. I'm not sure if links are allowed, but what I'm looking at is the FZONE Wavemaker. Based on their size chart and the size of my tank (30 inches long), I should go for the FZ-1600 (M). But that one is listed at 1,600 GPH, while my current powerhead is only around 300GPH. There's also the FZ-1200 (S), which is only half a wavemaker, but has up to 1,200 GPH.
Do you think that would be too much flow, or is going with the FZ-1600 most likely going to work?
Thanks!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

i use a nero 3 in my 32 gallon tank, I use at full power, which is supposedly 2000 gph. It gives good flow but I am giving thought to adding another.

IMO, have a look at the Hygger and Jebao DC powerheads, they are relatively cheap, not too strong for smaller tanks, and controllable. These have many reviews on this forum so they are tried and true, amazon is always questionable what you will end up with.

 

[TingeOfGinge]

i use a nero 3 in my 32 gallon tank, I use at full power, which is supposedly 2000 gph. It gives good flow but I am giving thought to adding another.

IMO, have a look at the Hygger and Jebao DC powerheads, they are relatively cheap, not too strong for smaller tanks, and controllable. These have many reviews on this forum so they are tried and true, amazon is always questionable what you will end up with.

Those do look intriguing! Are you looking to get another due to not enough flow (ie, you're already at 100% power), or because the flow pattern isn't how you like it?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Those do look intriguing! Are you looking to get another due to not enough flow (ie, you're already at 100% power), or because the flow pattern isn't how you like it?

If I have a second one I would turn it down, its up to full power cause its only one.

 

[Kooma]

i use a nero 3 in my 32 gallon tank, I use at full power, which is supposedly 2000 gph. It gives good flow but I am giving thought to adding another.

IMO, have a look at the Hygger and Jebao DC powerheads, they are relatively cheap, not too strong for smaller tanks, and controllable. These have many reviews on this forum so they are tried and true, amazon is always questionable what you will end up with.

I ran a nero5 in my 32 biocube. Pulse, 3 seconds on 5 off, 75%. Love that pump!

 

[TingeOfGinge]

OK, cool! I have no feeling for how the GPH translates to actual flow, so this info is super helpful.

 

[MC Blowfish]

I use a Nero 3 in my 20 gallon, and I love it. I'm a big fan of adjusting the speeds, and flow patterns.

 

[TingeOfGinge]

An update for anyone who comes across this later. The neros were a bit out of budget and the Jebao clones were about as much as the Fzone I was looking at, so I went with the FZone since it was a gyre and had good reviews. I got the M size (1600GPH), and at 40%, it's probably just about right (or maybe even a little too much) for my tank. Also, the Tide mode doesn't seem have much variation in flow and the random mode doesn't respect the 40% maximum and is way too powerful. I'm keeping it on Pulse mode for now. I've also found it doesn't like being unplugged, as it seems to not start back up once being plugged back in without me changing the mode first.