Neptune Aquatics

Time to kick up the flow......

Kmooresf

Supporting Member
Well, I have a couple of dead spots that are driving me crazy. every once in awhile I find a small amount of cyano that will build up in these spots. I had a piece of it stuck in one of the corals and it made a big dead spot.

I Have a few other area's in the tank with very slow flow as well. I am gonna have to add some more power heads to the equasion.

Currently I am running 4 Tunze 6105's on a Tunze control / wave maker (7095). They kick out some good flow for sure maxing out at 3400 gph. They are able to give a fairly wide stream that reaches about 5' accross the tank before petering out. They have a small amount that makes it all the way accross the tank, but it's not much.

I also have a little flow from two Waterblaster 5000 rated at 1300gph. I figure I'm getting between 900-1000 gph out of each of those.

The tank is 72" x 31" x 26" tall.

So the two options I am considering at the moment are either.......

1) Buy two more Tunze 6105's and to add approx 6800gph ......or

2) Buy one of the new Tunze 6255's at approx 4800gph. However this is a much wider and more turbulent flow pattern that would likely reach the other side quite nicely. If I did this I would move one of my current pumps the the other side having three 6105's opposite the new 6255 and the other 6105. I think having three on one side and the new more powerful pump on the other would make for a nice random flow (I will also be upgrading the controller to the 7096 which has more flow patterns including a syncronized wavemaker).

Each option runs about the same price. At the moment I have pretty much decided to just go with the two 6105's. A bit more flow and more options to move the flow. However I thought I would throw the questions out there in case these newer "wider" flow pumps might be worth the crazy cost?

Here is a link to a YouTube video showing the new 6255. He compares it to the Votec MP40, but clearly it is more appropriately compared to the MP60. But it shows some good water movement. http://youtu.be/1Lb3UPjJCuk

Any thoughts? Thanks.
 
You got a nice tank and I am not a fan of too many pumps on the side. I would consider the largest pump I can use, and get two to create oscillating waves to call it a day. I run mp60 for most of the day and kick in a tunze wavebox for a few hours.
 
My thought is to go with smaller pumps, your tank scaping isn't terribly open, so one big pump with a wide flow might be quite wasted, two smaller pumps would be a better choice. Any reason you need them to be controllable too? I forget if you have them oscillating or not. They make non-controllable versions that could be useful (and way cheaper) that you can either point across the face of the tank (where you might not need any control because there's nothing in the way, or even a couple of the nano versions hiding in the back pointing at different angles where you might have dead spots (although their nano sized ones might not be up to snuff as far as magnet strength).

The 6255 is one that I've looked at, but damnit if it's not a really expensive pump :D
 
euod said:
You got a nice tank and I am not a fan of too many pumps on the side. I would consider the largest pump I can use, and get two to create oscillating waves to call it a day. I run mp60 for most of the day and kick in a tunze wavebox for a few hours.

I did consider a wavebox as well, however I hadn't considered only using it for a few hours. I like the wave action, but not all the time.

I also considered selling two of my 6105's and buying two of the 6255, but at $700 bucks EACH! OUCH! I couldn't swing that until the fall at least. Not a bad idea though. Thanks.
 
sfsuphysics said:
My thought is to go with smaller pumps, your tank scaping isn't terribly open, so one big pump with a wide flow might be quite wasted, two smaller pumps would be a better choice. Any reason you need them to be controllable too? I forget if you have them oscillating or not. They make non-controllable versions that could be useful (and way cheaper) that you can either point across the face of the tank (where you might not need any control because there's nothing in the way, or even a couple of the nano versions hiding in the back pointing at different angles where you might have dead spots (although their nano sized ones might not be up to snuff as far as magnet strength).

The 6255 is one that I've looked at, but damnit if it's not a really expensive pump :D

It is VERY expensive.

I have considered non controllable pumps to shoot through the back of the tank (or front.....good suggestion), however I like several things about the controllable ones. I like to be able to use a "storm" mode to really kick up stuff every once in awhile. I also like the idea of making small waves with opposing currents. However my favorite feature is the "nightime" feature which slows the currents down a bit once the lights go out to give the fish a bit of a break. Maybe not necessary, but if you have ever been Diving, the currents change a LOT throughout the day and evening......at times I have been in the water with absolutely NO current. This is also why I am going to upgrade my controller, so I can have the modes change randomly throughout the day.

I tend to agree with you about covering more angles with more pumps, but less pumps visually is also appealing. :~
 
You can find used 6205's on RC for pretty good prices. You can probably buy 2 for the price of a 6255 or mp60. Hook one up to a sea sweep and you will get some serious flow.
 
JAR said:
MP60 X2 and your done :)


LOVE the vortec's.........NOT the noise. I have managed to keep the tank room fairly quiet and even that little cycling hum would drive me crazy I think. I do think the flow is fantastic from them though.
 
I am a fan of an alternating gyre.
What I did was use 2 x Magnum 7 at each end, on a simple on/off controller.
They alternate between ends every hour.
They are right at the surface, so they set up a rolling gyre.
But I have to admit is is still not really enough. I get Cyano on the sand between rock pillars.

The big Magnum power heads are pretty much the only power heads that do not make noise on an on/off relay controller.

The other good option is total random chaotic flow.
Put two of your 6105's on each end, pointed toward each other.
Random flow on controller.
Add a sea-swirl (or two) in the middle, such that the sea-swirl flow also hits the power head flow.

But don't be too surprised if you end up digging holes in your sand.
For me, every time I managed to get enough flow, I also dug holes and made my torch corals unhappy.
 
rygh said:
I am a fan of an alternating gyre.
What I did was use 2 x Magnum 7 at each end, on a simple on/off controller.
They alternate between ends every hour.
They are right at the surface, so they set up a rolling gyre.
But I have to admit is is still not really enough. I get Cyano on the sand between rock pillars.

The big Magnum power heads are pretty much the only power heads that do not make noise on an on/off relay controller.

The other good option is total random chaotic flow.
Put two of your 6105's on each end, pointed toward each other.
Random flow on controller.
Add a sea-swirl (or two) in the middle, such that the sea-swirl flow also hits the power head flow.

But don't be too surprised if you end up digging holes in your sand.
For me, every time I managed to get enough flow, I also dug holes and made my torch corals unhappy.

I already get holes at times. Although most of them are from my Maroon clown. She looks right at me, then turns around and kicks sand in my face. LOL! ATTITUDE!!

I also have the pumps on opposing walls, so the middle of the tank gets awesome turbulance from where the power heads meet, however it's the ends of the tank that are getting most of the dead spots. I have considered placing power heads on the back wall toward the center overflow and aiming them back at the side walls to get some flow in those corners. I suppose I just need to decide what pumps to get and play around with them a bit once they are here. I am just hoping I can get enough flow with whatever I decide so I am not having this discussion again in 6 months. ;)
 
> I also have the pumps on opposing walls, so the middle of the tank gets awesome turbulance from where the power heads meet, however it's the ends of the tank that are getting most of the dead spots.
A possible solution to that is alternating between sides. Turn one side off, other on, with some overlap.
As the collision point between sides moves, that nice turbulent area moves as well.
But it still does not get the ends well.

> I have considered placing power heads on the back wall toward the center overflow and aiming them back at the side walls to get some flow in those corners.
I tried that. It looks rather ugly unless it is way up near the surface.
Worked so-so. Tended to help get the front corner, but made the back worse.
It is certainly worth trying.

> I suppose I just need to decide what pumps to get and play around with them a bit once they are here.
Borrow some, play around, then buy.

I think the "perfect flow" on long tanks is one of those endless impossible tasks.
I have tried many things as well with medium success.

Another idea is to have a few small nozzles on the return pump lines, pointed directly at whatever the powerheads miss.
 
>Another idea is to have a few small nozzles on the return pump lines, pointed directly at whatever the powerheads miss.

You know, that is a good idea. I currently have each return split to two large / wide nozzles and the flow is VERY soft from them. Maybe I should take one out and use a smaller nozzle to get a little punch from the return. I did this so that I could keep one of them up high as a siphon break, however I also put Check valves on both lines, so it's really not necessary.
 
Kmooresf said:
>Another idea is to have a few small nozzles on the return pump lines, pointed directly at whatever the powerheads miss.

You know, that is a good idea. I currently have each return split to two large / wide nozzles and the flow is VERY soft from them. Maybe I should take one out and use a smaller nozzle to get a little punch from the return. I did this so that I could keep one of them up high as a siphon break, however I also put Check valves on both lines, so it's really not necessary.


Following along with this concept...

You might try an eductor nozzle on the return. They are supposed to dramatically increase the flow.
 
aqua-nut said:
Kmooresf said:
>Another idea is to have a few small nozzles on the return pump lines, pointed directly at whatever the powerheads miss.

You know, that is a good idea. I currently have each return split to two large / wide nozzles and the flow is VERY soft from them. Maybe I should take one out and use a smaller nozzle to get a little punch from the return. I did this so that I could keep one of them up high as a siphon break, however I also put Check valves on both lines, so it's really not necessary.


Following along with this concept...

You might try an eductor nozzle on the return. They are supposed to dramatically increase the flow.

Great idea John. I have always wanted to try one of those. Thanks.
 
Have you cleaned your pumps lately? cleaning them will improve flow too. FYI when your corals grow they will restrict flow too, so I think you will have flow issues as long as you have the tank....sorry.
 
Back
Top