PowerHeads

[pixelpixi]

I don't have nearly enough flow in my tank. Any suggestions on which types and how many power heads I should be using? My tank dimensions are 36"x18"x20".

VorTechs and similar aren't in the budget. I'm thinking I might go with a couple largeish Koralias but I'm not sure what size.

 

[zambavi]

I would go with 3 Koralia 3's

 

[A_Lee]

Depending on how your rock work is organized, and how much flow you want, I would go with
three Koralia 2's, or two Koralia 3's.

 

[zambavi]

I would do a combination of 3 different ones to get a good mix of flow... If you think 3 3's is too much maybe do 2 2's and a 3 or 2 3's and a 2 etc. etc.

 

[tuberider]

Since 3's and 2's are the same size with different propellers, I'd go with 2 3's if you want a lot of flow.

I think though, with how open you're rockwork is, one or two small maxi-jet mods might really get the tank "pumping". Koralias are great in tight spaces as they won't rip the flesh off of your corals and distribute the flow evenly, they are bulky and aren't as good for a laminar push which you can take advantage of with more open rockwork. That cuts down on the amount of equipment you need in the tank.

 

[pixelpixi]

Cool. I've already got 1 Koralia 2, so maybe I'll add two Koralia 3s. Hmm. Perhaps I'll get the controllable ones and wire them up to my diy controller for a little wavemaking action.

Are there any other brands of powerheads I should consider instead of the Koralias, or are they pretty much the way to go at this price point?

 

[pixelpixi]

[quote author=tuberider link=topic=6022.msg76234#msg76234 date=1232602792]
Since 3's and 2's are the same size with different propellers, I'd go with 2 3's if you want a lot of flow.

I think though, with how open you're rockwork is, one or two small maxi-jet mods might really get the tank "pumping". Koralias are great in tight spaces as they won't rip the flesh off of your corals and distribute the flow evenly, they are bulky and aren't as good for a laminar push which you can take advantage of with more open rockwork. That cuts down on the amount of equipment you need in the tank.
[/quote]

Oh, that's a good idea. If I added a pair of MJs, which size would you recommend?

What's the reliability of Koralias vs maxijets?

 

[pixelpixi]

PS. I think I'll likely keep the one koralia 2 up high in the middle where I have it and add two others (either Koralias or maxijets) back behind on either side, if that affects your recommendation.

 

[Gomer]

Erin, I have a 36x15x16 frag tank. I was able to get good flow with 2x K2's. It does depend on your setup though. I allowed for a pretty decent gyre, so momentum was on my side

 

[zambavi]

My 36"x18"x16" 40G Breeder Frag Tank has 2 Koralia 2's and 1 Koralia 3 in it. The flow is perfect for me at this size... BUT... there is no LR.

 

[seminolecpa]

I have a modded MJ1200 if you want to try it out. May also have a Korillia 4. Was gonna post them and some other stuff up for sale but you are welcome to try them.

 

[pixelpixi]

Thanks, Bryan. Let me think about what I want to do and get back to you.

 

[tuberider]

The 1200 might be a little strong, I was thinking more like 800's. I not saying the Koralias won't work either, they are fine powerheads, in fact I use them myself in a 36X18 footprint tank.

 

[seminolecpa]

The 1200 could be a little strong. Jeremy if you recall that was the one that was circulating the water in my temp tank.

 

[sfsuphysics]

I got a 1200 modded on my 6 foot long 100g and yeah the anemones on the other side of the tank are definitely moving as a result. I'd like to put another modded 1200 on there as well and ditch the Seio pump actually.

But a question I didn't see addressed, do you have a sandbed in the tank? a lot of flow for a small tank is fine (hell Eric uses a Vortech on his nano ) but if you have sand, you'll probably end up with sand dunes if you put too much flow in there.

 

[badbread]

FWIW, I have three Koralia nano's in my little frag tank and they rock. I set them up as suggested by the flow guy at BAYMAC and they do a great job all over the little tank.

 

[iani]

Yeah the maxijet 1200 is probably going to be too strong for that tank. If you go with a modded maxijet, I would probably go with the smallest one.

 

[pixelpixi]

I have a fairly coarse crushed coral sand. I might switch it out or mix it with something a little finer at some point.

I'm not necessarily looking to have a LOT of flow, I just want to make sure I have enough flow and my one Koralia 2 + a fairly slow return pump doesn't seem like enough.