aztec reef
Active Member
Even though water movement seems good, it seems inefficient to have just 2 powerheads on 90g Dt.. Theres a few crucial factors when it comes to water flow..To best simulate natural water movement in your reef aquarium, you must first understand the three main types of water movement... Laminar flow is characterized by a steady, unidirectional flow, and is most often produced by powerheads.
Surge is similar to laminar flow, only stronger, for a shorter duration, and followed by a weaker reverse flow. Surge is best illustrated by the sudden movement of an entire school of fish in a single direction, followed by their sudden return to the initial location once the surge has passed.
Turbulence is the random flow of water in multiple directions. Of the three types, turbulence is the most desirable and the most difficult to replicate.
You can create water movement in your reef aquarium using several means:
Powerheads, while relatively inexpensive, produce only laminar currents. If you choose to implement a powerhead, do not aim water flow directly at invertebrates - the flow may be too intense and organisms may suffer damage. You can, however, direct flow to a specific area to reduce detritus buildup. Depending on your aquarium setup, you can create multi-directional flow with a powerhead by adding PVC pipe and fittings to the outflow.
Oscillating powerheads rotate within the aquarium and direct water over a wider area. By implementing several of these devices, you can create a turbulence pattern similar to that found on a reef.
Electronic wavemakers may be used with multiple standard or oscillating powerheads to produce turbulence by shutting the powerheads off and on in random fashion.
Water flow diverters, installed on the return of your main filtration, contain a pressure activated switching valve that acts as an alternating tee, splitting your return line into two separate outputs to create beneficial currents. If your aquarium is large, you can use more than one valve after the tee to create several currents......
Surge is similar to laminar flow, only stronger, for a shorter duration, and followed by a weaker reverse flow. Surge is best illustrated by the sudden movement of an entire school of fish in a single direction, followed by their sudden return to the initial location once the surge has passed.
Turbulence is the random flow of water in multiple directions. Of the three types, turbulence is the most desirable and the most difficult to replicate.
You can create water movement in your reef aquarium using several means:
Powerheads, while relatively inexpensive, produce only laminar currents. If you choose to implement a powerhead, do not aim water flow directly at invertebrates - the flow may be too intense and organisms may suffer damage. You can, however, direct flow to a specific area to reduce detritus buildup. Depending on your aquarium setup, you can create multi-directional flow with a powerhead by adding PVC pipe and fittings to the outflow.
Oscillating powerheads rotate within the aquarium and direct water over a wider area. By implementing several of these devices, you can create a turbulence pattern similar to that found on a reef.
Electronic wavemakers may be used with multiple standard or oscillating powerheads to produce turbulence by shutting the powerheads off and on in random fashion.
Water flow diverters, installed on the return of your main filtration, contain a pressure activated switching valve that acts as an alternating tee, splitting your return line into two separate outputs to create beneficial currents. If your aquarium is large, you can use more than one valve after the tee to create several currents......