Do I need Powerheads for 125g FOWLR?

honnzee

honnzee

New Member
This is my first SW tank. I've had many FW and BW tanks over the years with good success. This particular tank will be a work in progress that might take up to a year to get it the way I want it. First, I'll list what I have now then I'll list what I want to get it to.

I have a 125 standard (not reef ready).
It will be a FOWLR
2 x 36" T5 bulbs
Has 2 - Emperor 400 HOB filters
I have around 100 lbs of cured LR that has been in another tank for about 2 months.
The substrate is regular sand from fish store that has only recently been added.

Future for the tank are (roughly in this order):
HOB overflow
30g DIY sump
protein skimmer
eliminate the HOB power filters
better lighting

My first question is, do I need Powerheads in a FOWLR? If so, would I need it before I start my future improvements? What's the purpose if you're not going to have hard and soft corals? I like to do things in steps, so if I needed a power head or two, what would you start with and where would you put it/them?

Thanks for any suggestions. I look forward to hanging around on this forum quite a bit.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Hello, and welcome to the site!

The wave is the life of the ocean .... and your saltwater tank. Yes you need about 3 power heads at least, or a couple of MP20s (expensive). Don't get the maxi-jet type that just shoot a steam of water, you want the type that looks like a little fan, that defuses the water as it pushes it.

The reason you need them is to move the water, saltwater have less oxygen then freshwater, so gas exchange is very important. The power heads make sure the waters oxygen is well dispersed and it keeps the rocks and sand clear of detritus. Saltwater tanks look very calm, but inside is very turbulent, the top of the water should look like it's boiling. So corals or not, you need them.
 
honnzee

honnzee

New Member
Thanks for the info Flower. So I'll be getting some power heads as a first improvement it sounds! It seems strange to me to have 3, how would they be positioned? Would you want them aimed at each other, or setup to try to make a current circling the tank? You are right, they certainly don't give those MP20s or 40s away. I had sticker shock when I looked them up. Have you had any luck with a more affordable power head brand if I were to buy 3?
 
emrogers13

emrogers13

New Member
I'm just starting to get into the saltwater scene myself and am also doing a 125g FOWLR. From what I've researched Koralia or Koralia Evolutions seems to be a good, moderately priced, highly rated and energy efficient option. Just my 2 cents from what I have been looking into lately.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Honnzee http:///t/397150/do-i-need-powerheads-for-125g-fowlr#post_3538896
Thanks for the info Flower. So I'll be getting some power heads as a first improvement it sounds! It seems strange to me to have 3, how would they be positioned? Would you want them aimed at each other, or setup to try to make a current circling the tank? You are right, they certainly don't give those MP20s or 40s away. I had sticker shock when I looked them up. Have you had any luck with a more affordable power head brand if I were to buy 3?


HI,

I used three for my 90g which is 48 inches across, so the 125g you have is 6 foot. Put the PHs at the near top of the tank...one on each end, and one in the center. Point them at the front and angled down a little, so the water hits the front glass and bounces back to keep your rocks clear. The idea is not have any dead spots where there is no water flow, not all have to have strong flow but all areas must have at least a gentle current. There are other ways and places to put them, but that's where I would start. Don't worry much about how they look, Coraline algae (pretty purple crusty stuff) loves plastic, and will cover them in no time making them hard to notice.

Here is a picture of the type you need. You want the type with either a magnet (best) or one large suction cup that has a lever...stay away from any power heads with three little suction cups, they won't hold.


This is a Sieko brand. I keep seahorses so I need a PH that has nothing the horses could hitch their tails on and get hurt.





This a Koralia brand, pre-seahorse tank...LOL..notice it's just as crusty as the rock.


Here is an example of how I had them set up. The big PH on the left was for a HOB skimmer I think...it's been a long time.
 
honnzee

honnzee

New Member
Wow, I'm liking the looks of the Koralia Evolutions prices. I wouldn't feel so bad about buying 3 to start with and then if I find something I don't like about them, upgrading in the future. Next I suppose I'll need to look into some sort of controller or timer setup.
 
honnzee

honnzee

New Member
Hey Flower - what did you use to control your 3 Koralias back in the day? Is it good enough with just simple timers so they didn't run 100% of the time or did you try to do some special wave pattern with a wavemaker?
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Honnzee http:///t/397150/do-i-need-powerheads-for-125g-fowlr#post_3538913
Hey Flower - what did you use to control your 3 Koralias back in the day? Is it good enough with just simple timers so they didn't run 100% of the time or did you try to do some special wave pattern with a wavemaker?


Nothing fancy...I plugged them into a GFCI outlet and they run 24/7.... I never turned them off unless I was servicing them (cleaning the propellers and such)
 
3dees

3dees

Member
you can get the Jaboa wp40 or wp25 for not much more than the Koralias. they come with their own controller. I have one on my 120 gal. and love it. you can set it to go to half power when lights are off. they are powerful pumps.
 
honnzee

honnzee

New Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 3dees http:///t/397150/do-i-need-powerheads-for-125g-fowlr#post_3538919
you can get the Jaboa wp40 or wp25 for not much more than the Koralias. they come with their own controller. I have one on my 120 gal. and love it. you can set it to go to half power when lights are off. they are powerful pumps.
Where did you pick up your jebao wp40? I like the idea that it comes with a controller and goes half power when lights are off. From what I've been reading it looks like they are trying to push into the high end market with a more affordable price tag.
 
3dees

3dees

Member
you can find them on e-bay but for the best price I got mine from fish-street.com. great cs and they carry spare parts.
 
honnzee

honnzee

New Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 3dees http:///t/397150/do-i-need-powerheads-for-125g-fowlr#post_3538933
you can find them on e-bay but for the best price I got mine from fish-street.com. great cs and they carry spare parts.
Just ordered one from your suggested site. I figured it was best to get my first one from the real source. How do you have yours aimed? I think I'll be putting mine in one of the back corners since I'll be running the two Emperor 400 filters for a few months. Those seem to get some decent front to back circulation. I figure I'll go corner to front glass and bounce it back at some sort of angle... at least that's my first thought. Thanks for the tip. I would have never found that brand.
 
3dees

3dees

Member
I have mine in the middle going straight across. the other side has two koralias. one pointed to the front and a little towards the surface for agitation. the other pointed toward the back and a little lower. you will have to play with it to find the setting you like. a word of caution. if you go with the waves, they can send water over the rim if your water level is high. I use the reef setting. no waves but the flow is irregular. I'm planning on getting rid of the Koralias and getting another wp40 or a wp25.
 
honnzee

honnzee

New Member
3dees - did you ever get your new wp40 or 25? I have to say I really love the wp40. I'm debating on getting another 40 or maybe 2- wp25s. I have a few dead spots that I can't get at with just one wp40.

I'm also ready to get rid of the 2 Emperors I've got for filtration and have a 29g I want to use as a sump. Have you ever built your own sump? I want to keep it simple.
 
3dees

3dees

Member
it's fishing season and I spent some money on new wheels and tires for my boat trailer. I'm actually thinking about selling the wp40 and replacing it with a wp25. I added more soft corals and I'm having a hard time with too much flow. I like the new two pump one controller setup that Jaboa has.
I don't have a sump. I have back problems and doing maintenance under the tank is just to hard on me. I have a Ref Octopus hob skimmer and the two pumps with 140 lbs. of live rock. no other filtration.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Do you absolutely need a powerhead for any marine tank?
Only possible answer is the same as for skimmers, filters, live rock, live sand and most things.
No.
But the tank would/could be better with the powerhead then without.
my .02
 
honnzee

honnzee

New Member
Let me know when you decide on selling your wp40. I might be interested if I haven't picked up a new one yet.
 
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