Powerhead or pump for current circulation?

[mr. angelfish]

I am leaning on whether should I select two powerheads or one pump connect to my plumbling plan for top and bottom surface circulation with three inches of flare nozzle around.
Example:
Powerhead-
Two MaxiJet 900 (230GPH) aiming to eachother on the end of tank.
or
Pump-
One Mag driven pump MD5 (500 GPH) with (homemade plumblings) one- three inches flare nozzle on each of the side of the tank for top surface, two- three inches flare nozzle aiming (both two foot apart) for the down surface(hidden by LR), and maybe one nozzle on the middle tank aiming to the front and make current as two side of top current meet to eachothers.
I will homemade with eggcrate for pump to sit on and as a cage for the pump to ensure the safety of fishes from being suck in.
It will be silcone eggcrate to adhere to the back inside of the tank and be hidden with LR's.
Filtration: one EcoSystem Hang-On and one undecided (Tetratec or Emperor 400 or skilet 400) for that should make plenty of surface currents.
So what would you chose if you are in my shoe for 40L reef tank?
Thanks

 

[broomer5]

Mr. Angelfish
In your description - I think I would favor going with 2 powerheads over one larger pump in the display tank.
If you had a sump/overflow and return lines - I would go with a large pump and flex nozzles for water circulation.
The reason being - visual appearance.
In the sump scenerio - theh pump's out of sight, and much of the plumbing can be above water level - with only the jets sticking down into people's view.
Since the pump's intake must be in the water ( in the tank ) and the plumbing involved - I just think it would look pretty intrusive in your tank.
Several powerheads can be strategically placed to create current, and be somewhat hidden from our view.
Not that it can't be done - but it would take a pretty good design to pull it off - and still not look like a big old pump sitting in the display tank with pipe running all over.