UGLY as all - plumbing help needed

[jonnywater]

So on my 55 I have an emperor, aquac and two MJ 1200's for circulation. I found a neato little way to put locline onto the powerheads and Y it off so that it goes in every directions. Needless to say that this is just GAUDY!!!!! Looks TERRIBLE!!! I was thinking of going from the 295 GPH powerheads up to around 660 GPH powerheads and still using the locline. Any other recommendations as to how i can get flow to ALL my corals would be great. Problem is that my SPS are towards the back of the tank up at the top and my leather are scattered throughout the rest. Needless to say that the leathers dont like the amount of water movement that they are getting and i dont want 5 powerheads and an entire aquarium full of locline. Any option greatly appreciated.

 

[havunen191]

Try these out. You can find them at most LFS for 10 to 20 dollars, And they work great!! :joy:
Hydor FLO Rotating Deflector
* Deflector turns existing powerhead into a wavemaker
* Make waves inexpensively!
* Powered by output water pressure
This small, inexpensive deflector turns your existing powerhead into a wavemaker. Stimulates corals and mimics natural ocean conditions. Geared unit produces alternating current without added energy costs - it's powered by the output water pressure. Included adapters fit most outlets. 2-1/4" dia x 3".

 

[jacklax]

I added hydro flos a few weeks ago and love them! I have 2 set up on Maxi jet 900's facing each other from opposite sides of the tank. They do a fantastic job of mixing things up without blasting a specific area. Plus...my Xenia are taking off like crazy now that the flow is fluctuating.

 

[jonnywater]

I was looking at those, but technically they dont make much sense to me. You basically have the water going the same distance, only spinning around like a clock. I might try them first off to see what kind of results I get. Then I am looking at this Seio pump thing that apparently sprays water 120 degrees in every direction. Instead of the common "straight forward" powerhead.

 

[dburr]

Those things reduce flow from the PH by 30%. Have you tried PH on a timer? They can crate random flow without losing so much power. The seio and tunze are nice too. They can creat lots of powerfull flow. Have you seen the maxi-jet DIY projects? 1 is to cut off the nozzle and put it on a timer. Every time it turns on it will switch directions. The 2nd is to make it into a seio/tunze head. I just ordered the parts friday to do this.
Here is some of it.
The materials needed are:
1. 1.25" plastic propellers (Towerhobby.com)
2. 0.098" OD carbon fiber rod (Towerhobby.com)
3. 1.5" PVC pipe or 1.5" PVC slip bushing depending on what version you want (Home Depot, Lowes, etc...)
4. 1.5" PVC test cap to be used for the "v.1.0" version using the 1.5" PVC slip bushing (Home Depot, Lowes, etc...)
5. Thick CA (cyano arcylate) glue (towerhobby.com)
6. 1/8" thick acrylic (scrap pieces)
7. Rigid airline tubing (LFS)
8. Flexible airline tubing (LFS)

 

[murph145]

im thinkin time for a new tank with a closed loop system lol thats what i did couldnt stand all my equipment in my tank now i have tons of flow with nothing in the tank

 

[dburr]

I hear ya, when I set up my 90, I wished I did a CL.

 

[uberlink]

Originally Posted by dburr
Those things reduce flow from the PH by 30%. Have you tried PH on a timer? They can crate random flow without losing so much power.
I don't understand. Are you suggesting that having powerheads turn on and off doesn't reduce flow? I guess it would depend on how much time they're off, but if they're off half the time (like on for two seconds-off for two seconds-on for two seconds, etc.), then you'd cut your total flow by 50%. That's worse than the Hydors, not to mention more expensive.
Forgive me, though...I have the Hydors and love them. Cheap and reliable.

 

[jonnywater]

Yeah I dont get it either. I have 3 powerheads actually 2 pushing in the same direction. If I dont like the flow I am getting from them now, why would I switch them on and off LOL? I want something that is going to spread current all over my tank. I am tired of watching the lack of growth from my leathers and the way that they try to shed a good deal of the time. Not to mention that the top part of my tank is all SPS. Plus with the Hydors high enough, hopefully it wont interfere with my clams (since they seem to hate a lot of water movement). As for the reducing flow my 30% - I have 295 GPH powerheads in my tank now. I could just up that to around 600-700 GPH powerheads and not really care if the lose that much.
PS: Plus if they do reduce flow by 30%, dont you think that would burn out the motor? if you hold you finger over the outlet of a PH for more then 10 minutes it would probably burn out the shaft.

 

[tony detroit]

You slow the water coming out of the powerhead. The energy used to turn the hydor is the energy from the flowing water.
This cuts flow. Very simple.

 

[dburr]

Yeah, OK, your reducing flow by 50%. But your not wasting the electricity.

And when it's on, you get the full force not a cut back flow. How far does the flow come out of them? A few inches? Maybe a foot? My tank is 4 feet long, I need random flow in the middle and the ends.
Just saying, yes they are nice and they do work, I just can't justify the 30% loss for what it does. To each his own.

And no, it won't burn out the moter. It's on the output and pumps are designed to take some load. If you cut the flow on the input side, then we have a problem, cavitation.

 

[jonnywater]

How is something that produces so much pressure going to be reduced so much by something that ways nearly nothing. That is what I dont get. I have seen several of videos of the FLO in motion. Seems to me that nothing changes, the water just goes in different directions. Just because you put a nozzle on the front of your powerhead and aim it up, does that change the amount of water coming out? No.

 

[jacklax]

My tank is 36" inches across (it's a tall 75). I have 2 of the Hydor Flos on 2 Maxi Jet 900s. They face each other from opposite sides of the tank...and their flows do reach the other side. When the flows periodically intersect it causes turbulance, which I have read to be a good thing. I don't believe you will have this with a wave maker. Yes, there is a slight reduction in the amount of flow, but I believe it to be minimal at best...the water is constantly turning over in my tank now. The flos gradually rotate, so the water's direction is slowly moved, in a wave type motion, around the tank. I truely feel that these are well worth their money.