which power heads for 75 gl reef

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cosmokramer

Guest
I am setting up my first tank, a new 75gl reef (RR tank). I plan on having 3 PHs, 2, creating an "x" and one going across the back wall. Is this a good idea?
What 3 PH's would you recommend.
I am setting up a refugium as well, so I don't know if I can use the return of that to go across the back.
Please be specific, makes, models. Thanks :)
 
scopus tang

scopus tang

Active Member
On a new system I personally would go with the Hydor Koralia. The magnet attachment on these is way superior to the rubber suction cups of most other powerheads. Also, the nondirectional flow is a big plus (allows surface agitation without having to "aim" the powerhead at the surface). They are a little more expensive, but well worth the money. Consider using different sizes so you mix up your flow rate. If you go with something else consider adding hydor flo deflectors, well worth the money. Just my opinion.
 
jhuggins

jhuggins

Member
I have a 75 with a close loop but it is only about 1200 gpm. So I added a Hydor Koralia 3and I really like the flow. I personally would go with 2 number 3's and one number 2. It all really depends on what corals you are going to keep and how your rock is set up.
 
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cosmokramer

Guest
Just talked to one of the LFS's and they said that with a powerful enough pump back up from my sump, I may not need any phs..... that sounds a little sketchy to me. From all of the reading I've done over the past 3 months, I hear FLOW, FLOW, FLOW. That one pump doesn't seem to be enough.
Spoke with someone else at the lfs, and they said, get a couple of Tunze's... not sure how they went from just use the return pump to a couple of Tunze's... Maybe they are just trying to sell me stuff.
I would like to be able to keep anything I want in the tank, or at least, have as many options as possible. How would that effect the flow choice? I know some like more, and some less, but couldn't I just place them at different points in the tank.
 
rc1626

rc1626

Member
From the information I've received on here you only want about 5x turnover going through your sump. I guess this would allow from increased water contact time w/ things like skimmers, fuges, etc. Also the more flow you put through a sump the more noise you may have to contend with.
On my 75gal. reef I run a mag7 return w/ 2 Tunze 6055 nanostreams. These are placed basically in a criss cross pattern and produce plenty of flow along with my return. Expensive purchase but well worth it in my eyes. I figure I have about 35x turnover, probably a little more. Plenty for the softies I'm currently keeping.
What do you plan on keeping?
Rob
 
muggiwhplar

muggiwhplar

Member
Relying solely on your return pump almost certainly won't do, and even the return plus two powerheads will probably leave something to be desired. On my 75, I have one Koralia 3 on each side pointing slightly diagonally backward, and at slightly different vertical angles. I then have an AquaClear 70 pointing horizontally across the back of the tank, behind the rocks. I think I'm going to replace that with a Koralia 2 on each side aimed behind the rocks. My return is a Mag 9.5 that I figure is putting out about 600 gph, and I periodically aim that in different more-or-less random directions. My current setup amounts to about 36X hourly turnover, but I still get a couple of dead spots. I don't think you can really put an exact number on the amount of flow needed because the direction and spread of the powerhead outputs is a huge factor.
 
ecooper

ecooper

Member
Originally Posted by Scopus Tang
http:///forum/post/2471582
Koralia. The magnet attachment on these is way superior to the rubber suction cups of most other powerheads.
I agree. I have two of these (in addition to any other return in my tank) of different sizes to fit where I wanted them to go. They're easy to move and easy to clean. There's even a nano size if you need something place in a really small area.
 
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cosmokramer

Guest
Alright, for starters, I'm going to go with 2 Tunze 6045's to create the crossing pattern. I'm going to point them at slightly different angles to create more turbulence. I will split off the return from the refuge (right now I'm leaning towards the Iwaki WMD40RLXT) and use it to go straight down the back behind the rock, in two dispersed streams. Hopefully that can eliminate the dead spots in the back of the tank.
Do you think that will take care of the back portion? If it's not enough, I can always get something like a maxijet 1200 and run it along the back wall.
Thanks for all of the input so far.
 
candmreef

candmreef

Member
On my 90 I have a mag 9.5 for return and a maxijet mod 1150 GPH on the left side, a koralia 1 400GPH on the right side and maxijet 1200 295GPH with a rotating hydor in the middle. I feel I still need more flow, my wife thinks I'm nutz.
 
kwolfskill

kwolfskill

Member
On my 75 reef ready, I have a mag 9.5 for the return that splits into two return outlets, a modded maxijet 1200 in the top back on both sides pointed at the middle front glass to create lots of chaotic flow, and another maxijet 1200 on each side pointed across the back wall. I have so much flow from the modded maxijet 1200s that it blew all of my sand in the front middle to the sides, and I have to be very careful what inverts I place anywhere near their flow. On the upside, as far as I can tell I have absolutely no dead spots.
 
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blackaero1

Guest
I just put a pair of koralia 3's in my 75 and must say I am now an advocate for them. The magnets are nice, I'll never come home to a dangling powerhead with them. and I can point them in various directions, not to mention the K3s move a ton of water without a mod. The most efficient way I can see to have a pair of powerheads would be to place them on the front glass near the surface pointing back. The water will be pushed to the backon the surface, down the back side, toward the front on the bottom, then back up the front and to the back again. It should prevent stuff from settling on the bottom and send it into the overflow if your using one to be skimmed off with a skimmer. Obviously, having a pair of powerheads on the front glass isn't gonna go over well for people that actually look at thier tank so a variation I have in my tank is to have the koralia 3's in the front corners (magnetized to the side glass) and have them pointing back to the back center where my overflow is sitting.
 
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