Which Powerheads?

vbsaltydog

vbsaltydog

Member
I am in the process of setting up my new 54gal corner bowfront and am going to replace my old powerheads. What is the math for determining which powerhead to get for your tank. I dont want to be under/over powered but I also dont want to buy more power than I need. I plan to have two powerheads, one for each side of the tank for good circulation.
Any advise on powerhead design and setup is appreciated.
 
swfishfan

swfishfan

Member
i recommend the hydro koralia #2 they are 600gph, add two in there and you'll be more than ok, are you using a sump and return pump?
 
vbsaltydog

vbsaltydog

Member
I havent decided what to do for filtration yet. I have a good amount of live rock so my bio filtration should be OK but I want to keep whatever filtration I do use as non-intrusive as possible so I was thinking of a wet/dry that way I could put my heater/skimmer/etc in the sump vs in the tank.
Am I correct in saying that a 'sump' is just a wet/dry without the filter media and bio ball chamber?
I was thinking of using a 'sump' if my assumption is correct with live rock crumbles/heater/skimmer in it and maybe a canister for mechanical filtration.
Does this sound like a logical solution?
Would the proposed solution be any better than just getting a pre-built wet/dry?
 
swfishfan

swfishfan

Member
most people buy the wet/dry and gut then and use the compartments as the different housing spots for like the skimmer, heater and the return pump and the one middle spot is ususally the "fuge"
but what you have talked about sounds like a good setup for a sump...
i personally stayed away from the bio-balls due to the fact that they are a pain and if not cleaned properly they are a good spot for ammonia outbreaks
 
D

dennis210

Guest
I use Maxijets and Seio's. If I had to do it all over I like thr ones I am seeing now that are magnetic and go on either side of the glass. I also like the way they move water. The nearest LFS is 135 miles away and I just saw them for the first time a month ago. Inside the tank looks like a boat propeller surrounded by a cage. Sorry no help on remembering the brand.
As far as flow or turnover rates are concerned I can help you though.
Anything that moves water in the display tank (not the sump counts!)
So if you have anything running up into your tank from the sump count it's flow rate. Anything from powerheads, skimmer, filter, etc moving water in the display tank count it!
Now add up all manufacturer listed flow rates and multiply by .75 (75%).
That will give you a fairly good fix on your systems overall turnover rate.
Try to mix up flow patterns to prevent laminar or straight line flow. You want it more chaotic. Shoot for 10 - 20 X your tank volume.
In my tank using the arithmatic I laid out for you I have 4800 gallons per hour in a 210 gallon tank. Everything waves and is very healthy.
 
shinobi9119

shinobi9119

Active Member
koralia powerheads are very good. they have 400 gph 600 gph 850 and one other one. Those get very good reviews, so u might want to look into that
 
vbsaltydog

vbsaltydog

Member
koralia are the ones described a few posts up where the poster couldnt recall the manufacturer name. I have read alot about them and everyone seems to think they are great.
Thanks for the math calculation for overall tank flow.
 
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