Help With Flow in Barebottom Tank

[AugustWest]

Just set up a 93 Gallon Marineland tank about a month ago and decided to go barebottom this time around.

I'm using a Vortech MP40 and an MP10 for flow. I'm starting to get a little bit of detritus build up under the rock so I'm needing to increase the flow across the bottom of the tank.

Right now I have the 2 Vortechs on the back wall of the tank near the top. I prefer to keep them on the back as the tank, being a cube , is set up to be viewed from 3 sides.

Any suggestions on pump configuration or modes for the pumps? This is when some directional adjustment would be nice to have. I'm thinking of moving the MP40 over to the middle top of the back wall and putting the MP10 on the bottom blowing straight across the Starboard.

Any other suggestions?

 

[reelredfish]

Not gonna be any help but gonna tag along. I have a 180 gallon 5 foot long taknk. I have an MP60 on one side and two MP40 across from it one mounted high and one mounted low.

I still get a ton of stuff on the bottom and I am bare bottom as well. This is my first bare bottom and I have been fighting this for a year now.

 

[AugustWest]

Bumping this as my original question went nowhere fast. I'm still having an issue with the flow in my tank. I did end up placing the MP10 near the bottom of the tank which helped quite a bit but I'm still needing more flow. My goal is to have enough flow so that no detritus at all gets a chance to settle on the Starboard or the rocks.

I'm considering adding a Maxspect Gyre to the tank.

Does this sound like overkill? Anybody runnng a combo of Gyres and Vortechs? Suggestions?

 

[shifty51008]

Ever think about running a spraybar accross the bottom?

 

[AugustWest]

No, not interested in using a spray bar. Thanks for your help though.

 

[cham]

That's why I run 4 MP40's on mine. Two up high to move water column and two down low behind rocks to move detritus. All of them on the back wall.

The MP40 will do plenty to move water in the main tank, I'd get another Mp10 and put one on each side of the tank down low. Depending on your rock structure.

My barebottom never has a spot or pile of detritus on it

 

[greaps]

For most with bare bottoms you will have some piles form, its normal, the benefit is the pile is neat and visible so it can be suctioned out. (put the hose end directly into your filter sock, and vacuum away.

Some tanks have more build up than others. I'm in the process of rebuilding my 50g cube. Tank bottom will be maintained by two MP10's or RW-4's, a stick algae scraper, and some suction tubing.

Scrap the bottom, allow time for the overflow to pick up the suspended detritus, the heavier stuff will settle into piles, then vacuum it away. I personally feel running high flow through the sump makes this system run better, as the overflow will pull more suspended stuff through the socks. I am going to experiment this myself.

Its not low maintenance. Not many people would say bare bottom tanks are. If you like perfect photo ready tank. The benefits are no sand storms, no sand scratching glass, more water volume, and less organics.