How do I get good FLOW?

[Bruce Wayne]

I have a 225 (72 x 30 x 24), (2) Tunze 6205's (5811 gph), (2) Quiet1 4000 returns (991 gph), and (2) Koralia (1400 gph) I have the Tunzes both on static all the way down and the Koralias are not in. I have an Apex and would like to have the Tunzes on one at a time ramping up to full speed while the Koralias take their turns...
I really want to eliminate dead spots as I have aquascaped to do so, I have sort of 5 small aquascapes separate, leaving room for flow and I thought enough height to keep a good looking sand bed...
My question is how do I aim the powerheads, I feel like with such a large tank (for me) I shouldn't have sand blowing everywhere...any suggestions? this is what I have now: The returns are aimed directly at the side glass above the Tunzes, the Tunzes are aimed at the opposite corner, and I will prob put the Koralias under the flow accelerators directed towards the front glass...any suggestions? thanks in advance!

<a href="http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e197/mogphotobucket/?action=view&current=IMG_8715.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e197/mogphotobucket/IMG_8715.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

Hard to see the back but, the 2 Tunze should point from a back corner towards the center of the front glass and not too low according to Roger.
Keeping the returns pointed higher will help and also keep the water moving across the top surface.
This is going to be a trial and error senario.
Best way to check would be with some flake food and watch how it disperses thru the water.
When everything grows this will change.

 

[JustinM]

Instead of using flake food, grab a piece of airline tubing and blow into the tunze, the bubbles will tell you where the flow is.

 

[Stanley-Reefer]

Those koralias are not going to move much at all. You may want to get 2 lesser powerful tunzes and "X" pattern a strong/weak one on each corner towards the center.

 

[JG1]

sell what you have and buy two mp60's

 

[dzhuo]

I have similar dimensions (my tank is 48"x30"x24") and I use 2 6105. I have ran exactly the same configuration as far as direction and positioning of the Tunze and I don't like it. The biggest problem I see with your current configuration is both powerheads are pointing to the same direction and area where the sand are blowing off. The current naturally comes back up (like a ball / curve after hitting bottom of the tank) but is immediately block by the huge rocks right behind them. Essentially, your Tunzes are wasted.

I would move the right corner Tunze up to right front (magnet will be on the right pane window) pointing to left upward about 15 degree. I would then move the left Tunze to the left pane pointing to the right; also upward about 15 degree. The direction of the 2 Tunze should not collide heads on. They should be off about 40 degree. This will creates a circle of water column right about the center of the tank. You will notice it from the surface. As the 2 Tunze ramps up and down, the circle will move from side to side (when the left Tunze is stronger, the circle will move to the right. When the right Tunze is stronger, the circle will move to the left) creating circular moment the entire tank but nothing is strong enough to blow sands around since the powerheads are pointing upward to the surface. Another very nice side affect is you will create a huge upward water movement which lift debris up from the bottom. You will notice this when you feed and nothing will have a chance to settle down.

Your other powerhead can be pointed downward like 10 degree to create more random water movement.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

sell what you have and buy two mp60's

I specifically didn't want to go w Vortechs, I have had them...they're powerful and controllable but very loud and a huge eye sore....

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Hard to see the back but, the 2 Tunze should point from a back corner towards the center of the front glass and not too low according to Roger.
Keeping the returns pointed higher will help and also keep the water moving across the top surface.
This is going to be a trial and error senario.
Best way to check would be with some flake food and watch how it disperses thru the water.
When everything grows this will change.

thanks!

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Instead of using flake food, grab a piece of airline tubing and blow into the tunze, the bubbles will tell you where the flow is.

good idea...

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I have similar dimensions (my tank is 48"x30"x24") and I use 2 6105. I have ran exactly the same configuration as far as direction and positioning of the Tunze and I don't like it. The biggest problem I see with your current configuration is both powerheads are pointing to the same direction and area where the sand are blowing off. The current naturally comes back up (like a ball / curve after hitting bottom of the tank) but is immediately block by the huge rocks right behind them. Essentially, your Tunzes are wasted.

I would move the right corner Tunze up to right front (magnet will be on the right pane window) pointing to left upward about 15 degree. I would then move the left Tunze to the left pane pointing to the right; also upward about 15 degree. The direction of the 2 Tunze should not collide heads on. They should be off about 40 degree. This will creates a circle of water column right about the center of the tank. You will notice it from the surface. As the 2 Tunze ramps up and down, the circle will move from side to side (when the left Tunze is stronger, the circle will move to the right. When the right Tunze is stronger, the circle will move to the left) creating circular moment the entire tank but nothing is strong enough to blow sands around since the powerheads are pointing upward to the surface. Another very nice side affect is you will create a huge upward water movement which lift debris up from the bottom. You will notice this when you feed and nothing will have a chance to settle down.

Your other powerhead can be pointed downward like 10 degree to create more random water movement.

I think I am going to play with what I can do with the Tunzes on the back glass, I don't want them on the sides even though I'm sure that is where I would get my best flow, thanks!

 

[dzhuo]

If you want them to be on the black glass (which is understandable), the biggest problem is the Tunze is way too powerful for a 30". Even for a 4' length, Roger would barely recommend a 6105. For 6205 with only 30" length, you won't be able to position them in a way it doesn't blow the sand unless you turn them down significantly (which defeat the purpose of having a powerful pump) or place the rocks to protect the flow (which also defeat the purpose of better circulation).

Anyway, good luck with the placements. It definitely takes a little playing time to get the flow just right.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

If you want them to be on the black glass (which is understandable), the biggest problem is the Tunze is way too powerful for a 30". Even for a 4' length, Roger would barely recommend a 6105. For 6205 with only 30" length, you won't be able to position them in a way it doesn't blow the sand unless you turn them down significantly (which defeat the purpose of having a powerful pump) or place the rocks to protect the flow (which also defeat the purpose of better circulation).

Anyway, good luck with the placements. It definitely takes a little playing time to get the flow just right.

I have a 6' length and who is Roger?

 

[dzhuo]

I have a 6' length and who is Roger?

Well, if you keep the powerheads in the back panel they can only be positioned to an angel before they hit the glass. You won't be able to get the current for the entire 6' tank without it hitting anything. That's why I suggest you move them to the side which will take advantage of the 6' length.

Roger is the (only) Tunze representative in the USA.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Well, if you keep the powerheads in the back panel they can only be positioned to an angel before they hit the glass. You won't be able to get the current for the entire 6' tank without it hitting anything. That's why I suggest you move them to the side which will take advantage of the 6' length.

Roger is the (only) Tunze representative in the USA.

Yeah, I'm on board as far as that being the best way for flow, but I am building a tank according to a few things: 1) quiet as possible 2) nothing that doesn't fit in the stand 3) nothing on the sides
I guess I will just have to try til it works...any recommendations on the back? thanks!

 

[dzhuo]

I guess I will just have to try til it works...any recommendations on the back?

My tank is Peninsula style so you can imagine how much I hate having powerhead on both ends! I tried a few variations using back glass but nothing works for me. My original config had both on the short end of the overflow which looks very nice but not very functional. I end up using the current config as I describe above which works extremely well and I got use to it after a few days.

I don't have any tricks for back glass but you should just try a few different variations. Maybe you can come up something creative.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

Flakes

Flakes

Blowing into the Tunze stream will give you a general idea but when the small flakes start downward they will show you where the flow is by thier movement.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

also, my pH keeps rising, it was 8.62 a week ago and now it is 8.81, any ideas?

 

[d0ughb0y]

Blowing into the Tunze stream will give you a general idea but when the small flakes start downward they will show you where the flow is by thier movement.

actually blowing does not tell you anything you don't already know. obviously the bubbles will flow straight in front of the powerhead a few inches then go straight up.

what I find with tunze is, you can't just have them on the back wall, no matter how you position it, you will have dead spots. you will need a few more tunzes than you planned and positioned all around the tank, including front and sides in order to remove dead spots. I have a bare bottom so I can tell if there are dead spots, since that it where detritus will accumulate or if you use flake food, you will see if they eventually accumulate in a spot. You know there are no dead spots when everything is kept in suspension in the water column.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

actually blowing does not tell you anything you don't already know. obviously the bubbles will flow straight in front of the powerhead a few inches then go straight up.

what I find with tunze is, you can't just have them on the back wall, no matter how you position it, you will have dead spots. you will need a few more tunzes than you planned and positioned all around the tank, including front and sides in order to remove dead spots. I have a bare bottom so I can tell if there are dead spots, since that it where detritus will accumulate or if you use flake food, you will see if they eventually accumulate in a spot. You know there are no dead spots when everything is kept in suspension in the water column.

I'm sure I can get good flow and minimal dead spots with a couple more smaller tunzes...just have to mess with it...

 

[dzhuo]

what I find with tunze is, you can't just have them on the back wall, no matter how you position it, you will have dead spots. you will need a few more tunzes than you planned and positioned all around the tank, including front and sides in order to remove dead spots.

I don't think that's necessary the case and I certainly won't advice the OP to start buying more $400 power heads. More powerheads always helps but if OP can easily spend another $1K on powerhead, this discussion might be null. I have seen bigger tank with only 2 Tunze 6105 and the owner of the tank only runs 1 6105 at a time. In a way, this tank is only run with a single Tunze (and it's much weaker then OP's):

Joe's tank is what inspired me to position my Tunze with the configuration I described above. Another thing I forget to mention is people always seem to have way too much rocks in a SPS tank which does make things a lot more difficult as far as flow goes.