PowerHeads

[DrewReefBuilder]

Hey all,
Just wondering, I have a 350-400 gallon tank that has a few Hippocampus abdominalis aka potbelly's and would like to liven it up a little with a VERY slight current. I want to know what power head would work best for something like this that will provide a little movement but not so much it disturbs the animals...
Thanks,

 

[Ann Marie]

In my seahorse tank I use the Power Sweep Powerheads. I like that the powerheads move back and forth creating a more normal type of environment with changing currents. There is also a knob so that flow can be adjusted as desired. It does take regular cleaning for the pump to rotate but that's something that I do anyway. Another feature that I like is that you can add a sponge to the intake and that the intake has a screen small enough to keep tails out!

 

[DrewReefBuilder]

Do you use it in your 55g tank?

 

[Peka]

I use both the power sweeps and Aquaball Powerhead..

 

[rayjay]

With a tank that size I would be using pumps, not power heads. You can have closed loop, or if the overflow to the sump is sufficient, just go with a large return pump and distribute the flow to different areas.
Your seahorses will do just fine with areas of low, medium and high flow, as long as you have hitches available in the low and medium flow for them to perch when they want. For high flow areas they usually just play in it and don't need a hitch. (unless they are looking for parasitic relief)

 

[Ann Marie]

I use 2 in my 55g. Peka, how do you like the Aquaball? Does it rotate by itself at all?

 

[Elysia]

I thought that potbelly's did better with flow than most horses (which do better with flow than we typically give them credit for.)

 

[DrewReefBuilder]

Thanks for the suggestions, I just ordered a few of thoes powersweeps in a few different sizes and ordered a few other kinds to give them all a test... And rayjay I did think about that but because my sump is about 50 yards away from my tank and the outflow is not exactly taking enough water to sustain that kind of pump I couldnt be able to so that. But I think over the next few days Im going to tamper with the setting a little and see what the outcome will be...

 

[Peka]

I use 2 in my 55g. Peka, how do you like the Aquaball? Does it rotate by itself at all?

I like the Aquaballs. They don't automatically rotate but you can position them in the direction that you want them. You can also control the flow output.

The powersweeps are nice because they automatically rotate the flow but I have found that eventually the rotation stops. I have gone through at least 10 of them and finally gave up. You can control the flow output on those also.

 

[timinnl]

Greetings from Amsterdam,

You can look into something like this: http://www.hydor.it/en/products/show/16 It rotates 360 degrees. I have one on my 180 & 110 liter tanks.

Tim