would a stream work for me?

[bjolly]

I'm planning a 125 gal tank, 6' long, which will have both fish and corals. The corals I want to keep are LPS, softies, mushrooms & the like. I'm not really into sps. So I'm kind of going for moderate flow. Would it work to use just one stream in this tank, maybe aim it to hit off the glass at an angle & create some different currents? Is this going to be too much flow for what I want to do? Too little? If it's too little could I augment it with a powerhead somewhere else in the tank? I like what I've heard about the streams, but I can only afford one of them.

also, do these pumps pose a risk of sucking small fish in? that's definitely something I'd want to avoid.

thanks for any input!
Beth

 

[rvitko]

Hi Beth,

What kind of return flow will you have from other pumps?

 

[bjolly]

the only other flow would be about 350 gph skimmer.

 

[rvitko]

I don't think one Stream will cut it. I would use 2 6060 Streams on timers. The 6060's are not controllable and can only be turned off and on once per hour. The problem is a 6000 only carries flow 4ft. A 6100 will just be too much for what you want to do. You will need 2 pumps and I would set them to be on for one hour then off for 1hr and have the cycles over lap by maybe 10minutes for a surge effect.

 

[bjolly]

so that wouldn't be too much flow for corals that only want moderate or low flow?

this is probably a dumb question, but how would I set up timers to do that? does each item that is on a different timer need to be plugged into a different outlet? I'm thinking I will have my lights on a timer, then would each stream require a different outlet also, so that I could time them separately?

 

[rvitko]

You would need three seperate timers- one for lights and one for each pump. The flow range of a 6060 is 4ft so the center area of the aquarium will have a fairly gentle flow. In all honesty I can't think of a low flow coral. The center area will be perfect for LPS and clams while the outer reaches will be best for Leathers and SPS. Mushrooms and polyps are generally very adaptable.

 

[bjolly]

hmm, I may just have to save up for 2 6060s. One concern though, will turning them on & off hourly put a lot of stress and wear on them?

 

[rvitko]

If they are turned off and on only once per hour with a timer it will do no harm. This duration gives the pump sufficient time to cool down and retract the brakes.