powerheads

[clownhippo]

i have a 55gallon tanks with two maxijet 1200 whick is what the man at my lfs recomended. i think thye havce a little to much power. is there any way to turn them down?? so they down spray all the way to the other side of the tank??

 

[Steve Richardson]

Should be O.K...

I have 4 mounted in my 75.

If you are concerned, use the little diffusion/directional paddles that come with them that snap onto the output. You can then point the jet a little way towards one of the walls etc.

Another good option it to have them on opposite walls pointintg towards each other. Where the jets collide you will get nice, somewhat random turbulence. This can be better than a sustained linnear blast from one direction.

hth,

 

[Carpentersreef]

I don't think that it is too much power. If you want to reduce the flow from a single powerhead, try putting a powerhead opposite of it, so that the two powerheads are basically pointing at each other. Maxijets don't come with a valve attachment to reduce the flow, as far as I know. You should really try to keep water flow pretty high and variable anyways, so that detritus stays suspended as long as possible, so that your skimmer can do it's job. (if you're using one) The last thing that you want is for detritus to accumulate on the bottom of your tank.

Mitch

 

[clownhippo]

the reson i say this is because my 2 clowns look like they have a hard time swiming in the curent

 

[Bucktronix]

if you buy a wavemaker like a redsea there are different programs that can simulate everything from genital wave to turbulent water. there is also a rio rotator head you can snap into the front, its basically diverts the water through two arms and makes it turn around producing a gentler wave (about 14 bucks).

http://www.marinedepot.com/a_wm_rs.asp?CartId=

btw: if the fish don't like the current they will get out of it and find refuge in the rock. current is good for both the corals and fish to exercise in.

 

[arnjer]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote

if you buy a wavemaker like a redsea there are different programs that can simulate everything from genital wave to turbulent water.

hmmm a genital wave....sorry couldn't pass on that one. We know what you meant gentle.

Jerry

[ February 03, 2002: Message edited by: arnjer ]</p>

 

[Bucktronix]

damn spellchecker

 

[arnjer]

Talk about a BJ

[ February 03, 2002: Message edited by: arnjer ]</p>

 

[D-Nak]

oh hah hah I get it... blow... he said blow...

D-Nak

Okay, now back to looking at our tanks.

 

[jchonline]

You could also go with a X10 interface on the powerheads and cycle them on and off throughout the day. This might change up the current a bit and lighten the load of the pumps both running all day. I have mine set to come on about 15-30 mintues per hour, and they alternate on different sides of the tank. I think my fish enjoy the change.

Hope this helps.

 

[Bucktronix]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by jchonline:
<strong>You could also go with a X10 interface on the powerheads and cycle them on and off throughout the day. This might change up the current a bit and lighten the load of the pumps both running all day. I have mine set to come on about 15-30 mintues per hour, and they alternate on different sides of the tank. I think my fish enjoy the change.

Hope this helps.</strong><hr></blockquote>

surely a wavemaker would do a better job and be cheaper?

 

[hhinojosa]

I hate to be the lone voice of dissent, but...
I ran my 50 gallon with only one MJ1200 on the right and a Rio 2100 return from the sump. Then, I listened to everyone on the board about increased flow an bought another MJ1200 and put it opposite the first. It created too much flow in my tank. My corals (pagoda cup, frogspawn, and brain) closed up and stirred up too much sand.

Everything went back to normal after I turned off the second MJ 1200. My advice is do what works best for your tank. If your livestock and corals look healthy and happy, keep it up. If you observe negative reactions, try something else.

(by the way, if I had a wavemaker I'm sure that would be the best option, but that's another expense)

I think

 

[jchonline]

I agree the Wavemaker may be cheaper, but you can use the X10 for so many other things also. Both are good options, depending on budget and future uses.