Need some help with picking powerhead & heater

[samksy]

I'm planning to get some powerheads for my 90 gallon tanks. I'm planning to get ZooMed 226 power sweep, it pumps at 190gph. Is that a good rate or should i get something at a higher GPH? And how many powerhead is sufficient? I already have a little giant return pump that produces pretty good water movements with two return pipes. Thanks.

I'm also planning to get a titanium heater (500 watt)....any suggestion? and what is a good place to get it or order from? Thanks

 

[House of Laughter]

general rule of thumb is that your tank should turn over 10 times its water volume. so you need somewhere in the total of 900 gph.

Caviat - it depends also, on what you keep in your tank and thier needs.

House

 

[samksy]

I have mostly softies such as mushrooms, leathers, recordia, capnella and etc. It's blowing my recordia off the rocks and they are already in low water movement area. Now i have to hide them...lolz.

 

[reef93]

Power Sweep required some maintenance. I usually clean it weekly, otherwise it stop rotating. I had old model which very dissatisfy with the suction cup.

 

[alfani]

i put my mushrooms, on the same side under as my powerhead that way the current is blowing away from the coral

 

[pecan2phat]

For a inexpensive, but reliable setup, I would go with the Natural Wave timer($43.99),
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4793&Ne=40000&R=19811&N=2004+113039
coupled with either two or three Maxi-Jet 900 powerheads. ($18.99x2 or $18.99x3)
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4609&Ne=40000&R=2970&N=2004+113040
Two powerheads plugged into timed oulets #1 & #2 would give you alternating currents and the third plugged into timed outlet #3 would give you a individual pulse current.
Maxi-Jet powerheads hold up well to wavemaker devices, plus they are inexpensive to replace.

[ June 29, 2004, 05:57 PM: Message edited by: pecan2phat ]

 

[marrone]

Since you have mostly soft coral you don't want to place high currents on them and you don't want to place current directly at them. What are you looking to do with the additional power heads?


Also your tank not that large, not any reason to get a wave maker save the money and spend it on something else.
Michael

 

[samksy]

Michael, I have a little giant return pump that split into two pipe, that returns water from the sump/fuge. It produces pretty good water current but just thought that i need some powerhead to circulate the water. If i am into softies, would my current water flow good enough?

reef93, does the powerhead requires maintenance since you start using it? or only after it age?

alfani, yeah that's what i do too...try to put right under powerhead or on the sand level so that it don't blow directly at them...hehae...thanks

pecan2phat, i'm on a tight budget, so i'm probably gonna stay with just two powerhead for now if i do get the powerhead. Thanks for the info

[ June 29, 2004, 06:58 PM: Message edited by: samksy ]

 

[marrone]

Unless you have red algae growth on things on areas in your tank where waste collects than you really don't need heavy current for soft corals. Actually to much current will cause some soft corals not to open. If you look at your tank and you have good water movement accross the top, this help the light penatrate and not reflect back, and if everything looks fine then you should be ok. You can add a small power head and see if it makes a different in your tank.

 

[samksy]

No red algae growth, seems there's enough water movement. I'll let it run just like that for now and maybe add one or two powerhead later on. Thanks