people have suggested that some of my problems is due to poor circulation. I agree with this, and I was wondering if anyone could help me visualize what to do, and tell me what powerhead to use. Looking at my 55 g tank, which emloys only a Fluval 305 for filtration now, my outlet is in the rear, at about a foot right of the left side of the tank. My intake is on the opposite side, about the same distance from the right side wall. On the side wall, pointing towards the intake, is my CO@ pump. My CO2 is not going into the filter, as far as I can tell, so I think I am OK. My question is, where should I add criculation? Placement and direction? I haven't a clue. I have read that many have their outlets dead center, against the back wall, with a powerhead running across this stream from each side. Can anyone help. I'd rather not spend much on this, but circulation definitely has to be increased, as there are too many areas for debree to collect.
Circulation Advice
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SuperColey1
Planted Section
If people are saying they have their output in the centre it would usually be a spraybar. If not then I can't understand why they have it in the centre.
The inflow and outflow are better in the same corner or at least side by side because then the water is doing a complet ircuit from entry to exit if you see what I mean.
What I would do is to set your filter inflow in a corner and the outflow next to it running along the back.
What do you mean CO2 pump? If diffuser then I can't tell you where to position it but IMO I would position it on the side glass in the opposite end to the filter in/out. Then the current from the output will hit the opposite side glass and then push the bubbles toward the front. Play about with the position until you can see bubbles moving away from straight upward.
Then as a powerhead I would look at the Hydor Koralias One around 1500-2000lph. Position it in the rear corner and angle it to help with both flow and spreading the CO2 bubbles.
After you have set it up as above you should play around with the position of the diffuser and powerhead until you are happy with it. The CO2 bubbles are a reasonable indicator of whether the flow is good or not.
AC
The inflow and outflow are better in the same corner or at least side by side because then the water is doing a complet ircuit from entry to exit if you see what I mean.
What I would do is to set your filter inflow in a corner and the outflow next to it running along the back.
What do you mean CO2 pump? If diffuser then I can't tell you where to position it but IMO I would position it on the side glass in the opposite end to the filter in/out. Then the current from the output will hit the opposite side glass and then push the bubbles toward the front. Play about with the position until you can see bubbles moving away from straight upward.
Then as a powerhead I would look at the Hydor Koralias One around 1500-2000lph. Position it in the rear corner and angle it to help with both flow and spreading the CO2 bubbles.
After you have set it up as above you should play around with the position of the diffuser and powerhead until you are happy with it. The CO2 bubbles are a reasonable indicator of whether the flow is good or not.
AC
Rob.S
Fish Fanatic
For what its worth, here is my set up:
I have a modified spraybar from an EX1200, running pretty much the full length along the back, with the outflow in one rear corner. my diffuser is in the opposite rear corner, buried in the substrate (up to the level of the disc). An Eheim 300 power head (supposedly 300 lph) is next to the diffuser, so that it blows the co2 bubbles along the back of the tank, as the bubbles rise, they are caught in the flow form the spraybar & are projected forwards & down - that's the theory.
Having said all that. I get BGA on a grand scale
so, maybe this is not an ideal set up for good circulation.
I have a modified spraybar from an EX1200, running pretty much the full length along the back, with the outflow in one rear corner. my diffuser is in the opposite rear corner, buried in the substrate (up to the level of the disc). An Eheim 300 power head (supposedly 300 lph) is next to the diffuser, so that it blows the co2 bubbles along the back of the tank, as the bubbles rise, they are caught in the flow form the spraybar & are projected forwards & down - that's the theory.
Having said all that. I get BGA on a grand scale
so, maybe this is not an ideal set up for good circulation.
SuperColey1
Planted Section
Having said all that. I get BGA on a grand scale
Your setup sounds good but BGA can be caused by several things: low nitrates/dirty filters/dirty substrates and indeed poor circulation.
Trouble with spraybars is that the'visible' front substrate looks clean because the forward and down motion pushes all the detritus to the back of the tank. Maybe a darned good clean may sort out the BGA.
AC
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