Do I Need A Powerhead?

[Lady J]

Hi all,

I have a 30g. wide tank and am just using a simple biowheel for filtration (rated for up to 50g.). It is sitting directly in the middle of the tank thus it is pushing water straight across; there is a small ripple moving outward to both sides of the tank. My tank is by no means heavily planted. So, do my plants need more water movement or is this good the way it is?

 

[TrainRek77]

I would think that's enough flow. If you have fish that like fast moving water, like loach, it's nice to have a powerhead because the fish like to play in the currant and it's fun to watch.

 

[Lady J]

Thank you for responding. Currently I only have a betta in the tank and he seems to be very happy. I imagine he would not like a lot of flow. I'm certainly willing to add a little powerhead if need be (I have several already but they're way too strong for this tank). I'm curious however, where do you place one in a planted tank if one is needed?

 

[ZoddyZod]

the aim for planted tanks is to have a 10x turnover of water every hour - so if the filter states it shifts 300g per hour, then it should be adequate.

 

[Lady J]

I am using a Marineland Penguin filter designed for up to 50 gallons. Its turnover rate is only 200 gph so it's only turning over ~70% of the recommended 10 x tank size. Initially I bought two different filters, first starting with one rated for up to a 90 gallon tank. That one was way too huge as the intake reached the very bottom of the tank. Then I went down one size and the intake was shorter than the first one, but the intake was resting on the sandbed. Still too big. Grrrr----I was getting a bit frustrated so my only choice was to get the one rated for up to 50 gallons. Soooo, it appears this one is too small and the next size up is too large. What should I do?

 

[ZoddyZod]

do all of your plants move in a gentle swaying motion? If so, you've got enough flow - if not then you might need a bit extra.

 

[Lady J]

I need a bit extra so I believe I should buy a little tiny powerhead. Where do you place them for a planted tank.

 

[ZoddyZod]

it's more of an art than a science, you'll need to play around with the position of the tiler outlets and any additional powerhead until you get a nice flow around the tank and no dead spots if possible.

 

[Lady J]

Ok, thank you. I would imagine that positioning it so it's pushing the water coming out of the filter would be the best way to go as that would provide the best circulation. So, I'll try placing it on the side of the tank and shoot it across the width of the tank and see how that goes. Sound good?

 

[ZoddyZod]

before making the investment, have you seen any issues with your plants? If the plants are looking healthy and growing well, don't assume that you need that extra flow......also it may not simply be flow that's the issue, it may be lack of ferts, C02, water is too hard, wrong substrate....etc, etc. It's better to explore all the possibilites before splashing the cash on a new piece of hardware.

 

[Lady J]

Oh, the plants are doing great. No discoloration, no wilting etc. I am doing liquid carbon and using fertilizer tabs. My plants just aren't gently swaying.

 

[ZoddyZod]

if they are looking great - then no need to fiddle with the set up!

 

[Lady J]

I must leave for work now. Please add your thoughts if you would like as I really appreciate your input.

OK!!!! YAY!!! lol Thank you so much for your help. (I think we were posting at the same time )