Adding Saltwater Aquarium Flow Can be Super Easy!
- May 27, 2023
- Anshika Mishra
- 182 0 0
In today's guide, we are adding flow to our tank in thoughtful ways to keep our tanks clean and corals thriving. Water movement inside an aquarium, when done right, have the potential to remove fish food and waste, provide nutrition to our coral and remove coral waste. But when the flow is done wrong, we'll have massive dead spots, increased phosphate and nitrate, and slow-growing unhealthy corals.
Too much flow can cause sand storms and tissue damage to our story corals. While too little flow turns our saltwater aquarium into a soupy dump for food and waste.
Set up for the perfect water flow in your aquarium
There are two primary ways to create flow in our tanks - a return pump and a powerhead. While not strong enough to provide the primary flow, the included return pump can be helpful in two ways.
First, it will help create a varied and turbulent pattern when paired with a wavemaker sat the side of the tank. This way, these two return nozzles will create perpendicular flow from the back to the front, helping to break up a completely side-to-side linear flow pattern.
This more varied water movement will help provide a bit of a healthy choice in our system. Providing an overall better habitat for our corals.
Second, we'll be able to direct our two return nozzles anywhere we want, which will be very helpful when an inevitable dead spot appears. Thus keeping all the fish food and waste suspended in the water column means it will eventually make its way through the overflow and into our filter socks. The included mighty jet return pump is well-sized for our systems - whatever strength you set it at. So, we'll be able to try different flow rates until we achieve our goals.
How will the setup keep your tank flow just right?
In this build, our primary flow will come from two wave makers - one placed on each side of the tank. Choosing the right wavemakers, placing them in the correct location, selecting the right setting, and nailing the right intensity can be tricky.
However, keeping ample space at the front and back of the tank creates a circular water movement. If your tank is a cube, you can also consider placing wavemakers on the rear of the tank, creating a back-to-front pattern. There are three things to consider when choosing a powerhead for our tank:
- The overall power quantified in the flow rate
- The angle of flow
- The shape of the flow
With these two powerheads, when adjusted well, you can get a good water flow that will keep fish food and waste suspended and eliminate more dead spots.
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