powerhead advice

[Dert42]

so i got my tank on my stand last night and filled with water.
yay!

got the 2 powerheads going that came with it.
seem kinda wimpy.

i go and check on the new r/o filter i installed and fixed a leak.
i came back and noticed a couple of flecks of junk on the tank so i went to put my hand in and it shocked the hell out of my arm!

i narrowed down which powerhead it was. required shocking myself again...
obviously that one is junk so i need to replace that one and get 1-2 more.

anything wrong with this?
http://www.aquariumpros.com/p-ZMDPS40,WVwd.html
the Oscillating seems like a good idea?

[zt444a]

I have heard that they stop sweeping after awhile. I know there are other things out there. They do seem cheap though. I guess you might get what you pay for in this case.

[DARKSILENTTYPE]

Are you using them on a 165 gallon tank ?

[beaker77]

I thought the PowerSweeps were a good idea too, until I had to clean them with vinegar every two weeks just to keep them sweeping. If this for your 165g tank I'd recommend Tunze's if you can afford them or a couple large SIEO's if you can't.

[MayoBoy]

Those have to be cleaned every so often to keep the sweeping action up. You'll need a good number of them in a 165. Go with a Seio or Tunze.

[DARKSILENTTYPE]

. I had them once myself and they do need cleaning alot and a tank that size will need lots of movement more than you will get from four of those . Tunze is your best choice if you can afford them

[Dert42]

i'm glad i asked.
i'll skip the oscellating one then.

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=TZ1313
is that what i need?
yes, this is for my 165.

[Letmegrow]

Go SEIOS.

[Dert42]

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=12074&cm_mmc=Shopping%20Portal-_-Froogle-_-Fish-_-SEIO%20Super%20Flow%20Pump%20(Model%20M620%20-%20620%20gph)&OVMKT=K3QPUMA15VGJPI32VHS07EP4RS&ref=3312&subref=AA&GCID=C12188x003&ctt=60

oo!
2 the small ones, plus the 2 i need in the back of my tank to run water through all compartments and i'll be close to 1600 gph.
that sounds good right?

[Letmegrow]

Remember that all power heads (except probly Tunze) are not as strong as they say they are.

I would find what you think you need but then add 1/3 - 1/2 of GPH to it - to account for the innacurate flow numbers they give you.

EX. You think you need the M820, I would get the M1500.

They also get slower over time, even if you clean them regularly.

[DrBDC]

On a 165 gallon tank I'd go with 2 seio 2600's. If you find it's not enough still you could always add another one.


Mark only has up to 1500 on his web page but you could pm him or use the contact us on the web site to ask.
Here is the 1500:

http://www.thereefstop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=57_105&products_id=119

I have 2 of these on my 70 gallon which is only 3 ft. long and mixed. If you can afford it go for 2 of these or go tunze:


http://www.thereefstop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=61_162&products_id=392

[DrBDC]

On the wide flow pattern powerheads I find 50X turnover about right for a mixed tank, 25X on just softies, and around 75-100X on a sps only. Thats wide flow pattern only!!! Like seio's, tunze's, and vortech. If you do small flow pattern like maxijets and most others then the number is a lot lower.

[fade32]

I run 2 tunze 6100 on a controler and waiting to get my 6060 back. Love them! If you want to see them Pm me and we can set something up I live off of Brian Rd.

[DARKSILENTTYPE]

I,m running two tunzes too .If your still coming by tonight I will show them to you.

[Dert42]

DARKSILENTTYPE: sweet, yes i'm still planning on coming by, and i would love to see it!

DrBDC: that explination makes a lot more sense to me.
i wasn't grasping why i needed to be blasting 5000 gph through the tank. how would the fish swim against it?! but since it's over a broader range instead of a focused stream, it makes sense.

[DrBDC]

A maxijet 1200 can blast the skin off of an sps if it's aimed right at it. But if that is in a 450 gallon tank, it would be grossly inadequate. So it's a matter of placement and how wide of stream. Think of when you're washing the car and you put your thumb over part of the hose to make it squirt harder. You may even have less water coming out but it's a hard blast.

[Dert42]

ok payday is tommarow.
i'll order 1 seio 2600 for now.

that'll get water moving over my sand and rock.
then i need to take a financial break for little bit...
that will also allow my bacteria to grow.

thanks for all the advice! i appreciate it!

[DrBDC]

:thumbsup:

[Lost His Marbles Name]

Seio's if you can't aford Tunzes. I had a powersweep for my fresh water. I put it in the salt water, it stoped all the time, it shocked me, I threw the pos on the ground as hard as I could in a fit of rage.

I have both, a Tunze and a Seio. The tunze doen't stop for anything the Seio needed to be cleaned from time to time. Seio is good for the money. The tunze is built for life.

[Dert42]

hehe, you have my kind of temper lost marbles..

i went ahead and bought one of those Seios off ebay.
the tunze system darksilent runs is pretty sweet... but i'm a little on the poor side.

[DrBDC]

I mounted my seio's on a mag float, the 2X3 inch ones (I think that's the measurement) and it makes it a lot easier to get them out vs. those suction cups. Also the stock mount is pretty large. Don't run them on a wavemaker though. My little 620's had a hard time restarting. My 1500's only will occationally as they get dirtier but it's still not a good idea. Anytime the power goes off or if you turn them off make sure you check that they are flowing again.

[Lost His Marbles Name]

I don't think that the Seio's would be good on a wave maker. The tunze are great on a wave maker.

[fade32]

Anyone who runs tunzes is on the poor side.

[DrBDC]

I was't saying I ran mine on a wavemaker, just anytime I'd have to restart the little 620's they wouldn't w/o raising them to the top of the water, letting them spin up and slowly lowering them back in. I have those guys in the fuge now.

[Lost His Marbles Name]

Don't get me wrong I like my Seio, It's just when they turm off they don't want to turn back on some times. I hug my Seio before I go to bed every night.

[StupidsReef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6984806#post6984806 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lost Marbles
I hug my Seio before I go to bed every night.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Once again I show you proof of the name. LOST MARBLES EH :p

[Mykayel]

If you want that water movement like the powersweeps, you could run a closed loop (or the return from your sump) witha SCWD. I have one and love its effect.

[d_icemand]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6984420#post6984420 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fade32
Anyone who runs tunzes is on the poor side.

fade, first you say you run two of the tunzes and love them then you say only the poor folk can afford them---i dont get it.

dphins has a toilet bowl action going with that 6060 of yours!!!

[Dert42]

w00t! my seio just came.
this this is monsterous!

[Markk96]

Tunzes Rock, they are expensive, but then never the less you do not have to worry about what else you need to do for flow.

[fade32]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6990855#post6990855 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by d_icemand
fade, first you say you run two of the tunzes and love them then you say only the poor folk can afford them---i dont get it.

dphins has a toilet bowl action going with that 6060 of yours!!!

Now that I own 3 I am broke and I do love them.

[Dert42]

my rocks from hirocks.com are taking an awful long time to come...
i haven't gotten shipping confirmation yet either. :(
he's not being very responsive. his email didn't answer any of my questions.

i can't wait to get home and get this seio going though! stupid work...