Need help with flow for a 29g reef tank. Powerhead Poll.

[leoslizards]

I have a 29 gallon tank that has been setup for a little over 3 months now and I would like to have more flow in it. It currently only has a HOB filter and a bubble wand providing current/flow and surface agitation, so there's a lot of dead spots. I'm going to buy a pair of powerheads and later on the road build a sump and refug for it.

I plan to have a mixed reef system. I know different types of corals require different types of flow. I really don't know much about corals yet but I would like to have an anemone, some mushrooms, a hammer, and some zoos. I don't know what categories they fall into. I've seen a lot of terms here in the forum but I don't know what they mean. For example SPS, LPS, Softies, etc... I still have to do a lot of reading before I decide on what I'll be getting. I've heard that if I plan on keeping SPS that they require a lot of flow. I don't know what SPS's look like so I don't even know if I'll be getting any.

I've read that I would need about 20 through 50 times turnover, so I was considering getting a pair of Koralia 1's (400gph), 2's (600gph), or 3's (850gph) and a pump for the return from the sump. I was thinking maybe the Koralia 3 but that would bring me to 58.62 times turnover plus however more flow the return pump provides. Is having too much flow bad?

For now it'll just be the Koralias and the sump will be added later on. The K1's cost $58.00 for the pair, the K2's are $73.98/pair, and the K3's are $77.98/pair, so the price range is not far off. Does anyone recommend any better choice powerheads in the same price range besides the Koralias?



I have included some pictures and explanations to show how the whole system might be setup unless someone recommends a better way of setting it up.




The display tank (29g) will have a HOB overflow that drains into a DIY protein skimmer inside a 20g sump. Filled to about 15 gallons of water. There will also be three DIY Phosban type reactors outside of the sump, pumping water from a camber inside the sump back into the return camber of the sump. One reactor will be filled with GAC, one with GFO, and one will be a fluidized bed filter. There will be no LR in the sump, only in the display and refug.

Water then goes up the return pump where it goes into a "T" with a valve on each end. The valve that says "Drain" will be used to attach a hose that goes outside for water changes. I will be removing about 10 gallons of water directly from the sump.

When the "Drain" valve is closed and the other is opened, the return pump will pump water up to the refug (10g or 20g) which will be located above the display tank. It will have a HOB overflow that drains back into the display through a series of spraybars (see the next pic for details). It might also have a valve for better control but it might not be necessary (not in picture). I figured this will be the best place for the refug because more pods will survive the gravity drain instead of going through the return pump.

The two tanks on top of the refug will be 10g tanks. One will have FW for gravity fed auto top-off which will provide fresh water when ever needed. The tank will be drilled underneath or on the side, close to the bottom and the drain pipe will be slightly inside the display tank. Come to think about it, this won't work out very well unless the drain pipe is about 1cm above the HOB overflow's teeth. It might be better draining it into the sump instead of the display. Any ideas on how to improve this would be great.

As for the other tank. It will have 10 gallons of FW mixing with salt using a powerhead. It will also be drilled. It will be used for the weekly/bi-weekly water changes. When I finish draining the old water from the sump, I simply open the valve and let the fresh SW into the display or directly into the sump. Then I simply refill it and leave it mixing for next weeks water change.



Here's the next picture that shows the spraybar setup inside the display tank.




The HOB overflow will drain into the sump, refug, etc... (All explained above). Then the refug will drain into the "SCWD" which splits the return line in two and one return line will have two spraybars outlets and the other will also have two spraybar outlets as well as an extra in the center of the tank with a Hydor Flow (310gph) attachment on it. The diagram pretty much explains it all. My only concerns are, 1) will the SCWD work upside down because it will be connected to the gravity drain pipe above from the refug, and 2) will there be enough flow or pressure in the gravity pipe to evenly spread water at a good flow rate throughout all the spraybars and Hydor Flo outlets located inside the tank. I think I saw a DIY adapter somewhere that increases the pressure of return pipes but I'm not certain.

Well that's my idea, If there is anything you would do to improve or completely change from this setup please let me know. Thanks for taking the time to read my thread and giving me some feedback. I will be ordering the Koralias or some other pumps in a day or two so I'll need some suggestions a.s.a.p.


Thanks,
Leo

[badfish]

Read the SPS, LPS, and softy forums. They explain the differences.

[leoslizards]

Originally posted by badfish
Read the SPS, LPS, and softy forums. They explain the differences.

Ok, my biggest concern right now is the flow. Should I get the Koralia 3's or will that be too much flow?

[xpxdx]

i dont' think the 3's would be too much, the flow from koralias is wide and gentle...
i have a koralia 1 and a seio 620 in my 29 right now, along with my return ~300gph, it used to be 2 620's but they're so ugly... my corals are mostly mushrooms right now, and they're not bothered by the flow, it's not aimed right at them tho...

all that other stuff seems too complicated man

good luck..

[leoslizards]

Originally posted by xpxdx
all that other stuff seems too complicated man

good luck..

LOL. It's saves energy though. It only uses one pump and maybe one big or small pump for the reactors. I plan to use a 150w MH so energy costs is an issue.

[leoslizards]

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