which powerheads won't cause a sandstorm? (75g with fine sand)

afex · #1 07/26/2006, 01:40 PM

hey all,

i currently have two MJ 1200s in my 75g (48" x 18" x 20") along with 1"-2" shallow sand bed of CaribSea Bahamas Oolite (sugar-sized 0.1 - 1.0 mm)

currently those powerheads are kicking up enough sand to annoy the hell out of me. its not a sandstorm, but there are always particles floating around in the water column. i want clear water!

i want to upgrade to tunze powerheads, but will i be able to do that and avoid kicking up the sand at the same time?

are there any tricks that apply to all powerheads which will help me keep my sand on the bottom?

thanks!

bureau13 · #2 07/26/2006, 03:00 PM

How long have you had the tank running, and do you have any live rock in there yet? Generally speaking, as soon as you get bacteria to colonize the sandbed you'll get a biofilm over it that helps keep it in place. Unless you're pointing the powerheads directly at the sand, it should be fine (no experience with the Tunzes though).

jds

afex · #3 07/26/2006, 03:02 PM

i'm in the process of cycling at the moment.

i have about 90 lbs. of live rock currently in the tank

dots · #4 07/26/2006, 08:44 PM

Powerhead placement is one of the most important and time consuming things that need to be done. Get used to it.

However, there are a couple of different pump types. If you get into SPS, stony, corals you will probably end up needing a few of these.

The standard powerhead puts out a narrow high pressure stream that beats corals and whips the sand. They work fine if positioned properly or a rotating hydor head on them.

The other type of powerheads used are the Tunze or Seio brands that put out wider streams, same amount of flow at lower velocities. See picture. However, they are more expensive that say a Via Aqua which I use as a workhorse pump only that gets replaced yearly.