Creating flow in a large tank

[MaC420]

I just set up a 5x2x2 tank and I'm struggling to create enough flow to push the poop along to the intake!
Im not too keen on power heads or wave makers all over and I just wondered if anybody has any alternatives?

Also can I set up a sump with a small tank and two canister filters or do I need a pond pump?

Thankyou in advance

 

[MaC420]

 

[Jez1992]

Nice scape!

Air stones with powerful air pump? In my tank majority of movement is created by air pump not actually the return.

And in relation to the sump using canister, definitely no no.

Even if you use the same canisters with same flow rate, one will end up pumping more than the other due to gravity so will be very difficult to manage a constant water level and avoid overflows.

If want sump and can't drill the tank as already set up, then consider an over flow box and then use a canister as a return, a much safer option.

 

[celebrist]

you can also add inductors to your outputs to increase flow. I agree about the air stones, mine pull stuff off the bottom to be pushed around until getting to the overflows

 

[Coryloach]

The wood in the middle will block the flow from making a full round.
I had my 5f tank with spraybars on the short side, one under the other. I actually had three of them. Majority of debris settled right under the intakes on the same side of the spraybars, so it was blowing all to the other side and back. But I had intake on the opposite side too.

If you use sprabars on the long side, all debris will gather at the back glass.
If you don't have enough flow to push things around, you probably don't have enough filtration. Two large filters will work fine but I had 3 as I like overfiltering, plus an internal..

Looking at your decoration (nice by the way)..I'd treat the two sides as separate areas by using two large externals. Place the sprabars on the long side and an intake on each corner for aesthetics but closer to the middle and less to the corner will work batter. You can swap the intakes if you wish..The flow out the filters spraybars has to be strong enough to nearly hit the front glass..

Anyway, that's what I'd do...

 

[Pomatomus]

You could probably get away with 1 or two large powerheads unless that's too many. I have one that blows 2300 GPH, which I tested in a 65 gallon tank. It launched water against the opposite side hard enough to splash it out of the top of the tank!

 

[duanes]

Just sending poop to a filter is "not" getting it out the tank, it just sits in the filter metabolizing and creating nitrates that are sent back to the tank. You are better off (and it is more healthy for the fish) to vacuum it out frequently, and add new water.
I use 2000+ gph hour pumps situated on my sumps, and the flow in my tanks is quite strong, but still vacuum every other day, removing about 30% of old water with it.

 

[MaC420]

My fish load is pretty low at the moment but of course I always do regular maintenance like water changes and cleaning filters it was more of an aesthetics issue.
Coryloach I think that's a good point about treating it as two separate sides because of the island im really happy with the layout (thanks for compliment so I can work around it, if a spray bar and intake either side isn't enough I'll have to look into powerheads or the bubbles idea.
Thanks a lot for all your input everyone it's really appreciated