Hi everyone working on getting final set up for my 300g (96x30x24) and wanted to see what everyone is doing for powerheads and flow rates with predator. I want to keep it barebottom with driftwood and a few anubis i drill hole for in the driftwood. I’m keep a bunch of polys and 5 datnoids. The tank will have corner overflows and a sump so what is the best configuration and gph of powerheads to keep things from settling on the bottom and into the overflows. And advice is much appreciated!
Powerheads and circulation on 300g
- Thread starter SuperNinja
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That is a loaded question. But with predator tanks you want more filtration because they are usually Messier than other fish. I have a 600 gallon and a am at 5 times turn over and that is not enough. I have 3 big cross flow wavemakers that will keep the bottom clean if you point them right, but only once it is set up you will know how many wavemakers you will need. As I was saying mine will get everything Suspended in the water column but I don't have enough filtration to clear it out fast. I want 10 times and that's what I am going for in a few weeks. One thing to keep in mind is head pressure it's way more than you think lol My 1st pump Was a huge DC pump did not work needed more flow now I have the largest reflow hammerhead And it's not enough. Go big for big pipe and pump. I think the reflow hammerhead would be a good pump for your tank. As long is the sump is not in the basement
Yeah the sump will be right under it. How many gph are your powerheads? How many times your tank should your powerhead be?
Mine are like 5000 gph but if you are just using them to keep the bottom clean you will be better off with more smaller ones than 1 or 2 big ones. Because it really depends how your tank is set up if you have a lot of rocks or décor in the way you're gonna need more power heads to get the water around it. That's why I am saying it's an open ended question without seeing your tank and how it set up there's really no one answer. For return pumps go bigger they you think you need.
Wow! Hammerhead is a 6000gph pump. I've run two tanks "reefs" in two different rooms a 120 and a 125 with the sump in the basement off one of those. What size pipe? May be that you are creating to much head pressure with to small a diameter? I also ran my 180 and 90 off the same pump again sump in the basement and I had to divert flow back to the sump from the output. But the sump in this case was directly below the tanks in the basement not 20' away like in the reef tanks. I used 1.5" pipe from the pump to the manifold upstairs where it was 1" out puts to the tanks. The inlet to pump was also a 1.5" pipe.
That maybe to much for a 300g directly above the sump....but like me you could over kill it and send some back to the sump. Just be careful not to overwhelm your drains.
I'm running 2" all the way up to my overflow Back drops down to two 1" to go in the tank.
My pump is under the tank right now and not even in the basement and moving it in a couple weeks. The hammerheads are not very good pumps for a high head pressure I think it's like 24' is the Max. All the unions shut off valves and 90 add up
Weird. Is this th
Both mine were in the basement pumping up around 15'. On the reefs it was pumping up about 12' and across around 10' split in two directions then up to the back of the tanks another 4' or so. Dual 1" full syphon drains on 3 of the tanks (both reefs and the 180 the 90 only has one 1") with the gate valve almost all the way open. I try to minimize all the 90s and any length of pipe smaller then 1.5.
I've used a few reefflo products and so far they all have exceeded my expectations. I had some issues getting my most recent hammerhead to stop leaking from the threads but a call to reefflo tech and they had me figured out.
Weird. 2" may be too big, according to reefflo they recommended me to use 1.5 or 1.25. Is this the only one you've had? Maybe there is something wrong with it. Or maybe it has the smaller impeller in it? Just trying to help.
Both mine were in the basement pumping up around 15'. On the reefs it was pumping up about 12' and across around 10' split in two directions then up to the back of the tanks another 4' or so. Dual 1" full syphon drains on 3 of the tanks (both reefs and the 180 the 90 only has one 1") with the gate valve almost all the way open. I try to minimize all the 90s and any length of pipe smaller then 1.5.
I've used a few reefflo products and so far they all have exceeded my expectations. I had some issues getting my most recent hammerhead to stop leaking from the threads but a call to reefflo tech and they had me figured out.
If you look at the flow chart at 20ft of head it is 3000 gph. Also you can't go to big on the output as long as the input is the same size or bigger. Every union, shut off Valve, 90 elbows add up. I don't know how high your ceilings are but from my basement to the top of tank is 12 ft. That is only 4500 gpm and that is with no extra pipe that u need, or fitting. I found pump for the same pice that will do 6600gpm at 75ft of head.
Here is a calculator for head pressure I don't know who at reflow would tell you to use a smaller diameter pipe than the discharge on the pump but I would never do that. I would just put a shut off Valve to regulat the pump just always do it on the discharge side of the pump. Bigger is better Especially at higher flows. Go to the calculators and put in a 100 gallons per minute and see the head loss different from 1 1/2 to 2 inch pvc its was a Couple of feet with my setup. I think the hammerheads are great pumps just not for high head pressure. I am going to keep mine and just use it to run a glass bead filter.
For you that works. For him/her with a sump only 5 or 6' below the tank and only a 300g that's going to be way to much flow.