spray bars in this scape?

[Martin in Holland]

Would it still be recommended to have spray bars in this kind of scape. I think that there wouldn't be enough flow going behind the back of the rocks.
I am more leaning towards using 2 filters (as I already have those) and get one outflow at the front of the tank aiming from left to right and the other one at the back of the tank aiming front right to left.

 

[harryH]

Hi Martin,

Lots of information on here about water flow (distribution). In every case you are warned against having filter outlets opposing each other.
Your outlets need to be on the same wall, flowing in the same direction.
I would say it's not essential to have spray bars. Outlets such as lily pipes or the dove tail type can be effective. It's just that spray bars tend to spread the flow better.

You could try one spray bar low down and the outlet from your other filter above, both flowing same direction.

Harry.

 

[Martin in Holland]

Thanks Harry,
I have seen a few very nice scapes with the outlets as I am thinking of...they won't be working against each other but more taking the flow round I am hoping..but I am no expert for sure

 

[NC10]

Hi Martin,You could try one spray bar low down and the outlet from your other filter above, both flowing same direction.

Harry.

This is what I've done. I have a full length spray bar along the back wall just above the substrate firing up. The outlet from my sump fires forward just below the surface towards the front glass, I don't have a spray bar on this. The flow around the tank is pretty much perfect.

 

[Martin in Holland]

NC10....do you have a picture of this?

 

[NC10]

There's nothing much to see really, I do have these terrible pictures though.

First pic you can see the pump on the left feeding the spraybar and you can just see the other end on the right. The green bit is just some hose joining the spray bar to the pump. You'll obviously be coming straight of your external, but same principal.

The return from the sump fires straight forward towards the glass just to the right of the tall piece of wood.

I have 3 holes/caves at the bottom of the wood, so the water being fired up the back sucks the water through these and from the sides also, but keeps a nice steady even flow going round and round. If you mount one as low down, the water should be pulled over those rocks nicely.

The reason I went for this is much the same problem as yours. Because of the sheer bulk of the wood, if I'd have gone for a normal position firing from top back to front, a lot of the flow would have just been blocked by the wood meaning I wouldn't get much flow behind. Mounting it lower down I'm starting the flow behind the wood eliminating the problem and then when the water reaches the surface it's free to carry on as if I'd mounted it in the more normal position.

 

[Martin in Holland]

solid idea....maybe I can put a small extra pump with spray bar behind my rocks in the same way as my filters are very powerful...I will look into this

 

[Martin in Holland]

more ideas are still welcome

 

[NC10]

How about a vertical spray bar in the back right corner behind the rocks?