• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

One powerhead or two?

IanD

Member
Joined
31 Jan 2013
Messages
75
Location
London
I'm running a 190l corner tank with a fluval 406 and 205 filter. I'm planning on retiring the 205 for use as a backup and replacing with a powerhead to improve the flow.

Would a single koralia 4000 be better than a pair of koralia 1600?

You get more bang for your buck with the larger powerheads but the weaker pair gives you more flexibility in directing the flow. What would you go for? Is it just a bad idea to have two powerheads potentially working against each other?

Are there any koralia models to be avoided?

Thanks

Ian
 
Being one of the many people who have tried a plethora of things for achieving good flow in a corner tank and not quite managed it, my advice would be to go for the pair. If it was any other shape of tank I'd say the single, but I think you'll be grateful for the pair, as long as you don't mind the extra clutter in the tank.
 
I agree and you also then have options of running both on different timer to create different flow patterns at different times of the day which may help move detritus into the filter.
 
go with two, gives you more freedom to direct flow towards specific areas or create a circular flow.

I've just doubled up my flow, to be honest i was undergunned with just a nano in a 270L deep tank. Now I have a Koralia 1 / 1600 (ace purchase from UKAPS member DavidEyre) pointed down towards a moss lawn, creating flow from bottom left to right, and have a Nano working with filter spraybar directed through a jungle of stems and bolbitis from top right to left.

Incidentally I was about to buy an All Pond Solutions 2500 powerhead - worth checking out as an alternative to the Koralia - Half the price!

cheers
 
Thanks for the advice, I think i'll go for two smaller power heads. This corner tank has more dead spots than a graveyard!

Has anyone had any experience of the All Pond Solutions powerheads?
 
Cheers guys I was about to ask the same question on improving flow on a trigon 190
 
Also IanD - I would be very interested on how you setup the two powerheads for optimum flow.

I am just starting to setup a 190L corner with a Eheim 2215 (probably less flow than recommended here....wish I found this forum a week earlier!) with a spray bar and plan on adding the powerheads for improved flow.
 
Hi Occean.

I'm not the best person to ask, all I have is what i've picked up from forums.. I'll have a crack at it though!

First work out where the tank deadspots are when you have the Eheim set up and running with the spraybar. If you have fish in the tank this helps so you can see where debris accumulates. You want flow onto the planted areas of the tank as well so that the plants gently sway in the current. I guess with an unplanted tank you could test this with a lightweight float on some string, holding it in the tank to see how it reacts to the current.

I'm using a fluval corner tank with the standard base inflow and outflow fittings so the main deadspot is the back corner of the tank. I also have smaller deadspots in the two side corners of the tank. I think you would probably have the same deadspots unless you also have the internal juwel filter running as well.

Now you've worked out where debris accumulates and where the plants would have poor flow over them you can position the power head/s to point at these spots. You don't want the powerheads working against each other so try not to cross the flows. You might also have to factor in where your hardscape is placed.

I agree and you also then have options of running both on different timer to create different flow patterns at different times of the day which may help move detritus into the filter.

As Ed said using timers can mix things up, so one head only, then both, then the second only.

For my tank i'm planning to use the filter out flow to cause surface agitation with one power head in a side corner to target that tricky back corner and the second powerhead in the back corner pointing into the other side corner. It might work.. first I have to decide on the koralia or the all pond solution powerhead.

Let me know how you get on.

Ian
 
Back
Top