Flow in the fluval 13.5

[cleaner_shrimp]

Hey I’m a newer reefer with a fluval 13.5. My tank is a year old and very mature. Now That I have a good amount of corals I had to upgrade to a new return for more flow. I upgraded to a sicce .5 return and use the original nozzles that the tank came with. I had the pump for a while and it was fine then but now it seems to not be as strong. I have a rock scape where the corals are on the middle and left and right side if the tank. The issue is that the flow seems low and isn’t reaching a lot of places well. For on the front left side of the tank (the side with the nozzles). I get flow near the front corner and like a inch towards the middle. After that it’s not exactly a dead spot but the flow is very low there and I can’t seem to find a angle with the stick nozzles to get enough flow to that side of the tank. I will show pictures to show this better. The pump is also not cranked all the way up. And to be honest I couldn’t tell you what it is at but I might increase it but I really need flow to reach all parts of the tank not just strong at one spot. The gorgonian I have attempted to place has not done well. It’s alive but it doesn’t open a lot and the flow is very subtle against it. The favia I think is fine where it is because it has grown a lot. But my orange Florida richordia has not split in the almost year I have had it. It it is still colored but its like pale but not Bleached. I think this is either due to light or flow. It also doesn’t fluoresce like it did when I bought it. It is slightly shaded and has been for a while. Also I recently picked up a Australian torch and the flow barely reaches it just enough to keep it alive. And for reference the torch is on the right side of the tank towards the overflow. I can’t seem to get the flow to reach farther without cranking my pump up but then it bulldozes my Duncan coral and candy cane coral. I was thinking about getting a random flow generator nozzle but I wanted a more experienced reefers opinion. These photos are very dark and I apologize but I don’t have a super camera and My IPhone camera hates blue light. If you would like better photos let me know and I can crank the whites up for a photo.

 

[Sod Buster]

I've got an Evo w/ a sicce. 5. I got the split random flow pack for the 13.5 off the site. You've got to aim them down into the water or they will suck air in. Work fairly decent though. Small sicce nano pump opposite them. Somewhat unsightly, but bounces flow around.

 

[cleaner_shrimp]

I've got an Evo w/ a sicce. 5. I got the split random flow pack for the 13.5 off the site. You've got to aim them down into the water or they will suck air in. Work fairly decent though. Small sicce nano pump opposite them. Somewhat unsightly, but bounces flow around.

Hmm I will look at that. And are you talking about the ultimate nano tank return line kit off of VCA right?

 

[Sod Buster]

Yes. That is it. My only complaint is they'll suck air in and shoot bubbles if you don't get them deep enough under the surface. Then the little nano magnet pump collides with those random streams and works fairly well. The back wall gets hit with the most flow under the overflow. I tied a piece of 1/4" wide ribbon onto a upside down frag plug stem and would set that in different parts of the tank and observe the action of the ribbon to fine tune it. That keeps the fish at the front of the tank with the most flow hitting the back wall also.

 

[uhgster1]

You’re going to need an extra powerhead. I know they’re ugly but the outflow is just not enough. I have a Sicce 1 in my 13.5. I’m using a 7 year old Jabeo W4 that’s perfect. When it finally goes I’m going to replace it with a Nero 3.

 

[jfoahs04]

I know a lot of people get by with just an upgraded return pump and random flow generator, but I prefer the wavemaker too. I have a Nero 3 and I don’t think I’d be able to move water around my rocks without it.

 

[cleaner_shrimp]

You’re going to need an extra powerhead. I know they’re ugly but the outflow is just not enough. I have a Sicce 1 in my 13.5. I’m using a 7 year old Jabeo W4 that’s perfect. When it finally goes I’m going to replace it with a Nero 3.

First off very nice tank. Also I have a mixed reef with some softy’s and lps and only2 sps and it’s a monti cap and a pocylipora ( I can spell names). But I have a lot of lower flow corals and certian ones get enough flow but I can consider moving some of them and recapping a bit. It may have to do with my rock scape but I don’t have room for a wave maker. I wanted the hygger small one but it’s to expensive. I can try the random flow nozzles and see if that works but if not I can look into a powerhead. I will move some corals if they get to much flow in certain areas. But I don’t have a ton of room at the moment and I won’t until I get that macro out of the display and into a rear chamber.

 

[cleaner_shrimp]

I know a lot of people get by with just an upgraded return pump and random flow generator, but I prefer the wavemaker too. I have a Nero 3 and I don’t think I’d be able to move water around my rocks without it.

Yes but because of my scape I don’t have much room and I am afraid to rescape the rocks and I have weird rocks that don’t really work well unless its scapes the way I have it currently.

 

[LuizW13]

I think you should get a powerhead, like others suggested. If you come across a Aqamai KPS nano, I'd buy it. Seems like Hydor discontinued them, but you may find one second hand- pretty neat pumps for their size and I'd probably be a perfect fit for that tank.

 

[jfoahs04]

Yes but because of my scape I don’t have much room and I am afraid to rescape the rocks and I have weird rocks that don’t really work well unless its scapes the way I have it currently.

I hear you. When was the last time you took the pump out and cleaned it (like pulled it apart and cleaned all of the components)? I actually still have the stock return and I do it once every 3 months or so. It makes a noticeable difference.

Part of the problem might just be pump size. The 0.5 is only 185 gph. I'm running my nero on random and wave modes that peak at 1250gph. Even if your pump is running at peak, 185gph just isn't a lot. With softies and LPS, you might want to be closer to 500-600gph in this tank. I think I've seen some of the upgraded controllable returns push around that much in the EVO.

 

[cleaner_shrimp]

Hmm I the sicce has been in there for maybe 2 months and I haven’t cleaned it but it’s not running at max. I don’t run it all the way because it was to strong against my candy can and Duncan. But I would like to have a more random flow pattern anyway but those power heads are so expensive.

I hear you. When was the last time you took the pump out and cleaned it (like pulled it apart and cleaned all of the components)? I actually still have the stock return and I do it once every 3 months or so. It makes a noticeable difference.

Part of the problem might just be pump size. The 0.5 is only 185 gph. I'm running my nero on random and wave modes that peak at 1250gph. Even if your pump is running at peak, 185gph just isn't a lot. With softies and LPS, you might want to be closer to 500-600gph in this tank.

 

[jfoahs04]

Hmm I the sicce has been in there for maybe 2 months and I haven’t cleaned it but it’s not running at max. I don’t run it all the way because it was to strong against my candy can and Duncan. But I would like to have a more random flow pattern anyway but those power heads are so expensive.

Yeah, it probably doesn't need a cleaning yet. I'd try grabbing some of the random flow heads (they shouldn't be too expensive - $25-30 bucks - a few people 3D printer on the Fluval Evo 13.5 owners group on facebook) and cranking the pump a little bit. The candy cane (and everything else) should adjust to 185gph of random flow pretty quickly (within a week or so). The stock pump is around 120gph, so it's not a huge increase.

 

[cleaner_shrimp]

Yeah, it probably doesn't need a cleaning yet. I'd try grabbing some of the random flow heads (they shouldn't be too expensive - $25-30 bucks - a few people 3D printer on the Fluval Evo 13.5 owners group on facebook) and cranking the pump a little bit. The candy cane (and everything else) should adjust to 185gph of random flow pretty quickly (within a week or so). The stock pump is around 120gph, so it's not a huge increase.

Ok. I will look into the rfgs and I will move things around to see how it does with that.

 

[Rico's Reefnecks]

Try the hygger mini 1600 gph. $70 for fully-controlled with multiple wavemodes. Keep it on 40% (lowest power) and go up if needed. You'll find mention of it here and there and people are generally happy with it (myself included)

 

[cleaner_shrimp]

Try the hygger mini 1600 gph. $70 for fully-controlled with multiple wavemodes. Keep it on 40% (lowest power) and go up if needed. You'll find mention of it here and there and people are generally happy with it (myself included)

I will take a look at that.

 

[rmorris_14]

Ive got a jaebo slw 10 in my tank. Does a really good job moving the water around and the pulsing is great!

 

[cleaner_shrimp]

Try the hygger mini 1600 gph. $70 for fully-controlled with multiple wavemodes. Keep it on 40% (lowest power) and go up if needed. You'll find mention of it here and there and people are generally happy with it (myself included)

I am tried it and it’s so freaking strong. It absolutely blew over everything. At 40%. I don’t know if it was the setting but I don’t know how to set this up properly

 

[Rico's Reefnecks]

Hmm, its a good jet immediately in front of it but in my hands it cones out/tapers off before too long. I aim mine down the long axis of the tank towards the overflow grating, over the top of some of my rocks. With my hand I can only feel the flow up to about 2/3 of the way down the tank. I mostly have it on the "nutrient transfer" wave setting, on pretty low frequencies. I did find the continuous flow to be too strong, and random to be too unpredictable (and would use settings that were too strong).

Programming is sort of irritating but hope that helps. You can also try moving it higher in the tank.

 

[cleaner_shrimp]

Hmm, its a good jet immediately in front of it but in my hands it cones out/tapers off before too long. I aim mine down the long axis of the tank towards the overflow grating, over the top of some of my rocks. With my hand I can only feel the flow up to about 2/3 of the way down the tank. I mostly have it on the "nutrient transfer" wave setting, on pretty low frequencies. I did find the continuous flow to be too strong, and random to be too unpredictable (and would use settings that were too strong).

Programming is sort of irritating but hope that helps. You can also try moving it higher in the tank.

Interesting. I also wonder if my corals just aren’t used to the stronger flow but I tried pointing it the direction you have yours and my torch is on the end towards the overflow and it got beat down pretty hard. And the pump was basically like a inch or 2 from the surface of the water. I will try what you are using and see how that goes.

 

[robottaway]

I can vouch for the jecod/jebao slw-5 as I have been using one for 4-5 months. Still on stock return pump (and everything else for that matter). At lowest setting, which is 30%, there is plenty of wave/circular flow and agitation. Nothing is stuck, coral stay clean and have a nice bit of flow. I keep shrooms, zoas, cloves etc and seems to be good enough. I suspect it also would be plenty of flow for softies.