Flow- Too much/little???

corey.nolta · Nov 2, 2015

Is there such thing as too much flow? I have a 60 gallon (4' long) tank currently running with one power head rated at 1300 gph. I have noticed some nuisance dead spots in my tank and have thought about adding the other power head (same make/model) that I have laying around. Would two be too much? If not, what would be a good placement for the second one? (My current one is placed back left corner facing front center glass / slightly down).
The reason I ask is that I have two mushroom colonies and they always look their best when I take out the powerhead to clean it and there is no flow. And unfortunately I am not able to move them unless I completely redo my rock-scape and take everything out, which I'm not to excited about the thought of that.

Live stock--
Yellow tang
Tomato clown
Lawnmower blenny
Red anthias x 2
Carpet nem

Variety of coral frags (softies, lps, and sps)

Thanks for any input guys and gals!

Dastins · Nov 2, 2015

Mushrooms generally prefer a low to moderate water flow. You said that there are some dead spots to your water flow now, your mushrooms may prefer those spots over others in the tank with a high water flow. Without seeing the tank it would be hard to determine the location of your power head in correlation with your live rock. If the live rocke is blocking the water flow that may be the reason for your dead spots. If you added a second power head I would adjust the first one back left side glass facing right slightly angled to the back of the tank and the second power head right center side glass angled slightly left and up. This would create a natural vortex that seems to work well in my tank although some corals did prefer to be moved to a less rapid water flow spot. Not sure about two 1300 gallon per minute power heads. Possibly your second power head could be about half that size and you would still get a more general water flow versus increasing the water flow with two large powerheads. You basically just want to control the movement of the water versus increasing the speed of it. Hope this helps.

corey.nolta · Nov 2, 2015

Here is a semi recent full tank shot. The dead spot is the back right. Notice the left side powerhead. Was thinking for the second one, it would be on the right side facing back and slightly up. I think we are thinking the same thing, just reversed..

Dastins · Nov 2, 2015

I'm left handed so I think in reverse a lot. JK. As I suspected your flow would have difficulty moving around your LR on the back right. The natural flow wouldn't push it that way with your current power head location. My idea would be to move your current head straight right, directly towards the other side of the tank. Your other head would be right side near the front of the tank, basically catty corner. This would create a circular flow. Your LR would push the flow towards the second head. Pointing the power head slightly up will eliminate too much water flow to the base to prevent some of your more sensitive corals from being affected.