Help me pick my powerhead?

[Sonatine]

I've done some research on my own, but these are expensive enough that I want some advice before I buy one. Tank is a fluval flex 32.5gal AIO. Currently has only the filter/return pump included with the tank. Tank is pretty new, maybe 5-6 weeks old, with three fish (clown, blenny, springer's damsel). No coral yet but plan for eventually mostly soft corals.

Tank is going through its ugly phase, and there's some cyano, diatoms, and maybe a bit of dinos on the rocks and substrate. I'm told that increasing flow to these areas will help, and the return pump included with the tank barely touches the rocks, let alone the sand.

I'm looking for something that will help add a little flow to the rocks and sand and later provide sufficient flow for softies, without blasting my poor fish into the glass (only the damsel is really a strong swimmer), and ideally something that is small enough to not be unsightly in a nano tank.

Any suggestions? I seem to see good things about Jebao products, but the ones I've looked at seem like they'd be too powerful for my tank.

Also, if you've got any other advice for dummies regarding powerheads, how to use them, and how to prevent problems, I'd be happy to hear it. The hardware aspect of reefing has been the most difficult for me to grasp so far, and I am not particularly handy, so any DIY fixes would have to be extremely simple and not require much by way of sophisticated tools.

 

[fishski13]

I would recommend the sicce nano stream. Not sure which size, theres two of them, because it all depends on the coral stocking you are looking to do in the future. I use the sicce nano stream 270 gph on my 20 gallon quarantine tank and the flow is just enough to get to the other side of the tank and circulate the water.

 

[Sonatine]

I would recommend the sicce nano stream. Not sure which size, theres two of them, because it all depends on the coral stocking you are looking to do in the future. I use the sicce nano stream 270 gph on my 20 gallon quarantine tank and the flow is just enough to get to the other side of the tank and circulate the water.

That one looks pretty good and the price is reasonable. Does yours have settings/different intensities or is it just on/off?

I read a recommendation that a power head should be able to move 10-20x the tank volume per hour; if that’s correct then I’d need the larger size but I’m worried my fish might not be able to swim against that much flow, unless it has a lower setting available or something.

 

[fishski13]

That one looks pretty good and the price is reasonable. Does yours have settings/different intensities or is it just on/off?

I read a recommendation that a power head should be able to move 10-20x the tank volume per hour; if that’s correct then I’d need the larger size but I’m worried my fish might not be able to swim against that much flow, unless it has a lower setting available or something.

Unfortunately this one is just on and off. You could go with the big one. Just figure out how to put it, like at the surface of the water or something similar. You could also go with two of the smaller ones and have one on the top corner and than one on the complete opposite bottom corner

 

[X-37B]

A Jebao OW-25 would work well.
I use one in my 20g nano cube.
They have a nice controller and are small for the amount of water they can move.

 

[fishface NJ]

Jebao MOW-9

 

[Sonatine]

So many ideas! I knew it was a good idea to ask here.

Now leaning towards the Jebao OW-25. The reviews are solid and it seems like a reliable and no-fuss powerhead. The MOW-9 looks cool too... but I don't know if I'll actually end up using the different modes enough to justify the difference in price.

Thanks for all the ideas!

 

[BaliReefBox]

Hygger mini dc controllable, many modes of operation and feed function. only bad thing imo is that it cant be directed/pointed. But at $70 its a bargain

 

[rtparty]

AI Nero 3 for me

 

[KQuillan]

I have the Jebao OW 25 in my 38 and I have it on a low setting. It can move a lot of water but I also love the features/options.

 

[Sonatine]

I went with the Jebao OW 25! Thanks to everyone for their suggestions!

Which brings me to another question that googling hasn't quite resolved.

Covers/guards: I don't want this thing to turn my fish into a red mist (or any eventual anemones down the road). There's no way they could get sucked in through the sides of it, but they may be able to fit through the front and get themselves shredded (though it would be a tight squeeze). I could maybe attempt to use some sort of mesh for the front, though the shape will make attaching it securely somewhat difficult. Suggestions welcome.

 

[YaboiNathan]

Just go with 1 mp10 l, I have mp10 for sale if you need