New Setup Questions

[QuarantineReefer]

Hey Guys and Gals

First I am really sorry if this is the wrong place to post this. But I'm setting up my first reef tank and still in the phase of buying equipment. The two pieces I am focusing on right now are my power heads and light. I have a 56 gallon tall tank that measures 30 wide 18 deep and 24 tall. I'm looking to do an assortment of some beginner corals and fish and getting hung up on these two no matter how many videos I watch and posts I read.

So as far as the power heads go right now I am looking at the Hydor Koralia 3rd Gen 1350 GPH units. One on either side pointed toward eachother and kind of towards the front glass maybe? Am I going to be okay with these with my tank? Overkill? Not enough?

The second part of question is the light. So at first I was looking at the Zetlight ZT-6500A QMAVEN II Series LED Light. But the I got to thinking that my tank has a black plastic support that goes from the front to the back of the tank right in the middle at the top and I was worried that the single light might be problematic with shadowing. I didn't know if it would be enough casting a shadow to affect the corals and also just look bad. So I kind of switched gears and started looking at maybe 2 smaller lights. So I was looking at the Prime 16 HD LED Reef Light by AI. I thought maybe 1 on either side of the divider might work better. Of these two options would one work better than the other or just about the same? Would neither be a good option?

Sorry for what are probably such dumb questions but any help would be greatly appreciated. And if you have suggestions other than what I listed please throw them at me. Both of these seem like the could be pretty expensive mistakes if not done right the first time so I'm trying to do everything I can to be on top of the game. Thank you in advance!

 

[TheDuude]

Your flow patterns need to match the rockwork in your display so take that into consideration. The key is trying to rid the tank of low flow areas and get detritus moved into your filtration. On the flipside you don't want to cause a sandstorm or blast your fish against the opposing wall.

I run the prime 16 HDs on my tank and love them. They don't seem to get the attention they deserve for the price. I am able to grow SPS in top half of my tank without issue.

 

[Sailfin11]

Those two powerheads are a good size for your tank. I'd recommend getting some 24 hr timers so that the flow is more random and. Either of the light options could work, but I would go with the two primes. If you're on a budget, I've heard good things about this light on Amazon. For $50 each, I think I'm going to give them a try.

 

[QuarantineReefer]

Your flow patterns need to match the rockwork in your display so take that into consideration. The key is trying to rid the tank of low flow areas and get detritus moved into your filtration. On the flipside you don't want to cause a sandstorm or blast your fish against the opposing wall.

I run the prime 16 HDs on my tank and love them. They don't seem to get the attention they deserve for the price. I am able to grow SPS in top half of my tank without issue.

I see what your saying, I don't want a sandstorm and DEFINITELY don't want my fish pushed up against the glass all the time haha. But that's good to hear on the lights too.

Those two powerheads are a good size for your tank. I'd recommend getting some 24 hr timers so that the flow is more random and. Either of the light options could work, but I would go with the two primes. If you're on a budget, I've heard good things about this light on Amazon. For $50 each, I think I'm going to give them a try.

Then it sounds like I may just got the AI route. As far as the timers go for the power heads are you talking just like the hardware store timers for say Christmas lights or is there a specific type/brand you would suggest?

 

[Auquanut]

As far as power heads go, I love my Koralia 1350s. Should be a good fit for your tank, but hard to say for sure depending on your scape. You'll definitely have to fiddle with positioning them until you get the flow pattern you want.
For the timer, you can basically go with any light timer depending on the on/off cycle you're going for. I have my Koralias on a Hydor Koralia smart wave controller ($65 out of the box but got mine used for next to nothing at LFS) and have them set to 1 minute alternating between pumps for more random flow.
I don't have any experience with either of the lighting systems you mentioned. I think I would go with the AIs.

Disclaimer: My Hydor power heads are on the back glass of my 6' 125. I also have Jebaos on each side on a separate wave maker. I get crazy random flow and turbulence, but it's a much longer tank.

 

[QuarantineReefer]

As far as power heads go, I love my Koralia 1350s. Should be a good fit for your tank, but hard to say for sure depending on your scape. You'll definitely have to fiddle with positioning them until you get the flow pattern you want.
For the timer, you can basically go with any light timer depending on the on/off cycle you're going for. I have my Koralias on a Hydor Koralia smart wave controller ($65 out of the box but got mine used for next to nothing at LFS) and have them set to 1 minute alternating between pumps for more random flow.
I don't have any experience with either of the lighting systems you mentioned. I think I would go with the AIs.

Disclaimer: My Hydor power heads are on the back glass of my 6' 125. I also have Jebaos on each side on a separate wave maker. I get crazy random flow and turbulence, but it's a much longer tank.

My plan this weekend is to make a drive up north about 2 hours to a fish store and try to get some Marco's rock and some sand so that I can try to start with the scape. As worried as I am about getting everything right I planned on trying to get some decent pictures or a walk around video to post on here. That way I can get some opinions on how it's setup and make sure I don't need to change anything up that could potentially cause me problems down the road.

And I am definitely not opposed to going with the smart wave controller if that would be a better option than the 24 hour timer.

 

[Teri NewbieReefer]

Hi and Welcome to R2R. Looks like you have a solid plan. The Hydor's will do a great job - you'll just have to fiddle with them a little bit to push the water around your scape without blasting corals or fish. The AI Primes are a great way to go - they are programmable/controllable with your phone, and you don't have to worry about the brace being in the way.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Your flow patterns need to match the rockwork in your display so take that into consideration. The key is trying to rid the tank of low flow areas and get detritus moved into your filtration. On the flipside you don't want to cause a sandstorm or blast your fish against the opposing wall.

I run the prime 16 HDs on my tank and love them. They don't seem to get the attention they deserve for the price. I am able to grow SPS in top half of my tank without issue.

I am considering getting the Prime. So is the Par not enough to do soft corals in the bottom of the tank? You mention growing coral in the top half only.

 

[TheDuude]

I am considering getting the Prime. So is the Par not enough to do soft corals in the bottom of the tank? You mention growing coral in the top half only.

I have Acans, Hammer, and toadstool all on my sandbed doing great under the primes. SPS corals will need to be up closer to the light. My tank is 21 inches tall and I have the lights mounted 9 inches above the water line.

 

[QuarantineReefer]

Hi and Welcome to R2R. Looks like you have a solid plan. The Hydor's will do a great job - you'll just have to fiddle with them a little bit to push the water around your scape without blasting corals or fish. The AI Primes are a great way to go - they are programmable/controllable with your phone, and you don't have to worry about the brace being in the way.

I do like the idea of being able to control the lights with my phone and their adjustability. I think I'm pretty much sold on the lights. I was going to order the stuff from BRS but it looks like they're out of stock on the power heads at the moment as well as the mounting brackets for the lights. I may go ahead and at least get the lights coming for now though. Is there any other comparable powerheads that might be worth getting so that I can try to get things going or should I look somewhere else to get the Hydors? I was kind of eyeing the Skimz SS6.0 unit as well. Thanks!

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Hey Guys and Gals

First I am really sorry if this is the wrong place to post this. But I'm setting up my first reef tank and still in the phase of buying equipment. The two pieces I am focusing on right now are my power heads and light. I have a 56 gallon tall tank that measures 30 wide 18 deep and 24 tall. I'm looking to do an assortment of some beginner corals and fish and getting hung up on these two no matter how many videos I watch and posts I read.

So as far as the power heads go right now I am looking at the Hydor Koralia 3rd Gen 1350 GPH units. One on either side pointed toward eachother and kind of towards the front glass maybe? Am I going to be okay with these with my tank? Overkill? Not enough?

The second part of question is the light. So at first I was looking at the Zetlight ZT-6500A QMAVEN II Series LED Light. But the I got to thinking that my tank has a black plastic support that goes from the front to the back of the tank right in the middle at the top and I was worried that the single light might be problematic with shadowing. I didn't know if it would be enough casting a shadow to affect the corals and also just look bad. So I kind of switched gears and started looking at maybe 2 smaller lights. So I was looking at the Prime 16 HD LED Reef Light by AI. I thought maybe 1 on either side of the divider might work better. Of these two options would one work better than the other or just about the same? Would neither be a good option?

Sorry for what are probably such dumb questions but any help would be greatly appreciated. And if you have suggestions other than what I listed please throw them at me. Both of these seem like the could be pretty expensive mistakes if not done right the first time so I'm trying to do everything I can to be on top of the game. Thank you in advance!

What kind of a tank do you have?

 

[QuarantineReefer]

What kind of a tank do you have?

It's a tall Marineland 56 Gallon.

 

[bob salzlein]

Hey Guys and Gals

First I am really sorry if this is the wrong place to post this. But I'm setting up my first reef tank and still in the phase of buying equipment. The two pieces I am focusing on right now are my power heads and light. I have a 56 gallon tall tank that measures 30 wide 18 deep and 24 tall. I'm looking to do an assortment of some beginner corals and fish and getting hung up on these two no matter how many videos I watch and posts I read.

So as far as the power heads go right now I am looking at the Hydor Koralia 3rd Gen 1350 GPH units. One on either side pointed toward eachother and kind of towards the front glass maybe? Am I going to be okay with these with my tank? Overkill? Not enough?

The second part of question is the light. So at first I was looking at the Zetlight ZT-6500A QMAVEN II Series LED Light. But the I got to thinking that my tank has a black plastic support that goes from the front to the back of the tank right in the middle at the top and I was worried that the single light might be problematic with shadowing. I didn't know if it would be enough casting a shadow to affect the corals and also just look bad. So I kind of switched gears and started looking at maybe 2 smaller lights. So I was looking at the Prime 16 HD LED Reef Light by AI. I thought maybe 1 on either side of the divider might work better. Of these two options would one work better than the other or just about the same? Would neither be a good option?

Sorry for what are probably such dumb questions but any help would be greatly appreciated. And if you have suggestions other than what I listed please throw them at me. Both of these seem like the could be pretty expensive mistakes if not done right the first time so I'm trying to do everything I can to be on top of the game. Thank you in advance!

Another option could be the Aqamai line by Hydor. Their are two size wavemakers ,KPS and KPM, both adjustable with a App on your phone. Every 1/2 hour you can change to a different setting. For your lighting, you can use 2 Aqamai LRs, they each have a 2' x 2' spread and also controllable on the App