Where oh where do my power heads go?

Papadovak · Mar 26, 2014

I have 2 aqueon 700 powerheads. (Probably cheap as I haven't seen a whole lot of em...my gf got them on a trip to Petco. ..) where should I be placing these it seems like I'm always kicking up sand?.. is it too much flow? I have a mag 7 return pump as well...

mike007 · Mar 26, 2014

Put them on both sides of tank facing each other. Have them high enough where they will make the top of the water ripple.

Papadovak · Mar 26, 2014

OK that's what I have read before. But then my sand bed started turning red so I looked into it and it said poor flow could be the cause along with not using Rodi water, and phosphates? So I wanted to start with the easiest solution per se

Daniel@R2R · Mar 26, 2014

I had the problem of the sand blowing around too, so I moved them. I now have one near the front of the glass on one side and near the back of the tank on the other. That gave me great flow. I'm using 2 wp40s so random flow patterns.

Papadovak · Mar 26, 2014

Another bit of info.....a bunch of crud settles at one end of the tank??? Could it be that my return is on the right side with a power head and the same power head is at the other....so one side is stronger than the other?

Papadovak · Mar 26, 2014

Bump.

Papadovak · Mar 27, 2014

Anyone this morning have some advice...

Paul C. · Mar 27, 2014

Just a dead spot of flow. Either adjust placement of your powerbeads or leave it be. Leaving it be makes vacuuming the crud out pretty simple when its all in one spot.

Papadovak · Mar 27, 2014

But what about the sand turning red

SeahorseKeeper · Mar 27, 2014

Papadovak said:
But what about the sand turning red

That would most likely be cyanobacteria. It is caused by excess nutrients.

preston469 · Mar 27, 2014

SeahorseKeeper said:
That would most likely be cyanobacteria. It is caused by excess nutrients.

+1 1

Papadovak · Mar 28, 2014

So....just water change it up?

mike007 · Mar 28, 2014

You need to find the source of your excess nutrients. Have you tested your nitrates and phosphates? If you are not using rodi water then that may be your Issue. Also most nutrients problems are from overfeeding. Water changes will help but it has to be with rodi water with zero tds.