Stephen 31

Hi
I wonder if anyone could tell me exactly what a power does. I'm reading a lot about salt water equipment and i can't get a clear answer to this.
and is it true that i don't actually need a filter?

Thank you

Stephen

au01st

A powerhead just moves water around the tank. You don't necessarily NEED a filter like the HOB kind used for FW setups, but depending on the size and/or bioload, a protein skimmer is a big plus. Unless you're running an all-in-one nano or something, I'd highly recommend a protein skimmer. The only way I'm getting by with not running one on my 10g is because I have several macro algaes in the display tank and I'm working on a refugium 1/2 the size of the tank for a 5" DSB.

The filtration in SW tanks comes mostly from the bacterial colonies in live rock, but in order for those colonies to process waste, you have to get it to them. Powerheads move water around the tank and keep the waste from settling. You'll generally want 15-20x turnover minimum in a SW tank, not including flow through a sump or something, that's just in the display tank. This can be accomplished with as few as one powerhead or as many as 6-8.

Stephen 31

Thank you Jeff, that was very helpful.
So just so I'm understanding correct. You would suggest enough power heads to keep the flow going toward the live rock and also a protein skimmer??
Thank you again

au01st

Yes. How big of a tank are you considering? Take the number of gallons, and multiply it by 15. That should be a starting point for minimum flow. Say you're getting a 30 gallon tank. You'll want 450gph minimum in the display alone, and idealy 600-800 would be better. I have Hydor Koralia powerheads and they provide a very wide flow pattern. They have several sizes from nano to 1-8, all providing different amounts of flow, so you should be able to find one to suit your needs. You don't necessarily want the water pointed at the rocks, you just want to keep the flow in the tank so there are no dead spots for detrius to build up.

For a skimmer, you're going to want something a little bigger than your water volume. Again, if you have a 30, look for something rated for 40-50 gallons.

Stephen 31

The tank i'm looking at will probably be a 55 gal. Salt water set up is new to me so I'm reading as much as possible before hand. If it's helpful the tank is a Fluval Venenzia 190. it's a corner unit.
Lol thank you for actually naming brands for the equipment so i know what to look for and to review. The tank has holes drilling in the bottom so i'm hoping i will be able to hide the tubes easier.
again though any pointers are more than welcome.

BigJoe

I don't mean to hijack but, it kinda goes with original question... can you have too much movement... say in a 20g would it be ok to get 2 powerheads that push 300 GPH? and is it better to have one or multiple... i get some mixed results... i saw that a koralia 1's push 400gph... is that ok to just get one? and do you know if the hydor flow attachment fits on them?