Do I need or should I even have a powerhead?

Hey Fishlore,


I have a 29 gallon freshwater. I wanted to know if I should put a powerhead and if so how many gph and where in my tank would it be more successful?



Thanks
Jacob

 

Hello, to power head or not to power head depends on the type of fish you keep.. some fish will really enjoy the current where as others won't .

 

What is your current filtration setup? On a 29 gallon freshwater setup, I doubt you have the need for one.

 

I have an aqueon 30 HOB filter and a 40 gallon corner filter. I was just hoping to transition away from my HOB filter.

 

Are you keeping fish that need a lot of flow? If not then you really don't need a powerhead, if it's oxygenation that concerns you, as long as your filter flow is breaking the surface of the water that is all you need.

 

Powerhead in a freshwater setup is primarily to get adequate water flowing around the tank -- to eliminate dead zones where the filter doesn't suck water from, to ensure adequate heat dispersal throughout the tank, to disperse nutrients/water additives, and so on. Also some people use them just to get a stronger current going because their fish like it. In a 29 gallon tank I doubt you have the need for any of this, and they're typically used in larger tanks.