Need help with wave maker placement and setting!

[cuzzoo3345]

Hi , my name is cuzzoo. I’m new to reefing but enjoying it very much!! I’ve had my 20 gal setup for about three months now. I’ve got two fish , two shrimp , ten snails , three hermits , two hitchhiker crabs ( emerald crabs I think ) that I haven’t identified yet and can’t get a good picture of , another hitchhiker that’s just starting to pop out a hole in the KP Aquatics live rock and six coral. My hammer started to open up good then I glued it to a frag plug and it hasn’t really opened back up. Rock flower anemone not really doing much. Both zoa frags are opened up sometimes and sometimes they’re closed up. Acan is doing pretty well and so are both of mushrooms. I got another wave maker that the settings can be adjusted and really need help with some good setting ideas? Both wave makers are Hygger , one is just one setting with an off on switch. The other is the Hygger cross flow wave pump HG070 - 12W. Any help , advice is much appreciated!!

 

[cuzzoo3345]

Also cope pods are starting to show all over the bottom three inches around the glass of my tank. I used Dr Tim’s One and Only when I first setup my tank also

 

[Lavey29]

2 wave pumps in a 20g might be overkill but basically you want them on opposite ends with alternating varied flow. Put them about 3 inches below the water line so you get nice surface ripple for gas exchange.

 

[cuzzoo3345]

2 wave pumps in a 20g might be overkill but basically you want them on opposite ends with alternating varied flow. Put them about 3 inches below the water line so you get nice surface ripple for gas exchange.

I did not even think about two being over kill! I’ll probably just remove the off / on switch one since I kinda broke it a little bit and that’s the whole reason I bought the second one , plus I wanted one that could be adjusted. Thank you very much for your advice!

 

[Lavey29]

I did not even think about two being over kill! I’ll probably just remove the off / on switch one since I kinda broke it a little bit and that’s the whole reason I bought the second one , plus I wanted one that could be adjusted. Thank you very much for your advice!

Yea just point the one straight across the tank and it will bounce off the opposite side wall and give you swells both ways. Just make sure you have nice surface ripple. Less is more when it comes to flow in small tanks.

 

[cuzzoo3345]

I’m gonna remove the old one and put the new one in the old ones spot ( not as much rock work in the way to block the flow ) . On of my fish is swimming around alot more now that only one wave maker is on! My other fish which is a goby, only comes out his and the candy cane pistol shrimps burrow at night and not very much out of the burrow

 

[cuzzoo3345]

Everything seems to be enjoying only one wave maker better than when I had two. Thank you for your advice it is much appreciated

 

[Lavey29]

Everything seems to be enjoying only one wave maker better than when I had two. Thank you for your advice it is much appreciated

Your corals will let you know if you have it flowing good for them now just make sure your light par is correct for your type of coral and stability with parameters then your tank will thrive.

 

[cuzzoo3345]

My parameters have been pretty stable for the last month - month and a half. I do need to get a new flex arm for my orbit R24. The flex arm for it now had to be cut by original owner ( who is my buddy )

 

[Lavey29]

My parameters have been pretty stable for the last month - month and a half. I do need to get a new flex arm for my orbit R24. The flex arm for it now had to be cut by original owner ( who is my buddy )

The key ingredients to a successful reef tank, water chemistry, lights and flow working in harmony. If you just have softs and LPS then you want 50 to 125 par bottom 150 to 250 middle and 300 to 450 top if you eventually try SPS up high

 

[cuzzoo3345]

Thank you for the tip and I’ll keep that in mind! I’ll have to get something to test the par because I do not have a device that does that

 

[Lavey29]

Thank you for the tip and I’ll keep that in mind! I’ll have to get something to test the par because I do not have a device that does that

The free photone app with your phone can give you a decent accurate number at the water surface.

 

[cuzzoo3345]

Thank you for letting me know about that , it is much appreciated!!!