What powerhead is best for the low flow corals I want?

[KerriGale]

Hey Reefers, I've got a question.
First I'll let you know what I've got going on in my tank. Currently I have a 600 gph power head and a aqua-tech 30-60 HOB filter in a 30 gal reef tank(30 x 12 x 18). I'm working with a saddleback clown, goby, and blenny, a snail and a Scarlett hermit(hoping to get more for the clean up crew today), frogspawn, hammer, Xenia, and bubble. I've also been completing bi-weekly wc's.

So I know that frogspawn and hammer prefer the lower level of flow, but with my current powerhead (and the flow from the hob on the same side) there is one side of my tank that is an extremely high flow zone. I'd like to have more coral in that space like an Acans and a few other corals that prefer low flow...but I don't want any dead spots in the tank.
So my question is... what power heads should I get to go with my HOB that won't leave any dead spots or cause too much flow?

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

Welcome to reef2reef.

https://premiumaquatics.com/products/tunze-6208-comline-wavebox.html

Sorry I do not want to scare you these are expensive. but they can be affordable on the used market. I have lost tons of yumas and ricordeas because of high flow in my tank I used tunze 6100 stream and 6095 and 6055 on a 120 I rotate the power heads when I clean them. Sofities do not like to be blasted or even pushed hard with a wave maker they need to be gentle. For your size tank I would look at the tunze 6040 they are controllable.

 

[jwhann6]

I'm not sure that I can can give you a specific answer, but I have a few hammers that required me to adjust my flow. I have a 15 gallon nano with a HOB that puts out about 100gph, a hydor pico (180gph) and a hydor nano (240gph). I have the HOB in the back right of the tank, the 240gph hydor on one side and the pico on the other side. One blows off the back glass so the flow is more indirect and the other off of the front glass to do the same.

So basically I have two suggestions, you can try maybe going with two lower output powerheads and trying to place them so the flow is indirect or you can buy a controllable powerhead and adjust the power. Both will work and its really up to you, the higher price tag of the controllable ones are nice if you plan on scaling up to some higher flow SPS in the future.

 

[rock_lobster]

u can get a jebao rw4 and buy a separate 12v powersupply. works well in nano

 

[KerriGale]

Thank you for the help guys! After more research I've discovered that the hob I have runs at 300 gph. So I'm thinking that two 150 gph powerheads should do the trick!

 

[Reefing newbie]

One problem I have found with a hob is that they blow the water straight down causing a lot of the flow to occur in one area. Are you handy and able to create a diffuser that will spread flow a little better? It can be as simple as using a small pvc. Pipe cut in half or even easier with flexible soft tubing that you can buy from lowes or home depot. I can't picture the size of fhe hob so I can't recommend a specific size but when I was using a hob on a 30 gallon tank that was my biggest irritation was how the flow only blew straight down from the hob. The circulation pumps will help with the dead spots but might cause a bit more flow than you're looking for.

 

[lion king]

I would recommend a jebao also, although it's a crapshoot on quality. Customer service is good at fishstreet, the product is low priced and repair/replacement parts are very cheap. The reason I say jebao is because they are controllable and being able to dial it in, is almost a must. I have some high end equipment but for me the other controllable power heads are overpriced.

 

[Reefing newbie]

I agree on the jebao. It's cheaper than the competition and has been working fairly well.

 

[andrew james]

I love jebao. I would be their spokesman if they left me. I currently have six of their powerheads and two return pumps in use and no issues at all, just keep them clean. a Jebao SW4 would be perfect for your application.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Agree with Jebae.....but I'd suggest the PP4. What's great is that it's controllable. If you don't want control, look at the Tunze 6015....I was surprised how little flow comes out of this powerhead. I have it pointed directly at a hammer, about 8 inches away, and you can hardly see the polyps swaying.

 

[jhadaway]

I would recommend a jebao also, although it's a crapshoot on quality. Customer service is good at fishstreet, the product is low priced and repair/replacement parts are very cheap. The reason I say jebao is because they are controllable and being able to dial it in, is almost a must. I have some high end equipment but for me the other controllable power heads are overpriced.