4x turnover rate w/out dead spots??

[pottsburg]

I'm trying to figure out how to get a 160gph turnover in my 46 bowfront without having dead spots. How are some people having only a spray bar and avoiding problems with stuff growing in dead spots?

[pledosophy]

I couldn't do it.

When I had a smaller tank and just two large pieces of LR it was easier but the larger the tank gets and the more pieces of rock it just gets to hard for me IME.

[ann83]

You can have more turnover, you just want to spread it out using spraybars. I have about 6x turnover, and I think that they could handle more, spread out properly. Also, I have my LR built up vertically into a structure, with only a couple pieces resting on the substrate. The idea behind it was actually just to utilize the height and give the SH hitching posts higher in the aquarium, and to maximize open sandbed space, but it does seem to have the added benefit of allowing better flow throughout the entire aquarium. Does that help?

[pledosophy]

I've put a lot of flow through seahorse tanks and had them be fine. The tank that is cycling now will turnover 25x an hour, and is meant for seahorses. I used about 8 feet of PVC to make spraybars under the rock work. That way detritus can't build up there and also the flow is broken up so it is seahorse safe.

I did something similiar on my last tank setup with a smaller CL pump and found it to be too little flow.

JME

[pottsburg]

okay cool. I have 4 nozzles on my return and they are in different areas just barely spurting out water. I'll get a bigger pump fo sho now. thanks!

[pledosophy]

With 4 nozzles IME yhou could easily do a pump that ran 800 gph. JME Worst case if flow was too much you could add another locinne splitter and increase the number of flare nozlles. Also ball valves on yur return pumps are your friends. JMO

[djc1026]

I have over 15x in my 29, no problems.

Dave