Best pump placement for cube

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ScottK

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I have an almost cube (750x450x450) and am struggling to get my flow right. At the moment I have two pumps in the opposite top rear corners facing towards the centre of the tank and downwards.

I struggle a lot with algae and am starting to think it's a flow issue. Pumps are one Sun Sun 3000 lph and one Seio 320.

Any advice on placement?
 
Not the most recent picture but the pumps are pretty much in the same place, I have pointed both more down since this photo was taken to try and get more flow over the sand bed.



49224f688a83a745b.jpg
 
That looks like you have three pumps?
Try not facing the two directly at the front centre, offset them slightly and see if it makes a difference.
 
I added the third pump to try and get rid of a dead spot in that corner.

I've read a lot of people recommending the pumps be on the sides facing each other for longer tanks, would that be a better although uglier setup?

Maybe I should look at some new smaller pumps and put them on the sides?
 
It's extremely difficult to not get any dead spots I'm the tank.
Your tank doesn't appear to have an algae issue.
You coulda also try placing the pumps at slightly different levels in the tak, the top two look to be at almost he exact same depth.
 
The photo was taken some time ago after the tank had just been moved so the sand was nice and clean.

I will try and set the pumps at two different levels and see if it helps. I forgot to mention the pumps are on a JBJ wave maker which switches which one is on ever few minutes.
 
459b said:
It's extremely difficult to not get any dead spots I'm the tank.
Your tank doesn't appear to have an algae issue.
You coulda also try placing the pumps at slightly different levels in the tak, the top two look to be at almost he exact same depth.
Click to expand...

Agreed with David , I have 2 pumps , placed at different levels at the back , facing diagonally across + 1 pump centre , placed low down and facing "upwards", seems to do the trick
 
SliverZA said:
Not the most recent picture but the pumps are pretty much in the same place, I have pointed both more down since this photo was taken to try and get more flow over the sand bed.

49224f688a83a745b.jpg
Click to expand...

Not sure if it will work in your shape of tank, but I have places my two big pumps at the bottom, a few cm in from the side, facing up and out. Found it the creates a flow over the sand towards the pumps (without it being blown all over the tank).

The wave maker also makes a huge difference in terms of eliminating dead spots.
 
Moved the pumps, is this what you were suggesting?

Convinced this Sun Sun pump is a piece of rubbish, seems to give good flow some times and nothing other times.



49224f69aca470b54.jpg
 
If I have both pointing up will there be enough flow on the sand bed? This cyano is killing me at the moment :(
 
I will try and replicate you setup, my tank is shaped slightly different but not too far off. What pumps are you using as I think I am going to replace this Sun Sun. How long are you running your MH for per day? Thinking maybe I should ditch my T5's and run just the MH and see if that's not the cause of my problem.

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You can try putting in some more plumbing from your return to your LR so the return pumps out between your LR. I saw a thread once where a guy built islands with egg crates and plumming from his return and it looked pretty well thought out. You also get a fitting thing that attaches to the return with 2 outlets that spin with the water flow, I'm sure that might also help with random flow ?

Not sure where the thread was though.
 
SliverZA said:
I will try and replicate you setup, my tank is shaped slightly different but not too far off. What pumps are you using as I think I am going to replace this Sun Sun. How long are you running your MH for per day? Thinking maybe I should ditch my T5's and run just the MH and see if that's not the cause of my problem.
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I run my MH 8 1/2h per day only. Corals seams to get enough light, and algae stays in check.

Note that I have a very productive cheato refugium in the back and I run phosphate and nitrate absorption chemicals.

I have tried many pumps and now run Tunze for the two main pumps and a smal Seio (it can do the paralel to the wall fitting) on a AquaMedic wave maker, going to upgrade to the low voltage Tunze pump on a Tunze controller soon.

SliverZA said:
If I have both pointing up will there be enough flow on the sand bed? This cyano is killing me at the moment :(
Click to expand...

Found that I can get more flow over the sand in this way without blowing it up into the water column.

I had cyano problems early in my tank's lives. I found that Stability had a positive effect on it as well.
 
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SliverZA said:
Moved the pumps, is this what you were suggesting?

Convinced this Sun Sun pump is a piece of rubbish, seems to give good flow some times and nothing other times.



49224f69aca470b54.jpg
Click to expand...

hey bro.. Sun Sun is an awesum flow pump for its value. What u need to do is just clean them regularly and gone is your problems, trust me ive seen top systems running yrs off ONLY SunSun pumps
 
SliverZA said:
I will try and replicate you setup, my tank is shaped slightly different but not too far off. What pumps are you using as I think I am going to replace this Sun Sun. How long are you running your MH for per day? Thinking maybe I should ditch my T5's and run just the MH and see if that's not the cause of my problem.

304f4c8bab04b16.jpg
Click to expand...

lol:lol:. metal halides are more prone to cause algae coz of the high par and colour spectrum....... have u checked your parameteres lately, you dont think something else besides flow is the problem,maybe high phosphates etc
 
Len said:
I run my MH 8 1/2h per day only. Corals seams to get enough light, and algae stays in check.
Click to expand...

I'm only running my MH for 2 hours a day and my T5's for 9 hours. Maybe I should try just running on the MH , the T5 bulbs were bought in December so doubt they are the issue

JsREEFn said:
you dont think something else besides flow is the problem,maybe high phosphates etc
Click to expand...

I've used two different test kits for PO4 and the reading is always near undetectable. CA, MG and KH are all in check.

JsREEFn said:
hey bro.. Sun Sun is an awesum flow pump for its value. What u need to do is just clean them regularly and gone is your problems, trust me ive seen top systems running yrs off ONLY SunSun pumps
Click to expand...

Went and bought another Sun Sun but went for the 5000lph, should help the flow out a bit :)
 
SliverZA said:
Went and bought another Sun Sun but went for the 5000lph, should help the flow out a bit :)
Click to expand...

For their price I have to agree , Sun Sun does the trick. However I have found pumps with different controllable program settings (ie Tunze , the new Korallia range etc) works 10 x more efficient in a cube setup.

The actual random flow patterns greatly reduce dead spots and detrius build up in my experience
 
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