Secret to Fixing Dead Zones in Reef Tanks/ Aquarium Water Flow
- Oct 06, 2024
- Anshika Mishra
- 12 0 0
Don't expect your flow to be set and forgotten. Use a turkey baster to introduce air into the inlet of your closer loop.
You'll be fascinated to see how some areas have great flow while others have almost none. You'll quickly realize that everything in your tank can either enhance or disrupt your flow. Using micro-bubbles to track where they go and how your flow device interacts can significantly improve your flow.
Small vortaxes that form at the surface are also hard to see without these micro-bubbles. However, they are essential to ensure that your flow devices work together to create the randomized flow you aim for.
This technique also helps pinpoint why certain areas develop dead spots.
Cyano or Hair Algae Patches
If you apply this method early on, you can stay ahead of these problems. You can then make minor adjustments to your flow until it's just right.
Instead of focusing solely on the number of pumps, consider how to achieve both broad and high-velocity flow. Use a closed-loop system with pumps. One might think to point multiple powerheads at each other, but it often works better when they miss each other just a little bit.
To achieve this, the higher velocity nozzles, whether a return pump nozzle or a close-loop nozzle, should be closer to the surface. If you run these higher velocity nozzles lower in the tank, they would not be as efficient as water moving faster when they are closer to the surface.
Ensure you do not overdo it since it can lead to salt creeps. The way to increase velocity is to put smaller nozzles on your outlet. A three-quarter one works well for 800 gallons per hour. But your return pump is only about 400 gallons per hour, so a half-inch nozzle would increase the velocity and shoot out a lot further.
Turbulent Flow
The oceans provide turbulent flow, which you should aim for in your tank. You can achieve this by placing powerheads on the opposite sides of the tank where they intersect. Too much flow can harm your reef tank, but too little flow can also inhibit coral growth.
In lower flow conditions, a thin layer forms around the coral, slowing down gas exchange, nutrient import, and waste export.
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