How many powerheads for 53g

My return pump is rated for 581gph with 2 feet of head pressure. how many other powerheads and what type do I need for my tank size? I plan on only having LPS and softies. I like the Koralia Evo's but what model and how many should I get? where should I place them in the tank?

 

I was thinking 2 koralia evo 750's and my return (about 500gph w/ head pressure) so that would be 37x turn over. I think thats good but how should I place them? both of them in the top front corners facing slightly down and inward? or toward the glass and downward?

 

I don't have a sump so I can't comment by example in regards to your return pressure. However, I have an Evo 1400 on the left side glass pointed to the front at a slight downward angle. I also have an Evo 750 on the right side glass pointed to the front with a slight upward angle. This combo gives me plenty of flow through-out the tank and ample surface agitation. Remember, you don't want one steady stream of flow but reciprocating motion.

 

okay, what do you mean by reciprocating motion like in giant tornado around the tank and do the powerheads move to create random flow or just stay in one spot?

 

I am under the impression the the return pump shouldnt be counted on as flow. I read somewhere that this is how people mess up.

 

Without my return pump, im at 27x turnover which i still think is enough. right?

 

IME

27 X tank volume will be fine for softies and LPS

May have to mess about with positioning (I think we all do that to some degree)
but 2 powerheads / wavemakers will help you control the amount of water going in any 1 direction (you dont want to much of it going towards 1 place)

Steve

 

I was going to get two evo 750's during the sale but there out of stock, would it be too much flow to get two evo 1050's or maybe get three evo 425's??

 

the 2 Evo 1050s might be a bit to much for softies and LPS its over 40 x tank volume per hour

I have kept LPS in mixed reef set ups with a flow rate over 50 x per hour (but did struggle for number of locations in terms of water movement they where happy with which limited the number of LPS I could keep )

it will depend on placement, and direction, but you may find with that much water movement in the set up it will be hard to find locations for all the corals you have (you will have some lower flow areas , for example the left and right hand sides of the tank under the wavemakers, will be a lot less turbulant than the middle of the tank where the water from the 2 heads meet)

you could direct them both from either side so they where both angled slightly upwards
and this would then create a nice undertow at the lower levels which will be ideal for LPS IME

Might be worth hanging on until the 750s are in stock again
as 2 of them and 27 x tank volume plus movement from the return sounds ideal for a tank thats softie, LPS focused to me

Steve

 

what about the idea of 3-4 nano evo 425's?