Where to aim powerheads? Flow in the tank?

I know its vague becaues there are a few shapes of tanks and reck setups in reef tanks. I have a 220 with the sump having a mag 18 pushing that flow but then having 4 korilia 4s and 3 korlia 3s makes for a bit of flow. Itwas ok until I started to add corals. I blew a fuzzy mushroom of the rock and it dident look in distress but I noticed it on the oppisite end of that tank. The xenias are flowing like crazy and I cant see them pump. I guess I have the 35x turnover rate that is what I hear to have but I cant get these things so make good current without crating to much in sopts. I have 2 on each side one facing the back slightly downward and the other facing tords the middle front of the glass. Then there are 3 in the back facing the front of the tank a ways over the rock? How do you guys set them up? Nothing it aimed at the coral but its all moving all over the brain corla looks like a parachute flapping as it opens. I have tried a feew things anyone whit a simular situation? The fish seem fine with this but it was when I added corals that it started.

 

I have crazy powerhead setups too. I just bought two koralia 3's on ebay about 2 minutes ago and there is a diagram at the bottom of the page that shows some suggested setups. I don't see how these can work for me without blowing everything around. Maybe I haven't tried hard enough?

2 PUMPS! Hydor Koralia # 3 Pump Powerhead 850g = WAVES! - eBay (item 200287701317 end time Jan-11-09 09:14:31 PST)

 

If there is too much flow in your tank you can always aim them at the surface.

 

That's what I do but no one ever seems to suggest that...

 

I did that with two of them and it seemed to stir up the opposing bottom?

 

I played around with mine quite a bit. I have 2 koralia 1's and the return from the sump pumping around 250-300 gph. Total turnover is approximately 33x per hour. It seems like there's quite a bit of current - but I think I've finally found the right positions. I have one K-1 in the top right hand corner, almost at the surface. It's blowing diagonally across the tank. The second K-1 is positioned near the bottom of the tank, blowing up and diagonally. Return from the sump is positioned blowing towards the front of the tank and down. Xenia, frogspawn, etc. obviously have plenty of current since the polyps and tentacles blow around, but they're open, and I've found the Xenia is showing new polyps nearly every day. -- The fish seem to enjoy playing in the currents.

 

I usually suggest option 1 on that ebay page, or something close to it. Every tank is different. Getting the flow right is tricky. If the flows clash too much, it will create a cyclone/tornado of sand in the tank. I always have at least one PH breaking the surface of the water. I point mine in the direction of my overflow so it removes the gunk on the surface of the water down into the filter to get skimmed out.

 

Hello, I think aquarists generally forget/neglect the lower 1/4 of their tanks. There is no rule the pumps have to be toward the top or slightly lower. I might in your circumstance put a #3 on each side of the tank way down toward the bottom and aimed at the back glass. This keeps things circulated in back of the rock and if positioned properly won't blow the sand all over. You may want the other #3 in the back top aimed straight at the front glass. One of the #4 on the right side and another on the left side, each a few inches from the top to get agitation and both aimed toward the front glass. The other two #4 put up on Ebay.

 

I always have one small PH dedicated for surface agitation. I have at least 3-4 for cirulation within the tank, I try my best to kill any deadspots. I try to create as much crazy waves with crossing flows in my tank without causing sand tornados.