# Help!! PLEASE! Power Head experts wanted!!



## cydric

I really hope someone can help me with this! ray: 

Here's the scoop, I posted a thread in this topic a little while ago about getting another filter for my aquarium because i wanted more water flow. A few people suggested to me to get a Power Head for my 29g aquarium so that's what i did tonight. 

I bought an "Aqua-Tech Power Head" made by "Regent". 

So i take it out of the box and assemble it and place it inside my tank. I know i can direct the current any which way i wanted. I turned it on and BOOM this thing starts blowing debris EVERYWHERE!! At first i'm thinking "ok, no problem, i'll just adjust the flow direction" so i tried adjusting the flow direction so it wouldn't be blowing debris EVERYWHERE like it currently was. Well let's say no matter which way i pointed and directed the water flow it STILL made my tank a freaking F5 whirlpool! 

Now i'm thinking this power head is too powerful for my tank but my tank is a 29g, i didn't think by the size of this thing it'd be that freaking powerful and blow my poor shrimp in circle around the tank. 

Someone in my previous thread about a new filter said you can hook up a power head to a sponge filter...? If that is possible i'd really like to know how to do that because my 29g aquarium is soley RCS and i hear that's a really good type of filter to have for shrimp. 

So if anyone out there is a power head expert and knows how to connect a sponge filter to a power head i beg of you to help me!! :help:

Thanks in advance,

Cydric 
aka
(Andy).


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## hoppycalif

My Maxijet 600 came with a sponge "holder" that fits on the inlet port. It is about a half inch in diameter, with lots of little slots in it. So, I went shopping at the LFS for a sponge that would fit on that. The best I found was a Penn-Plax Cascade bio-sponge made for one of their filters, but it is about 5 inches long with a half inch hole down the middle. I chopped off a piece of the sponge and stuffed in the hole on one end to close it off, then slipped it on the sponge "holder". Right now I am using the sponge as a prefilter for my H.O.T. Magnum 250 filter. I found that that particular sponge, while it traps a ton of debris and mulm, does not keep a 45 gallon tank water nearly clean enough. On the 29 gallon tank I had it worked well enough to suit me. You can also get filter sponges made specifically for use on powerheads, usually on a specific brand powerhead. They are in rigid mesh cartridges that slip on the sponge "holder". And, they are probably more effective as filters. In any case a trip to the LFS is a good idea, just to see what options you have.


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## John N.

Yup, try finding a sponge made for a powerhead, or get a sponge block and cut it out for the inlet side of your powerhead, and then use a rubber band or zip tie to secure it on there. That should held reduce some flow. 

Also, maybe in the mean time try directing the output against the glass to help disperse the flow.

-John N.


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## cydric

Ok, so i bought a sponge filter last night at a lfs and attached it to my power head. The flow coming out of the power head is still pretty strong, is there a way i can reduce that flow and get a better suction from the sponge filter? Anyone?


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## sarahbobarah

You can try and DIY a spraybar, DIY an outlet with multiple directions, attach a venturi system, or like John said, direct the flow towards the glass, attach a sponge to your outlet, direct the flow through a grove of driftwood.


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## cydric

sarahbobarah said:


> You can try and DIY a spraybar, DIY an outlet with multiple directions, attach a venturi system, or like John said, direct the flow towards the glass, attach a sponge to your outlet, direct the flow through a grove of driftwood.


It is directed toward my glass in a downward fashion. It seems no matter which direction it still blows my plants and debris everywhere.

I can attach a sponge to the outlet? I'd like better suction from the sponge filter on the bottom.

I suppose i'll mess around with it some more tonight after work to see what i can come up with.


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## hoppycalif

The sponge won't be effective if you succeed in getting more suction thru it. It is most effective with a slow flow, which it gets by being big relative to the powerhead pump inlet. One way to reduce the outlet flow velocity is to use the powerhead as a venturi CO2 reactor (http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...31026-barr-internal-venturi-co2-reactor.html), but that almost eliminates its effect on water circulation. The spray bar idea is a much more effective approach just to reduce the blast of water. I used that idea until I found that the holes in the spray bar tended to get plugged by goo that grows inside such tubes, and I didn't like cleaning it every week. I just live with the water blast, directing it diagonally across one corner of the tank. It creates a mild circular flow throughout the tank, which seems to amuse the fish.


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## cydric

hoppycalif said:


> I just live with the water blast, directing it diagonally across one corner of the tank. It creates a mild circular flow throughout the tank, which seems to amuse the fish.


Yeah, that's what i'm going to do too. The flow isn't as bad since i added the sponge filter. At first it pratically ripped my java moss off my driftwood. My shrimp don't seem affected by the new current so i'll leave it be.


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## Ibn

Take a look at the Rio parts. There's a splitter that you can pick up which will divert the single output to two outputs. That will slow the flow down.


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## Laith

I'm curious as to what the rated GPH is of that powerhead; maybe yours is too powerful for your tank size?


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## eklikewhoa

if all else fails and you cant exchange the power head, take it apart and trim the impellar shorter.


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## JanS

Just to add; if it's blowing debris everywhere, you might want to do a little more thorough cleaning. You really shouldn't have the loose debris in the tank if it's well maintained.


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## JeffLL

*Gph?*

I too would look at the GPH. I have a ViaAqua 1300 that is good for powerwashing the house! Luckily the kit comes with a ball valve that can be installed at the output.

Note that if you restrict the flow too much the impeller will cavitate and you will end up with micro bubbles in your water, which may hasten the release of disolved O2 or CO2.

Trimming the impeller sounds good too. Make sure that you have its replacement before you trim. Been there, screwed that up.:frusty:


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## cydric

Since i'm at work right now i'm not too sure what the gph is i'll have to check when i get home tonight. 

I have it positioned right against the glass so the pressure isn't as hard now but it still seems to push all my plants toward the left side of my tank since that's the way the current is pushing.

As for the debris i mentioned before, the debris is from my darn hornwort plant i had/have (only kept 2 little pieces of it, tossed the rest) that decided to explode once the power head kicked on and the current swept through my tank causing a lot of the needles/leaves to fall off. I'm going to whip out my trusty gravel vac tonight and suck up the leaves that fell off. 

I'll post again once i read the box my power head came in and give the gph.


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