flow issues and more!

[cordodor]

So, where to start?

I got a NanoCube 12DX in October and set it up. I removed all the stock sponges and added a bunch of live rock rubble and some chaeto in the fuge w/ a light to "feed" it all. Unfortunately, I didn't keep the chaeto contained and it of course got all trapped in the pump. Even though I cleaned it out 2-3 times/week, last week it finally broke the impellor shaft. I called nanotuners and they recommended a Rio 4HF. I had read that the stock 105gph pump was under powered, so while it was a huge jump to 260gph, i figured they knew what they were talking about and i ordered one. I had 2 fish in the tank. a purple firefish and a rainford's goby. this tank is at work, so i'm not here to watch it 24/7. the next morning after I installed the 4hf, my purple firefish was frantically trying to stay hidden from all the current. I immediately killed off the pump but the firefish died almost immediately after that. Rainford's was still kickin, even though he was hiding. I reverted back to a smaller rio180 and rainford's came back out and was lovin life again. I figured I still needed something bigger than that and went to my lfs and picked up a rio 600 which is rated at 150gph at 1 foot. A day after installing that one, my rainford's is dead. and really, the current still looks kind of crazy in the tank.

what is a good pump for my tank? I am tired of playing trial and error with these things as they're starting to add up in cost, not to mention they've killed my fish. I guess i could ramp down the flow on this rio 600 or go buy another stock pump from JBJ. I've got a hair algae problem that I attributed to the lack of flow and it has gotten much better even in the week since i've "upgraded" my pumps.

If i go to a smaller pump like i had stock or this rio 180, would it be smart to add an additional powerhead inside the tank for more flow on the other side?

I NEED SOME ADVICE! thanks from a nanoN00b

 

[funkngroovy]

I think going with the stock pump for your filtraltrion will be better. YOu need some low flow areas in the back so that the macro algae stays where it should and the LR rubble has a chance to do it's thing.

There are plenty of powerheads on the market that you can drop into your display to create flow. YOu can then mess around with direction and see what works best.

Aim for a pump that pushes out 20-30 times the display volume and see how you go.

 

[drnsee]

Sorry to hear about the fish losses. :sad:

My 24 dx has a maxi 1200 for the return, which flows at 295 gph, that's about 12 times my volume. Unless the fish were being thrown around, I would think 150 gph would have been appropriate for your tank, as that's about 12 times your volume. Did you do a water test? It's possible your extra flow blew around so much stuff from what was once dead zones, it messed up the balance in your tank and caused a mini cycle!?

In addition to my maxi 1200, I have a koralina 1 for interior flow at 400 gph. So in total my tank turns water about 29 times an hour. I think what happened was either coincidence or indirectly caused by the flow. If you removed all your chaeto as well, that could have been a contributing catalyst to a sudden change in parameters.

I don't keep my chaeto contained either. However, my maxi does have a strainer on the intake.

I'd keep the 150 gph, add another ~200 gph for display flow. Good luck!

 

[TimSchmidt]

Ouch indeed. My 12 gallon has pretty much a maxijet 600 for the pump. I will be adding another small pump in the display to help create a more *random* flow by aiming the streams at each other.