Powerheads 'n Poop

[Tony]

So a common was to stop poop/mulm from collecting on the bottom of a big or tall tank is to strategically place powerheads in the tank and have them kick the poop back up into the water column. From there, it goes into the power filter or into the sump.

Apparently, I'm terrible at positioning them to work effectively. On every tank I've tried this with, I end up with just big spots with no sand on the bottom of the tank. Not sure if it's because I use more of the big blower style ones or what, but I can't ever get it just right.

Anyone have any luck with this technique? What sizes/configurations do you use? Partial to any particular brand?

 

[Becca]

Could you accomplish something similar with a bubble-bar placed under the gravel? Such a thing has never occurred to me - when I see a pile o' poop I bust out the gravel vac.

 

[chriscoli]

Tony, I have the exact same dilemma!

It seems that there's a very fine range where the water velociy is just enough to keep the poop moving and not move the sand. And it's nearly impossible to achieve for any significant length of distance across a tank let alone with enough precision to heard the poop toward a filter intake.

 

[Avatar]

Aim high

Powerheads or flowbars, seems all that's necessary is to establish a mild current within the tank - the fish keep most everything from accumulating in any particular place except maybe underneath things and gentle water movement does the rest. In small tanks (20Ls) I aim the outflow at the midpoint of the tank or beyond and slightly below the waterline, and with my 100 I run flows parallel with the length of the tank at opposite corners, again aimed slightly below the surface. Works well enough in either case to pile up whatever isn't taken up in a pre-filter/sponge or too heavy (like broken down litter from oak leaves) in the corners beneath the outflows.

Have a 75 with a flow bar running horizontally across the surface lengthwise from one end and a second at the opposite end pointed down (vertical) against the glass - fine white sand bottom looks immaculate and everything ends up caught in the pre-filters where it breaks down or is piled neatly in the end under the horizontal outflow in/beneath its pre-filters. My two 55s have twin flow bars from canisters or AC 110s situated at the midpoints of each side of the tanks - again everything (which isn't much) ends up in the back corners that isn't grabbed by the pre-filters (as with the ACs) and/or under the pre-filters (as is the case with the tank running canisters). Works well enough that I no longer vacuum tanks as part of water changes, just squeeze out the pre-filters in the old water and go on my merry.

Might be one of those less is more things...roiling the surface with the some of outflow or spending some of its force against the glass may be all it takes.

 

[scientist0724]

I have this problem with my river tank that is stocked with flash plecos.

I have a Marineland C-530 canister filter on this tank because it has a very, very strong flow. It's a beast of a filter. I made a DIY spray bar and have the spray bar about 1/2 to 2/3 down the side of tank at one end of the tank. I have the intake valve with a very large and coarse pre-filter covering the intake.

Because the flow is very strong and all the poop doesn't quite make it into the intake, I also have a large HOB filter near the output spray bar.

Of course, I only have enough small pebble gravel that barely covers the bottom of the tank, so it's heavier than sand.

Maybe in your case, you can raise your power heads higher to keep the poop flowing toward the intake of your filter and use micro-jets to keep the poop off the bottom of your tanks in areas that the remaining poop collects.

Arlene

 

[Sonny Disposition]

I have two Hagen powerheads on my 65 high, one in each back corner, a bigger one and a smaller one. The smaller one operates continuously. The bigger one comes on at night. Both have the accompanying collecting cages, which I've extended to the bottom with five inch flexible plastic tubing.

I have the big one on a timer. It comes on at night, and the outflow sweeps the sand, toward the collecting cage on the smaller powerhead. (I only put it on at night to keep from knocking the CO2 out of the water, for the plants.)

The sand is very fine, so poop doesn't sink into it. The power head arrangement keeps the sand clean, so there isn't any need to vacuum the substrate. I change the powerhead cages twice a week.

So a common was to stop poop/mulm from collecting on the bottom of a big or tall tank is to strategically place powerheads in the tank and have them kick the poop back up into the water column. From there, it goes into the power filter or into the sump.

Apparently, I'm terrible at positioning them to work effectively. On every tank I've tried this with, I end up with just big spots with no sand on the bottom of the tank. Not sure if it's because I use more of the big blower style ones or what, but I can't ever get it just right.

Anyone have any luck with this technique? What sizes/configurations do you use? Partial to any particular brand?