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Do I need more circulation?

Radiant

Member
Joined
30 Mar 2016
Messages
67
Location
Cheshire
Hey guys,
I think I might be having circulation problems looking at my co2 bubbles and the way debris rolls around on the right of the tank. I seem to have a dead spot on the left end and not many bubbles heading towards the back under the spray bar, which is where most of my plants are. There is very little movement/sway in the plants.

It's only been planted up a couple of weeks. Should I even be worrying about this now, or should I wait to see what the plant growth is like? I did more the drop checker to the middle and it stayed the same colour after a couple of hours.

Gear wise, I have an Aquamanta efx 1000u on a 200L (99.5 (W) x 40 (D) x 50 (H) cm) with space to only put the filter inlet and outlet on the opposite ends of the back glass due to the bracing so I'm not sure what configuration to use to get best results distribution. Help!

I am able to extend the spray bar, but I can't find the part to block off part of the dual inlet. I was also thinking of maybe getting a skimmer or circulation pump to go across the back for some more flow from left to right. Eventually I would like to change the pipes for something more aesthetically pleasing. I didn't want to do it just yet, but will if I need to. I don't want to change the filter if I can help it as that would be way outside of my budget.

aquaoak-20210411.jpg


Ignore the tube and the kitchen role, I was starting a water change and adding some pinnatifida.
 
I could be wrong but you have spray bar pushing water back to front and intake completely on opposite end of tank, would you not be better to have just sort of jet and not spray bar rear right corner with intake in same place or intake in rear right with jet spray right front? I think spray bar works great but I would say you need across the whole back, other thing I would say is they way the spray bar is position you pushing the water to front but your scape is fairly high so what happens the water flow goes to front then down but can't travel back as it hits your scape.

Co2 not lime green don't have to be down to flow alone, you might find you not injecting enough or is not dissolving well in water.
 
I would extend the spray bar across the whole back or worst case move what you have to the center so it pushes to the front and vortex's either side.

I had my spray bar on the right wall firing the length of the tank and my intake where yours is, I then moved it to how I mention above and within a week noticed a cleaner tank with better growth. I only have in the center as I have a Roma with restricted pipe locations but I can only imagine the entire back wall covered would be even better.

Edit: also forgot to say, nice layout!
 
The restricted pipe locations are a pain. You cant tell from the photo, but there is a glass lid under an oak hood (I took it off while planting and water changing) with small triangles for pipework, so can't put the inlet and outlet on the same side as they are too chunky, nor move anything to the middle. Glass lily pipes might fit together on the right, but it would be a squeeze on the left. I can extend the spray bar so I will try that first. I only other option with the parts I have is to put a second jet nozzle in place of the spray bar. I have a feeling I have lost the part that blocks off the one side of that Y piece.

I have increased the bps already. I started low as I wasn't sure what result I would get across the day. It was less the colour I was worried about, more the visible flow of bubbles and no sway in the plants.
 
So I found the part and extended the spray bar across the back of the tank and blocked the other side off. While the flow looks better to me my drop checker is now blue (I had upped it to be like green before this) and co2 seems to not get distributed at all. I even move the diffuser to under the spray bar and the bubbles just hit the surface and then get pushed forward.

I want to change it to try just the jet, but now I can’t get the cap off the blocked side :(
I don’t know if the solution is to keep it this way and get an inline diffuser or to buy some pretty lily pipes and see if I can squeeze them both in on the right side.


215EBEF4-2240-488A-B14E-E3DEEA5308D8.jpeg
 
So I found the part and extended the spray bar across the back of the tank and blocked the other side off. While the flow looks better to me my drop checker is now blue (I had upped it to be like green before this) and co2 seems to not get distributed at all. I even move the diffuser to under the spray bar and the bubbles just hit the surface and then get pushed forward.

I want to change it to try just the jet, but now I can’t get the cap off the blocked side :(
I don’t know if the solution is to keep it this way and get an inline diffuser or to buy some pretty lily pipes and see if I can squeeze them both in on the right side.
Hello,
This is the predictable problem that arises when you extend spraybars. The pressure from the filter outflow must now fill the extra length of tubing and therefore it falls off across the entire length.

Contrary to popular belief you DO NOT need to extend spraybars across the entire length of the tank. To make matters worse, if this is the filter that I think it is, then it is only rated at 1000 L/hour and you've stated this is a 200L tank, which means you really need a total flow rating of or about 2000 L/hour.

It might be easier to return to the original configuration and to just add a small 2000 L/Hour wavemaker on the left side at the same level as the spraybar and point straight ahead.

Probably you have time to work it out as the tank looks healthy right now.

Cheers,
 
Thanks @ceg4048. I will give that a go. When you say pointing straight ahead can I just check you do mean towards the front same as the spray bar? I was thinking of pointing it across the back from left to right and maybe moving the co2 underneath it.

I'm starting to see the odd strand of hair algae start and deficiencies in the pinnatifida and s.repens.

I think I'm going to need to find a solution with prettier hardware though. Those chunky pipes are starting to annoy me.
 
When you say pointing straight ahead can I just check you do mean towards the front same as the spray bar?
Yes.
I was thinking of pointing it across the back from left to right and maybe moving the co2 underneath it
No. Feed the gas into the intake pipe.
I think I'm going to need to find a solution with prettier hardware though. Those chunky pipes are starting to annoy me.
Yes, I agree. We have to balance survival of the plants with aesthetic appeal.

Cheers,
 
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