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Circular flow

Joined
21 Oct 2018
Messages
240
Location
Yorkshire
As everyone suggests to use a circular flow within the tank to create a vortex to help keep waste from settling and nutrients, co2 distributed is it just me that has encountered the problem of the central zone or the eye of the vortex becoming abit if a dead spot? My plants are around the back wall and centralised but does not seem to get alot of movement from the plants and as many co2 bubbles in the centre. Any suggestions. I use two internal filters opposite corners same flow direction and just got a small power head today which I've placed directky flowing through the centre.
 
Flow is a nightmare, and with heavily aquascaped tanks it is even more difficult.
Traditionally both filters would be on the same side wall pointing the same way to get a circular flow pattern, however often hardscape and plants get in the way. People then opt for the opposing side front to rear as you have to try to combat hardscape and plant barriers. This often becomes a struggle and then spraybars along the back wall are utilised to try to offer the best flow pattern and distribution to most plants in heavily compromised layouts.
With aesthetics becoming more important spraybars, filters and pipework become undesirable, so then glass lily pipes are utilised. You then have to mess with positions to achieve the best flow pattern for your tank whilst not compromising the overall transparent aesthetic.
In your case with your internal filters, you may need to move each unit towards the centre of each side wall to create an area of flow centrally that collides pushing water downwards to your dead spot. Not ideal as you do lose a bit of motion but you can eliminate dead spots. Then it becomes a choice of plant species so you can offer less demanding species to the areas of less flow etc to compensate for poor circulation......
Perhaps on reading your post again I have misenterpreted your filter position and they may be on the same side, in which case if all your plant mass is central and rear bias you may need to add spraybars to them along the rear wall or place the filters themselves on the back pane facing forwards to get the circulation to the plants.
And it goes on :mad::lol::banghead:
 
I've managed to change it around, I have a internal filter that has the outlet on its side with a tube that moves about. I've swapped sides because it was only able to push water from central side wall to the opposing centre side wall so now I've span the filter and put in the opposite corner along with swapping the other internal ( fluval u3 ) so this gives me a circular motion but I have a power head central side wall at the bottom to give an extra push to the bottom layer of the tank. I've also swapped from a ceramic glass diffuser to a aqua essentials superist atomiser and what a difference... Bubbles are so fine can hardly see them and I'm going through alot less co2.
 
Bubbles are so fine can hardly see them and I'm going through alot less co2.

How do you know your using less CO2 ? If it's the size of the bobbles in the bubble counter think again as different atomisers/diffusors have different working pressures the higher the working pressure the smaller the bubbles in the counter. Doesn't mean your using slot less CO2, less maybe!

Plus how has the changes affected your pH profile ?

I have twin maxspect Gyres which change their output on a 24 programmed schedule so dead spots are constantly changing. Plus I have gyre flow not circular, which I got with spraybars before getting the Gyres
 
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