# I need some advice with power heads or wavemakers.



## Ogom (Sep 13, 2012)

Hi, I was recently advised on this forum to look into the possibility to add a power head or a wavemaker to one of my tank. I have 3 tanks, two have two canister filters each and I am happy how the water circulates in them. The tank I want to add one of these devices is 2 mt long, 70 high and 60 deep. The only filter is a Fluval FX5. The filter is at the right end of the tank. So I am thinking to add something at the left end. Am I right? I live in Namibia and I have no way to buy such a thing here but I can have it sent it from South Africa. But I first need to understand which size I have to look for. In these tank I have cyrtocara moorii and labidochromis caeruleus. Any help or suggestion is most welcome. Thank You.


----------



## Ogom (Sep 13, 2012)

I want to add that I found out the Sicce range of powerheads is availbvale in South Africa and I was recommended a Voyager 7. They also have a gadget called Wavesurfer which can be connected to the powerhead but understood very little about it. What is the main difference between a power head and a wavemaker for a fresh water tank? Thank you.


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

The Wave Surfer is an electrical timer that you program to control the amount of time a powerhead or water circulator is on once you plug the PH into the controller.

What is the purpose of adding a powerhead to the tank? Is it just for water surface agitation or are you trying to help move debris off the bottom of the tank? I couldn't find the specs for the Voyager 7 so I don't know what the flow rate is for it. You don't want too much flow that will blow your substrate, plants or fish around the tank.


----------



## Ogom (Sep 13, 2012)

Thank you Dee. I was reccomended on this forum to add a powerhead or a wavemaker. On my post Cyrtocara moorii in the malawi section. I have a 200 Gall tank with a Fluval FX5 and I thought it was good enough but apparently is not. The Voyager 7 is 10000 l/h. The Voyager 8 is 12000 l/h. At teh end of teh day I was told to use two Voyager 8 but with that money I can buy an extra FX5 which will add water turnover and filtration. Am I right? The FX5 is supposed to be good enough for a 400 G so I thought to be safe. You explanation of a wavemaker was the best I came across. Simple and to the heart of the issue.


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

The FX5 is rated for a 400 gallon aquarium but whether it is sufficient depends on your fish stocking level and whether it maintains your water parameters and personal level of satisfaction with debris removal.

How many of each species and what size are the fish in this tank?

If you test the water parameters of your tank, what are the results for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

Powerheads are usually added to increase the circulation of the water column, to move debris off the tank bottom or to provide a flow path for the fish to play in. They rarely are used for filtration purposes in large tanks. Canister filters or power filters will help to remove debris from the tank and perform the biological process of nitrification. They still need to be maintained by regular cleanings.

I personally use 2 large canister filters on each of my 125G and 220G aquariums. If you didn't want to add another canister filter, you might consider using a power filter that hangs on the tank instead. You will just need to find one that will fit your particular tank construction.


----------



## Ogom (Sep 13, 2012)

At the moment I have 6 cyrtocara moorii, 6 labidochromis caeruleus, 1 frontosa, two king tiger pleco, one pakistani loach and one red fin shark. The water parameters are perfect and the water is crystal clear. I will keep an eye on this and see what happens when the fish get bigger. Thank You, your explanation was very helpful.


----------

