# Too much water flow?



## hackett896 (Jun 7, 2012)

So I finally got my two Hydor Koralia 750 GPH Circulation and Wave Pumps,and put them in the tank today at opposite corners. Is there ever a bad thing that can come out Of too much waterflow?


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

How hard are your fish swimming and what are they specifically?


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## SobrietyRocks707 (Feb 23, 2012)

hackett896 said:


> So I finally got my two Hydor Koralia 750 GPH Circulation and Wave Pumps,and put them in the tank today at opposite corners. Is there ever a bad thing that can come out Of too much waterflow?


Also, what size tank? Tell ya what.... I put a small 300gph powerhead in a 20g.... The fish were not happy

:fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish:


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## djm761 (May 23, 2011)

2180 gph in a 75g tank for Africans is to much IMO, I run 3000 gph in my 220g and 2400 gph in my 150g both tanks hold SA.


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## biglove (Jan 4, 2010)

I ran about 4000 GPH in my 220 after deciding that 6900 GPH was too much...fish didn't seem to mind either way. Were mbuna, haps, vics.


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## djm761 (May 23, 2011)

biglove said:


> I ran about 4000 GPH in my 220 after deciding that 6900 GPH was too much...fish didn't seem to mind either way. Were mbuna, haps, vics.


 I've never kept Africans, but when I had my 90g running it was moving 1200 gph, and in the 90 that was more current than the severums liked, they would stand on their tales in the plants to sleep, but during the day they didn't seem to mind.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

I think it really depends on the tank and things such as which way they are pointing, rock structures, etc...that will break up the current.

You can always point them slightly up and let the surface break some of the current.

You could try removing one and seeing what happens. You can also play around with placement.

I love good strong flow and surface agitation but I wouldn't want my fish(peacocks and haps) fighting the current too much. Saw a youtube video a couple days ago where a person had so many power heads and circulation pumps the fish were literally being blown sideways(SA/CA cichlids).


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## djm761 (May 23, 2011)

13razorbackfan said:


> I think it really depends on the tank and things such as which way they are pointing, rock structures, etc...that will break up the current.
> 
> You can always point them slightly up and let the surface break some of the current.
> 
> ...


Very good posting I agree 100%


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

I have a 6' tank with 2 1200 gph circ pumps on each end. I use them to get detritus moving, since my normal filtration can't get to everything in all the rockwork. I run them off a timer, 4 times a day for a total of 4 hours. I keep them off at night. When they're on, I don't see any fish being pushed into rocks, but can tell the smaller ones struggle to move through the current. The timer works, and gets the bottom cleaned up.


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## hackett896 (Jun 7, 2012)

Thank you everyone for the quick responses. To answer a few questions, I have a 75 gallon tank with an Emperor 400 and Emperor 280. And the fish population is as follows below:

1. Nimbochromis venestus
2. Rosy Barb x4
3. Metriaclima lombardoi (kenyi)
4. Albino Metriaclima zebra
5. OB fuelleborni x zebra hybrid
7. unknown Aulonocara type
8. Pleco
9. 2 unidentified

Right now I have 1500 gph flow in the tank, and it seems like the fish do not mind it too much, or at all. The powerheads are in the upper back corners of the tank and they are pointing to the opposite front corners of the tank. (If there are any suggestions on how to point them, I am all ears.) The Barbs like to swim up to the current, and ride it down. The fish have plenty of places away from the flow to hide at night (cichlid rocks). I do like the suggestion about getting a timer, and may try that in the future. I will keep it running for a bit and see how the fish adapt, or if they tend to hide now because of the flow. All my fish are pretty social, and I really do not want that to change.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

hackett896 said:


> Thank you everyone for the quick responses. To answer a few questions, I have a 75 gallon tank with an Emperor 400 and Emperor 280. And the fish population is as follows below:
> 
> 1. Nimbochromis venestus
> 2. Rosy Barb x4
> ...


That will change as they start to mature. First...the venustus and all nimbos get way too big for a 75g. Second the aulonocara is going to have a very hard time with the kenyi and zebras, again, as they mature. With a lot of flow in certain areas the fish may stay away from those areas and that will make the aforementioned problem even worse as the mbuna stake out their territories.

Do you have any idea what the unidentified fish are? Can you post pics?

As for the flow...I would point them upwards, not directly up, but at a angle. The flow you have in your tank even with them pointed up should be very strong and should do a good job of keeping waste suspended long enough for the filters to suck it up. Just a suggestion.

Also...how small are these fish now?


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## hackett896 (Jun 7, 2012)

> That will change as they start to mature. First...the venustus and all nimbos get way too big for a 75g. Second the aulonocara is going to have a very hard time with the kenyi and zebras, again, as they mature. With a lot of flow in certain areas the fish may stay away from those areas and that will make the aforementioned problem even worse as the mbuna stake out their territories.
> 
> *Do you have any idea what the unidentified fish are? Can you post pics? *
> 
> ...


Thank you for the heads up. I go these fish as a package deal when I bought the tank from someone here on Minot AFB. As for the unidentified fish, I do have a picture...









I was planning on trying a combination of yours and another suggestion I received up earlier in the thread as well:


> I think it really depends on the tank and things such as which way they are pointing, rock structures, etc...that will break up the current.
> 
> *You can always point them slightly up and let the surface break some of the current.
> 
> ...


I guess what it boils down to is my fish average in size from 1 in to 3 inches without counting the pleco, which is 4.5-5 inches. I am planning on keeping both of them in there until I see adverse signs from the fish, but I think I am going to move one to agitate the surface and keep one pointed down into the tank. Would this be better than having them both pointing down and crossing paths, like they are set up now?
:fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish:


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

That is a peacock of some sort. Too early to tell what it is for sure. So you have a total of 3 peacocks in this tank?

As for the flow direction. It is really hard to say without seeing it in person. Even online with video it can be hard to tell. Personally I would point them slightly upwards because each one pushing 750gph is quite a bit for a 75g tank especially if it is pointing straight ahead or even down. I would try and move them more towards the top of the tank and then point them slightly up. Then again it is just hard to say for sure.

The zebra and kenyi are going to be way too aggressive for the peacocks. You need to decide now before they mature and you get attached. As the aggressive mbuna start to mature all heck is going to break loose. The venustus will just get flat our too big for your tank. If indeed it is a male and as he starts to mature he will become super aggressive as well. They get really large. As another posters says...imagine a football swimming around in your tank that is being very aggressive towards the other fish. Remember...these fish are predators and need very large tanks.


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## hackett896 (Jun 7, 2012)

> That is a peacock of some sort. Too early to tell what it is for sure. So you have a total of 3 peacocks in this tank?


 Thank you for the heads up on the fish type. I really like the peacocks, and I think I am going to talkto the LFS to see if we can do some trading to stock the tank solely with assorted peacocks, although right now my favorite fish in the tank is the Kenyi (I guess I will have to make some hard decisions). :thumb:



> As for the flow direction. It is really hard to say without seeing it in person. Even online with video it can be hard to tell. Personally I would point them slightly upwards because each one pushing 750gph is quite a bit for a 75g tank especially if it is pointing straight ahead or even down. I would try and move them more towards the top of the tank and then point them slightly up.


 I did point them toward the ceiling of the water, and what a difference that made. All the fish in the tank seem to be happier now that the stream is not slapping them in the face. :thumb:

Again, thank you for all the help with the matter. :fish:


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

hackett896 said:


> > That is a peacock of some sort. Too early to tell what it is for sure. So you have a total of 3 peacocks in this tank?
> 
> 
> Thank you for the heads up on the fish type. I really like the peacocks, and I think I am going to talkto the LFS to see if we can do some trading to stock the tank solely with assorted peacocks, although right now my favorite fish in the tank is the Kenyi (I guess I will have to make some hard decisions). :thumb:
> ...


You are quite welcome....

Yes....I would figure out which fish in particular you want. I really like the peacocks myself so I am biased.


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## Ensorcelled (Mar 1, 2011)

Very knowledgeable topic. Quite frankly, I've wondered if my 60G has too much flow from time to time. I might have to experiment on taking out one of my Koralia's now to see what happens...even though the stock I've had in there have probably grown used to the flow


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