# Powerhead Questions



## lewmel (Dec 25, 2008)

Hi everyone, 
I am in the process of setting up my first tank. It is a 125g (6ft long). In the pile of used parts that came with my tank, there are two powerheads. The first one is a AquaClear 402 and the second is a Regent (Aqua-tech) 3PH. I have never even seen a powerhead until the other day when I was trying to decide between going with 2 cascade 1500 filters, or 1 FX5 with 2 powerheads (recommended by one of the forum guys) for the filtration of my tank. Well now I found these powerheads and would like to know more about them. They both seem to be pushing out so much water and very fast! How do you regulate the water flow? Are you suppose to hook up an air pump to these things? I was assuming the small hole on top of the water output pipe was for an air tube. The 402 has a circular output tube, while the Regent has a square output with an adapter (that looks like a fin) to direct the water. The same guy that recommended me getting powerheads said that I should get Hydor Flo Deflectors, but the output pipes are different on both powerheads, would the Flo Deflector work for either one of these models? And how deep in the tank do you place them, I believe the previous owner used them for his underwater filtration.
THANKS SO MUCH!


----------



## ry05coupe (Dec 30, 2008)

I don't know a lot about these specific brands of powerheads, because we don't sell them where I work.
I do know that with my marineland, the circular hole at the top was for an air line, with a regulator at the top of it, that controlled the air intake. If you want bubbles to come out the output, you should be able to connect some airline, just make sure it goes above the surface.

Also, powerheads can be positiones wherever. I used mine at the top for surface agitation, but some people use them firther down mainly for water movement, for the fish and moving debris.

I hope this sheds a little light on it all.


----------



## iceblue (Apr 27, 2004)

I use 2 powerheads in my 6' 84g towards the bottom of my tank, one on each side to help keep detritus off my sand substrate. I also put a sponge sock over the intakes to provide extra bio and mechanical filtration.


----------

