Is a Tunze 6000 too much flow?

[jet_d]

Hello all,
I've recently setup an AGA 180 gallon tank. It's still in the process of cycling but I've been having a problem with the return nozzles from my two 1270gph Pan World pumps blowing my sand bed everywhere. I corrected this by teeing off the returns and adding two more exits to each pump. You can see this in the top middle picture. Since teeing off the plumbing I have not been satisfied with the water movement. I have been looking into getting two Tunze 6000 powerheads to add better flow but I notice that the output on these units is more than my return pumps. I'm worried if I add these that I will have the same problem with my sand blowing everywhere. I plan on having a mixed tank so water movement is a must. Any suggestions?

[Poseidon]

I think you would have the same trouble. I would suggest a number of MJ 1200 powerheads instead. They work very well and are pretty easy to hide!

[Ninong]

That is a really tough question to answer. I will give you a few experiences that I know of and let you draw your own conclusions.

I tried one Tunze Stream 6060 (6000 lph/1600 gph) in my 120-gal tank with my fine particle, 6" deep sand bed. I gave up after about a week. Actually I tried it on two separate occasions about four months apart with the same results. I was tired of blowing the sand off the live rock every day. At present I am running two 3/4" SeaSwirls and a 3/4" plumbed return for a total flow of about 1050 gph, which I consider less than ideal.

Scott (Reefland) is running two Tunze Stream 6060s in his 75-gal tank but he has a bare bottom.

I know of several hobbyists who are running the 6000s, which are much more powerful than the little 6060s, on tanks as small as 180 gallons but I'm not sure if I remember any of them having very fine particle sand beds. Kevinpo is running fairly strong current in his 550-gal tank with a fine particle sand bed but his tank is 33.5" tall. Wanye Shang is running VERY strong current in his 36" tall, 718-gal tank but his 3" deep sand bed is composed entirely of Carib-Sea's large particle Reef Flor select, or whatever they call it.

It seems like it should be possible to run two Tunze Streams in a 180-gal tank but the Catch 22 is that it would be easier to install them on a mature tank that already has a lot of corals than on a new tank with nothing but some bare live rock and fresh sand. As long as you haven't started to fill the tank with corals, you might be able to set both 6000s on the lowest setting (they adjust from 1860-3200 gph) and see what that does to your sand bed. I have seen someone's 120-gal tank that has a lot of flow, including one 6060 and two 1/2" SeaSwirls, and he has a deep sand bed that varies from 2" to 8" because he let the current flow determine the hills and valleys in the sand bed -- it's much lower in the front near the glass and then rises to about 8" in dunes about 6" back from the front glass before settling down to about 3" elsewhere. But I don't think he's using Southdown like I am. I think he's using a larger particle sand bed.

OK, I guess that confuses the issue sufficiently. Let's see if anyone else has anything to offer.

[dougc]

I am running 2 6100 Streams on my 210 gallon tank, which is 29" tall. I am essentially running barebottom, but do have a cosmetic 1/2" or less of sand on the bottom. It is a fairly coarse grade and does not get blown around. When I first set up the tank, I had problems with the sand piling up, but it was caused by my return pumps, not the Streams.

The Streams are definitely best applied in an SPS-dominated tank. It can be tough to find a quiet place for LPS. My plate coral is in a front corner because that is the calmest place in the tank. As Ninong stated, a mature tank with larger corals will tend to break up the flow better.

[Reefland]

As mentioned, I am running 2-6060's in a 75gal but I have a bare-bottom so it's not a problem. If you use a sand bed, I would definitely place them high in the tank and you will have to live with the initial sand displacement.

[Todd S]

Jet D
I would grab the multi controller7094 w/ your 6000's if you decide to go with them. It gives you the ability to restrict the stream's to a certain percentage of their max. performance. So if your having sandstorms, you can restrict them just shy of keeping your substrate on the bottom Plus two 6000's w/ the 7094 gives you the ability to position them, control them however you want, you can't go wrong...
Aquatica

Hello all,
I've recently setup an AGA 180 gallon tank. It's still in the process of cycling but I've been having a problem with the return nozzles from my two 1270gph Pan World pumps blowing my sand bed everywhere. I corrected this by teeing off the returns and adding two more exits to each pump. You can see this in the top middle picture. Since teeing off the plumbing I have not been satisfied with the water movement. I have been looking into getting two Tunze 6000 powerheads to add better flow but I notice that the output on these units is more than my return pumps. I'm worried if I add these that I will have the same problem with my sand blowing everywhere. I plan on having a mixed tank so water movement is a must. Any suggestions?

[Reefland]

I wish we would have spent the extra dollars on the 6000's with the controller, I hear that you can do some awesome stuff with the controller.

[jet_d]

Well I received my Tunze 6000 today along with the multicontroller and I must say this is a very impressive unit. Even at full strength the pump has little affect on shifting my sand bed but yet produces enough current to see and feel six feet across it. Well worth the money in my opinion. Only draw back so far, it's very bulky and unattractive.... Well as my girl friend said, "I can’t have it all."

[Reefland]

I'm glad you like it! I have 2 6060's in our 75 and don't find them to be all that big personally.