# Filter Outflow/Intake placement.... Water Flow?



## jwm5 (May 9, 2010)

What is people's experience with filter outflows/intakes and best water flow/circulation. Is there a correct or better placement? 

My 55g (standard 12" X 48" long) is in need of a reworking and I am just looking around for ideas and what works for people. I have a Marineland C360 filter, When i first set the tank up I placed the outflow on one end and the intake of the opposite end flow was ok, but it seemed like the outflow blows hard on its end, but flow dies down about halfway through the tank. And with the stock outflow, of course the flow is all at the top of the tank. I had added a powerhead and that seemed to help, but it also adds its own circulation pattern, I have placed it at a few different locations, but still have dead spots.

So what works for people? Is it better to have an intake and outflow in the middle of a long tank with the outflow aimed toward the front glass so it diffuses the flow to both ends and causes it to come back around to the intake? Or is it better to have the intake and outflow on different ends? Is a spray bar better for circulation? Should the filter outflow be on the top of the tank and a powerhead moving the water on the lower level? 

Just curious what people have used and what seems to be the most successful for circulation.


----------



## h2oaggie (Feb 28, 2011)

I am also interested in this. I set up my first canister filter the other day with the spray bar and intake located on opposite sides, but I do not know if this is the norm or not. Just seemed right to me.


----------



## jwm5 (May 9, 2010)

ok not much action in here...

maybe another question:

I have seen the "river" type setups with powerheads where a power head is put on a PVC pipe that runs under the substrate with the intake on the opposite end of the tank, what does this do other than make sure water flows all the way across the tank? As I said I am brainstorming for an upcoming rework of my 55g and wondering if there is enough benefit from this setup with a powerhead to do it?


----------



## Loop (Jan 8, 2011)

I have tried mine with one on each side and it seems to pu a big dead spot right below the spraybar.

Before, I had it with the spraybar on the left wall, spraying toward the right wall with a slight upward angle for a little ripple on the surface. The intake was on the left side of the back glass, right by the spraybar. This caused the water to go all the way left to right, down the right wall, and then right to left across the bottom of the tank. Basically a big clockwise oval. Might not be the best way, but it has worked best for me so far. But the flow on the right side when it bounced off the glass made it hard to plant there because they would always float away 20 times before growing roots.


----------



## HolyAngel (Oct 18, 2010)

Loop said:


> I have tried mine with one on each side and it seems to pu a big dead spot right below the spraybar.
> 
> Before, I had it with the spraybar on the left wall, spraying toward the right wall with a slight upward angle for a little ripple on the surface. The intake was on the left side of the back glass, right by the spraybar. This caused the water to go all the way left to right, down the right wall, and then right to left across the bottom of the tank. Basically a big clockwise oval. Might not be the best way, but it has worked best for me so far. But the flow on the right side when it bounced off the glass made it hard to plant there because they would always float away 20 times before growing roots.


this is pretty much my setup exactly. ive messed with in/outflow placement a lot in my 29gal and finally settled onboth being on the rightside, spray bar placed so it blows across and slightly down across the top of the tank to the left, and the intake is under the spraybar on the front right of the tank so the water will be pulled down from the left and go across the bottom of the tank to intake in front, so my carpet gets good co2/flow across it. also have a koralia on the back left corner blowing towards the front right of the tank to ensure the the current is how i want it. its been like this for a couple months and the growth has been awesome. upgrading my 302 to a 404b anyways tho and removing the koralia for optimum flow with minimal equipment ^^


----------



## Riiz (Apr 30, 2008)

jwm5 said:


> ok not much action in here...
> 
> maybe another question:
> 
> I have seen the "river" type setups with powerheads where a power head is put on a PVC pipe that runs under the substrate with the intake on the opposite end of the tank, what does this do other than make sure water flows all the way across the tank? As I said I am brainstorming for an upcoming rework of my 55g and wondering if there is enough benefit from this setup with a powerhead to do it?


It is exactly that, too move a very-high volume ofwater across the length of tank. It works very well with planted aquaria too, with the flow adjusted to not uproot plants and it provides great co2 coverage.


----------



## xmas_one (Feb 5, 2010)

Try a spray bar in the center of the back panel about 5" down from the water surface. Aim it up and to the front, so you get a slight ripple on the surface in the middle (between the front and back) of the tank. In my tank, it kind of creates a rolling flow similar to a dryer...


----------

