# How to slow down powerhead?



## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

What is the best way to slow a powerhead down? So before I started a planted tank I was going to go saltwater. So I purchased a jaebo pp-8 power head as that would of been great for saltwater but too strong for fresh. Even on its lowest setting and no matter where I point it, it makes my tank flow like the Colorado river. Fish stay on opposite side. Just too much. So I tried to cover the front with a new filter sponge that I cut as thin as I could. Well it worked good for about a day till the filter piece I added started clogging up with debree of course. So now it really does not work lol. 

How can I slow this thing down so I can use it and not have to toss for a lesser model of some kind? Want to use to really push the co2 around good and well just good overall circulation. Sorry about the glare but you get the idea. 











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## redavalanche (Dec 7, 2014)

Mine is different but gets much more restrictive with a sponge on the intake side which can clog up. Have my CO2 diffuser directly under it. Placed about half way down the back of the tank blowing forward. But don't mind me. :smile2:


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## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

Just wonder if there is something else I could place in front where the cut filter media is now? Would a screen slow it down enough? 


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## Kubla (Jan 5, 2014)

You can trim the blade down but it's kind of permanent.


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## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

Kubla said:


> You can trim the blade down but it's kind of permanent.




Dang why didn't I think of that. To be honest that is fine with me as this 60 gallon it's in is its permanent home after all. Got a good deal on it and want to get good use from it after all. If only it could go a couple notches slower it would be great. 


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## Kubla (Jan 5, 2014)

I've never done it. I've just read about someone on the forum doing it. If you spin it you'll get it even. Seems like you could use some sandpaper. Be careful, I'm sure it can hurt you!


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## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

Kubla said:


> I've never done it. I've just read about someone on the forum doing it. If you spin it you'll get it even. Seems like you could use some sandpaper. Be careful, I'm sure it can hurt you!




Brilliant. I have some sandpaper. Will give it a shot tomorrow. Thank you for the great idea. 


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## sohankpatel (Jul 10, 2015)

I was also going to suggest trimming the blade, but it must be even, if it is not, you will get horrible vibrations


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

I would go with the trimming but only as a last try rather than first. It is terribly easy to get the blades slightly off and then it is real noise. Too much for me to risk if other things might work. One in my area would be to try trading the larger for smaller? The shops that take in used might be good. 
Second is a bit more work but might also do the job with less risk of trashing the whole thing. How about making a form of mattenfilter? Basic idea is to put the pump into an area behind a sponge "wall" which is small/tight enough to restrict the flow some but also a much larger amount of sponge so that the cleaning is not a problem. 
It would take some "inventing" to get the right flow but it would have the benefit of actually doing a pretty neat job of filtering at the same time. 
It looks like you have a different type powerhead but I built a prefilter for one that used CPVC pipe going into a soda bottle which I stuffed with floss. Turning the whole ting upside down let the floss pick up less trash to last longer and made the outflow nearer the bottom where I wanted it to move the trash around for the main filter.


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

I might be tempted to aim the power head towards glass on one side/end or another to break up the flow,or more towards surface.


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## jrill (Nov 20, 2013)

Would a dimmer switch work. 

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## Jamieson22 (Mar 27, 2017)

Mine seems to slow down as the week goes on and assorted plant material gets caught on the outside. Could you try wrapping something around it?


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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

Agree with @jrill's idea here, would a dimmer switch work or?.. other plans or to late lol


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## Harry Muscle (Mar 13, 2007)

Unfortunately a dimmer switch would not work ... it'll control torque but not speed with these kind of motors.

Harry


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## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

Instead of trimming the blades just going to see if I can get a cheaper one that will work for my 60 gallon without turning it into a monsoon. Thanks everyone for the ideas.

Any ideas for a good one that will work for my 60 gallon that is low profile? as small as possible but good enough flow but not too much?


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

I like the Koralia nano for one that stays quiet and tends to clear itself of leaves, etc. that get hung up in the guard. They have a nicer mount that uses both suction cup and magnet. Suction cups are NOT my thing as they tend to fail and then the powerhead winds up shooting down into the sub to blow up a dust storm!


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## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

Well I just happen to remember I had a spare cobalt mj 1200 for when I was going to setup a saltwater tank and was being used to ready live rock in a trash bin

Seems to work great. Do you think the position is good? The white out behind is the co2 out. Sorry about the glare 











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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

Hard to say what might work best in each tank without seeing how things drift and flow around. One point that I'm hung in the middle of is how much effect it has when I put CO2 in near the top versus nearer the bottom. The point being that we want to get CO2 to all the plants and we also want to lose as little out the top as possible/practical. 
So I have a 125 and moving the outlet of the CO2 down by adding a tube on the filter output so that the CO2 came out near the tank bottom seems to jump start some of my plants. Sometimes it is easy to misread things like that and think it is one thing when the true cause comes from something else you've done. 
At nearly the same time, I was looking for a better way to read CO2 content of the water and came around to the small/cheap PH pens. So I got the pen, modded it so that I could read the PH in all parts of the tank and went through a 20 long to test how the CO2 was in all parts. In the twenty long, which is a relatively low flat tank, the readings were very uniform except for one space near the top. In that tank, I found no reason to worry about where the CO2 was added but it left me still wondering about larger tanks. 
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/20-diy/1133698-mod-ph-pen.html
At this point, I've still not got my life back together so that I can do a study on bigger tanks. Too much life going on right now? 
Meantimes, it is my "guess" that adding the CO2 as low in the tank might/could/should help to keep it from going up and out? Best guess but not real testing to see until I can get back to that project.


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## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

PlantedRich said:


> Hard to say what might work best in each tank without seeing how things drift and flow around. One point that I'm hung in the middle of is how much effect it has when I put CO2 in near the top versus nearer the bottom. The point being that we want to get CO2 to all the plants and we also want to lose as little out the top as possible/practical.
> So I have a 125 and moving the outlet of the CO2 down by adding a tube on the filter output so that the CO2 came out near the tank bottom seems to jump start some of my plants. Sometimes it is easy to misread things like that and think it is one thing when the true cause comes from something else you've done.
> At nearly the same time, I was looking for a better way to read CO2 content of the water and came around to the small/cheap PH pens. So I got the pen, modded it so that I could read the PH in all parts of the tank and went through a 20 long to test how the CO2 was in all parts. In the twenty long, which is a relatively low flat tank, the readings were very uniform except for one space near the top. In that tank, I found no reason to worry about where the CO2 was added but it left me still wondering about larger tanks.
> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/20-diy/1133698-mod-ph-pen.html
> ...


Absolutely tons of great info here. Thank you so much you have very good knowledge on all of this stuff and I always enjoy reading your very knowledgeable posts so thank you for helping a newbie like me going through am sure the same pains you may have at the beginning. I am going to take a read at your ph pen post. That is a very good idea I may switch the in/out pieces so I can get the out to much lower like you stated. It makes sense because by the time it does hit higher in the tank it would of spread a much larger radius compared to coming out nearer to the top. Man your knowledge is great and like I said helps someone like me. So thank you

Sorry to hear about the loss.


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## easternlethal (Feb 13, 2016)

there is actually no difference in terms of pump power between marine and freshwater. the only difference is the velocity and direction of the flow. The pump you have is suitable for a freshwater tank. Just double the output by attaching a Y connector and flexible hoses. No need to cut or make any amendments. 

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## clownplanted (Mar 3, 2017)

PlantedRich said:


> Hard to say what might work best in each tank without seeing how things drift and flow around. One point that I'm hung in the middle of is how much effect it has when I put CO2 in near the top versus nearer the bottom. The point being that we want to get CO2 to all the plants and we also want to lose as little out the top as possible/practical.
> 
> So I have a 125 and moving the outlet of the CO2 down by adding a tube on the filter output so that the CO2 came out near the tank bottom seems to jump start some of my plants. Sometimes it is easy to misread things like that and think it is one thing when the true cause comes from something else you've done.
> 
> ...




You were absolutely right. I moved the out down by about 6 inches and wow what a difference. Thinking about it makes complete sense. Has more room to spread. So changing nothing else I noticed quite a bit more pearling from my plants today. Will have to turn down bps a bit. My plants thank you. 

And wanted to add the plant in the first and second pic is about 3/4 the way to other side of tank opposite where co2 comes in. 

























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