# Do I need a powerhead?



## bigred87

I was wondering if i need a powerhead. I have a 60g planted tank ( 2 swords, a bunch of java ferns, and 1 val). 

I am worried about the circulation of my tank becuase my filter is on one side of the tank and I cant put it in the middle. I bought the tank used and it came with a powerhead, but never used it. Is it good for planted tanks? any kind of information would be great.


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## Tecstasy

I use one on my 20g since my filter also sits on the side plus a fluval internal sitting on the back wall and the powerhead on the other side right above the diffuser to push the co2 around the tank

Sent from my BlackBerry 9300 using Tapatalk


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## James M

Plants don't need that much flow, and with too much disturbance of the water's surface you're actually REMOVING Co2. I have a small power filter sitting on the left side of a 40 gallon - that's plenty for the entire tank. You don't need to see your plants swaying in current. I would never put a HOB filter plus a power head on a 20 for a planted tank myself. A nano reef - sure.


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## bat_billy

Generally the standard I see on this site is a minimum of 10 times the volume of the tank in total flow in the aquarium. I believe this is the average flow to aim fo and can go higher or lower based on individual needs.

So as an example for a 5 gallon tank:

5 ×10 = 50 gph of total flow.


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## Kathyy

Having a ripple on the surface of the water increases gas exchange. Since all the living things in the tank require oxygen and most of us overstock a ripple is a really good idea. If you have set up a Walstad type tank with soil, lots of plants, limited lighting and low fish load then no ripple might work. Walstad is one good way to set up a planted tank but there are many other ways to be successful.

You may notice algae growing in quiet corners. You may notice drifts of debris in quiet corners. More water movement helps with this. Your HOB filter is going to do a good job keeping scum pulled off the surface but it really doesn't move water around the tank that well.


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## James M

Ripple is good, gas exchange is good, but there's a point of diminishing returns when plants are in the equation, unlike with the fish. That's for the OP, not you.


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## mc1973

I just use the powerhead to make sure debris doesn't collect on one side of the tank.
I'll also use it to prevent any crazy algae growth, but overall if you aren't seeing any problems I wouldn't worry about it.


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## Django

+ James M

I agree. This is the subject of an old debate - atmospheric CO2 into the tank by airstone or HOB, or dissolved CO2 leaving the tank. I don't really understand it yet but I've read over material on the *partial pressure of a gas dissolved in a liquid* (water) and the partial pressure of CO2 in the air.

I don't have the answer, but I am in the overall losing CO2 with airstone camp. As James M said, an airstone might be appropriate for an overstocked fish-only tank but I am looking from the perspective of the ecology of a planted tank (please don't confuse this with the book of the same name).

Thanks,

Steven


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## roadmaster

I think the ten times flow ratio is largely aimed at those who inject CO2 to help disperse the CO2 throughout the tank (no dead spot's).
Funny to me ,,that few of those running such flow, seldom mention the effect's on fishes they may also have.Not many fishes need,or appreciate this kind of water movement in my humble opinion.
I think a ripple on the surface is more desireable than water fall effect from HOB filter or sponge filter, but I have run a sponge filter at night(timer) when plant's are using up oxygen,and fish load was larger than some might have.


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## Redtail84

roadmaster said:


> Not many fishes need,or appreciate this kind of water movement in my humble opinion.


I disagree. Over the years, I've found that many of the fish I've kept seem to enjoy the water movement. The tetras and livebearers I've kept all seem to thrive with 10 x hour turnover.


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## roadmaster

Nothing wrong with a little movement, and I suspect fishes such as danio's,swordtail's,cory's,pleco's,loaches,some of the larger tetra's perhap's, would do fine.
Isn't until one researches what the fishes habitat's are like in the wild, that we can perhap's try and replicate to a small degree,those condition's.
Many of the fishes we keep, come from slow moving stream's or stagnant pool's where they do quite well .Certainly we cannot replicate the wild in a glass box of water where there are no tide's,rain's,current's,to carry away waste,toxin's,but we can try and keep stress to a minimum.(fishes struggling against torrent's)
I too have kept a few species of fishes over the year's,and they were as happy as I guess captive fish can be, with 4 to 5 times the turnover each hour.
Have we proven anything ?
I suppose we can agree to disagree .


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## bat_billy

roadmaster said:


> Nothing wrong with a little movement, and I suspect fishes such as danio's,swordtail's,cory's,pleco's,loaches,some of the larger tetra's perhap's, would do fine.
> Isn't until one researches what the fishes habitat's are like in the wild, that we can perhap's try and replicate to a small degree,those condition's.
> Many of the fishes we keep, come from slow moving stream's or stagnant pool's where they do quite well .Certainly we cannot replicate the wild in a glass box of water where there are no tide's,rain's,current's,to carry away waste,toxin's,but we can try and keep stress to a minimum.(fishes struggling against torrent's)
> I too have kept a few species of fishes over the year's,and they were as happy as I guess captive fish can be, with 4 to 5 times the turnover each hour.
> Have we proven anything ?
> I suppose we can agree to disagree .


We are going to have to disagree on a 10x flow rate harming livestock. In a healthy medium to heavily planted aquarium there are plenty of spots inbetween plants, under leaves, and so on where a fish can escape the current for a rest.

I have kept bettas in a 5 gallon heavily planted tank with 10x flow without trouble due to the diminishing effects the plants have on current.


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## roadmaster

Not inclined to keep kickin a dead horse, nor Hy- jack this thread any further.
Everyone is free to believe what they choose to believe.


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## Kado

Or you can set up your tank like Amano does with a Lilly pipe (or your output with no spray bar). Have the input and output on the same side and aim the output to the opposite side of the tank. It creates a nice circular current.

Here's a nice thread with some good info
http://www.aquascapingworld.com/threads/how-come-amano-doesnt-use-a-spray-bar.169/

Sry just re read the op's post. He didn't mention what kind of filter he had, but probably isn't a canister filter.


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