# Water Movement and currents



## Clownloachlover (Apr 21, 2010)

I see all these beautiful planted tanks out there, both high tech and low tech and it seems to me that the water filtration in the tank is not very much. I was always of the understanding that when you keep fish, in hopes they will grow and stay healthy that you want to filter your water approximately 3 times an hour or more...so if you have a 50 gallon tank you needed to filter the tank 150 gallons an hour...here is where I am puzzled...if that is the case then how does one filter a 220 gallon tank without creating so much turbulence in your tank that your plants look like they are in a major wave storm.

I have 3 Fluval FX5's on my 220 gallon tank and with the output of the filters it creates a lot of flow rate current in the tank...so much so that my smaller fish only swim in the bottom of the tank and avoid the current...I am thinking of removing one FX 5 to reduce the current, but I am worried about filtration and clean water...FYI...I do not use the stock FX5 nozzles on the return side, my back glass on my tank is drilled and I use 1" bulkheads to return my water to my tank...with a strainer fitting

I also want to continue to grow some live plants and would like a nice looking tank like some of the one the members on here have...I also note that with most really nicely planted tanks that the owners do not keep larger fish...am I missing something here? Is it not possible to have a nicely planted tank with larger fish?

Any advice from you larger planted tank experts out there would be appreciated.


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## jagermelifter (Feb 12, 2015)

just a suggestion, if you use bigger pipe sizes, youll be able to move more water volume but wont make as much disturbance in your tank


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Clownloachlover (Apr 21, 2010)

jagermelifter said:


> just a suggestion, if you use bigger pipe sizes, youll be able to move more water volume but wont make as much disturbance in your tank
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


already doing that...I upsized the stock FX5 hoses to very flexible 1" hose...looking to a couple of other ideas right now to see if I can slow donw the flow yet keep the volume of water being filtered


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## Lutefisk (Jun 29, 2014)

Have you tried sticking a big piece of hardscape somewhere near the filter return? That might diffuse the flow some more.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

Spraybars?


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## Clownloachlover (Apr 21, 2010)

I think I have come up with a solution I am going to try....I have 6- 1" bulkheads drilled into the back of my tank. I am going to use two of them as inlet ports, one to each of two FX-5 filters. Then I am going to run the two outlets of the fX-5's into 4" PVC pipe. I will have 4 outlets out of the 4" PVC feeding water back into my tank using the 4 remaining bulkheads...a manifold setup so to speak...basically it will be a 2 out, 4 return system. I am also thinking of incorporating my heaters into the 4" PVC some how so I can remove them from my tank....now just have to find the supply of 4" PVC and associated fittings...could be fun....thoughts feedback welcome!


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