Powerheads?

[adpgibso]

Hey I'm needing to know what the significance of and how to install powerheads in my new saltwater aquarium. Do you just buy the head and stick it in the tank or do you need an external power source/pump?

Thanks

[Fishfirst]

powerheads have a propeller in them, their significance is water surface agitation and water flow. Agitation = more surface area = more oxygen in your water, water flow = less chance for solids that may decompose on the sand/crushed coral = fewer nitrates (if you have a skimmer), and water flow = less algae because it is harder for them to attach to your glass with a lot of flow.

[mr.dark-saint]

I run (4) Aquaclear 802 Powerhead with the plastic filter without the filter pad in my 125 Gal. They make smaller ones but the filter is the key to keep the snails, crabs, shrimp, fish (basically anything that may get sucked in). I don't use the hose to make the bubbles since they (air bubbles) will collect under live rock and make a dead spot. For the fish only tank it doesn't matter if you use the hose or not but it will evaporate water faster and salt to collect.

[TheOldSalt]

Powerheads were originally invented to sit atop undergravel riser tubes, thereby moving a lot more water than air bubbles ever could. Since then, they have proven useful for many other things. We came up with all sorts of goofy contraptions and configurations, such as electric wave timers and oscillating attachments, but eventually I got fed up with those and invented the self-oscillating powerhead. At a big MACNA conference, I got up on the stage and screamed, because I knew the place was full of bigshots from every arena of the business, "SELF. OSCILLATING. POWERHEADS! How hard IS that, people? " Heheheh..it made quite a ruckus that they still talk about today. It worked, too; I got pestered by many executroids, and the very next year the first units hit the market, making it oh so much easier to keep reef aquariums.
( Mike Paletta also raised a little hell and made some folks very, very angry. It was great! )
Anyway, powerheads are great, and everyone should have a few just in case, and they can be tweaked for use as other nifty things. For example, the Aquaclear 70, formerly known as the Hagen 802, can be modified into one awesome froth producer for homemade skimmers. There are also various attachments available for some models, such as the schnellenfilsser, which turns a powerhead into a complete rapid mechanical filter complete with media.

iMost powerheads have little hanger thingies on the back which lets you mount it on the side of the tank. An oscillating unit, like a Powersweep for example, will help mimic natural ocean wave motion and make sure that there are no dead spots in the tank. otherwise, put it in a corner and point it toward the opposite diagonal corner. Another good arrangement is to have it run it's flow directly straight across the back of the tank, end to end. Really massive reef setups can have powerheads mounted strategically throughout the reef, but these pumps are generally put on timers. Their job is to periodically provide some surge and flush debris out from various nooks and crannies where it would otherwise accumulate.