# Water turn over per hour in your CRS tank ?



## andy335touring (Mar 14, 2012)

I'm just setting up with a new CRS tank and home brew filter, how many times per hour does your water get turned over by your filter ?

Just trying to gauge what every one's using and decide if i need another power head for my filter ?

Thanks

Andy


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## randy (Jan 29, 2012)

I don't know exactly because the rating on canisters or powerheads are rated when there's no load. But I'm guessing mine are anywhere from 5 to 10.

But then if I can do it all over again I'd definitely try with less flow. Shrimps don't like to swim in strong current and when they swim over the powerhead outflow they always get "shocked" by the strong flow.


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## andy335touring (Mar 14, 2012)

Thanks for sharing, mine's about *2 1/2* times per hour but i'm going to double it with another power head.

They have a flow reg' so i can knock it back a bit if needed.

I've got the outlet right up on the surface but it's not rippling a big enough area to get a good amount of O2 into the water.

*roughly measured by letting it pump half the tanks water out of the tank and timing it*


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## splur (May 11, 2011)

I think mines somewhere around 8-12 times an hour. I have an AC30 + eheim 2213 for each 17 gallon tank. Usually I have the flow turned down, but currently I'm trying to filter as much as possible to avoid any bacterial infections.


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## randy (Jan 29, 2012)

Actual flow rate of 2-3 times per hr isn't too bad if there's enough filter media in the filter. Adding a power head with maybe a sponge helps but shrimps don't appreciate strong current so adjustables are better. I'm thinking to change my power head so the current isn't too strong. Currently using marina mj400 or 600 in 20 gallon long and have to Bloemfontein the water upward.


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## getochkn (Jul 10, 2011)

With my Eheim Pro 2 2026 filter full, it's supposed to do 172 gph and it's on my 20gal tall CRS tank, so almost 10x per hour. I drill large holes in my spray bar so it doesn't blow the shrimp and substrate across the tank as it was doing before. 

My 20long PFR tank just has a sponge filter and Aquaclear 70 going lengthwise on it and that tank is fine. Just setup a 10gal for my goldens with a Aquaclear 30 on it and a big sponge filter. 

Shrimp don't produce much bioload and really don't need much filtration. You do need good tank circulation more than anything to make sure all the water is at least being filtered at some point. When I had the AQ 70 width wise on the tank, I was getting bacterial infection, vorticiela infections, etc as the water wasn't being circulated. Same filter going across the tank and it's been perfect for 6 months since I did that.

I know we all see the breeders in Japan with like 4 canisters chained together and this is probably overkill by a lot. A few things though, one they only have 1 filter on and the rest are turned off, so they are just using them for volume. They usually have a very low pH and the more media for bacterial to attach, the better as bacteria doesn't like a low pH so being able to provide 4 canisters worth of media give it's a better chance to attach. Some also think they do this because by the last tank, O2 levels are low and some anarobic bacteria may form eating nitrates as well, therefore not needing to ever do waterchanges and just topping off.


With that said, Ricky (novice) has tonnes of tank and always CRS breeding with just a small Aquaclear filter on his tank. Franks has a sponge filter and powerhead or small UGF and powerhead. If I didn't have the monster Eheim laying around from my turtles, I probably wouldn't have spent $300 on a filter for a 20gal shrimp tank. Plants, sponge filters, small HOB filter, mosses are working on my other 5 shrimp tanks with no problems.


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## andy335touring (Mar 14, 2012)

I guess it's a balance between flow and water contact time with the bio media.

Having the filter at one end of the tank means i've got to have X amount of flow to avoid dead spots and as i'm not going to use an air pump i need a good ripple area for O2 transfer.

I guess i'd best explain my filter.

This is my home brew take on a HMF, it's 1" 30ppi foam held in place by some plastic wiring conduit. The other part is a three litre tupper ware tub that's filled will K1 plastic media. A power head has been silconed to the top, the oulet pipe pass's back through the foam like normal.

So it's just a HMF with a bit more bio capacity and some where to put the heater out the way.

Excuse the slightly naff looking pics, it's just been filled and it's tea stained water is down to the new wood and two almond leaves.

Putting another power head on top near the existing one is what i'm going to do.


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## getochkn (Jul 10, 2011)

Maybe add another powerhead and put a long tube on it so it's blowing fresh water to the other side of the tank.


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## andy335touring (Mar 14, 2012)

Thanks, nice idea, just got to see if i can find a practical way to run the pipe


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