joetee,
keeping plants off the back and sides of the glass sounds like a good idea. That does seem like it would help keep the flow circulating around the perimeter of the tank. I'll try creating a little space in the right & back-right sides of my tank. This is where I have my big group of R. Rotundifolia. I cant seem to get the flow from the rest of the tank to move into this corner and I notice debris settling on the leaves. Maybe not having this gap is why. I'll prune it with my next waterchange in a few days and see if I can get some movement back there.

As for the dead center of the tank, lower to the ground, I still dont know what to do. This seems to be the center of the "vortex" and is also obstructed by some driftwood. I have a clump/bush of H. Micranthemoides right here in the center (off-center), and it really isnt doing so well. It grows real slow and many of the stems are weak and break off . I hardly see much new growth and it took it forever to take root. It too seems to collect a lot of shrimp & oto poop. What is frustrating is that this plant is supposed to be a relatively fast grower.

Maybe it would be cool to make a custom outlet that splits the tubing into 4 or 5 really small tubes, maybe the size of airline tubing. Then have each one of these strategically pointed into/hidden inside each clump of plants or dead spot. Like a drip system setup people use with mini tubing, for watering many different potted plants, or in a garden. -- I guess that's kind of like a spraybar with strategically drilled holes.

I would love to make a custom intake that came up in the center where the HM is, but getting it under the substrate and then back up would require tearing down a chunk of driftwood and doing some digging. ---Big mess--- But I do think that an inlet right in the center of the tank -- in the middle of the "swirl/vortex" -- would be the perfect place. This is where I see a lot of the stuff collect in my tank.

However, sometimes it seems I notice debris collecting on the leaves of the plants closest to the inlet, regardless of where the inlet happens to be placed.
Does anyone else notice this also? Is that a sign that the "gunk" is trying to make its way to the inlet? Maybe most of it is actually being sucked into the filter, but it still collects on the leaves because they are in the path of the flow into the intake? Does buildup usually occur in the corners of tanks that have a circular flow pattern? What can you do about this buildup on the leaves --add more flow?

Joetee: I too like hearing the different flow setups people have used/are using. It helps give me ideas to use to try to improve the particular aspects of my tank. Since I had to build my entire inflow & outflow setup, I have a lot of tubing and connectors, and have the ability to create a completely custom setup. So getting ideas on how to improve my current setup is great.

Thanks to everybody for tolerating my wordy posts, and I really enjoy everyone's contributions and ideas.

-Mike B-

Today I stuck a powerhead in the right rear corner of my tank, aimed to the left along the back of the tank. My filter spray bar is at the rear, left top across the back, and its inlet is low on the right. So, now I can see every leaf on every plant in the tank waving a bit in the current. It is hard to imagine how I could get more complete circulation, exept for the right front corner where a big Java fern covered piece of driftwood is. Even that seems to wave a bit in the current.

It looks to me like at least a small powerhead is a useful addition to most tanks. This afternoon I had the most pearling I have had with this setup!

I'll chime in here for anyone's interest.

I have been hanging out on some Cichlid forums, since Tom suggested Apistos as a nice addition for the planted tank. Cichlid tank owners (like those of marine) have great interest in ciruclation issues.

Cichlid tanks can be heavily rocked, and keeping substrate clean, and providing good circulation, are issues. The use of "undergravel jets" is endorsed by some, an idea related to "tanengential pond returns" (TPR) used by some ponders. Both are intended to increase circulation near the bottom of the tank/pond.

The basic idea of undergravel jets is to bring via PCV, etc., the filter output down to the substrate level. Pipework for the output then runs horizontal and flush along the bottom of the tank to say 2 preconceived output locations. A right angle fitting is used to direct that output piping back up, straight toward the top of the tank, and the terminal end is then either fitted or bent (by partiailly melting in oven to make pliable) so the water output from the jets flow in the target direction, slightly above substrate level.

This is all set up, before substrate is added. I thought it was a pretty cool idea when I read about it. It seems it could be adapted for promoting circulation in the planted tank, particularly in regions of the substrate densly planted.

It seems it could also be set up in reverse, as implied by Vaughn, so the target locations at substrate level = intakes instead of outputs. Add a Filtermax III prefilter (or whatever) and a peice of driftwood in front of the prefilter at substrate level and you'd be set!

growitnow

fyi:

Constructing Under-Gravel Jets

I get a pretty good current using 4 powerheads and one eheim professional.

I have 2 rhinox diffusors at the left and right lower corner. on each diffusor is a powerhea aimedutlket 2 cm from the disk. this results in a far better small bubble swirling!
on the left and right upper corner I have 2 smaller owerheads, these guys produce a nice current that lasts quite far, because there are relatively few plants at that place.
the eheim is blowing from the leftcorner to the back. this results in such a current the the mayaca is not totally blown away.

That is I think the most difficult part: one sees the best co2 mist using more/better current, but this will likely result in blowing away your plants

and just a pic for illustration:



greets,

yme