Hydor Koralia Aquarium Pumps

Having proper water flow and circulation is critical to any aquarium, especially saltwater reef tanks. The water circulation created by filtering simply isn't enough for corals, and usually isn't enough even for freshwater fish. This is where using a powerheads, often called wavemakers, for better circulation comes into play.

The increased water circulation will aid in both oxygenation and filtration, both of which increase water quality. Your fish will be happy that detritus will be less likely to settle on the bottom and decay, and your corals will like the extra food circulation. High water flow also aids in keeping algae to a minimum, and even provides exercise for your fish.

We'll be focusing on Hydor Koralia powerheads, mainly because they're the most widely used and have a strong following in the saltwater aquarium community. They have a reputation for high performance, reliability and low energy consumption.

While the importance of having a good, quality powerhead is clear - the amount of water flow needed isn't. Different aquarium setups require differing amounts of circulation, so this is certainly an instance where size does matter. Hydor Koralia are rated by gallons per hour (gph) flow, and we'll cover than in a bit.

For freshwater fish, the minimum acceptable water flow is 10x the tank volume per hour. For example, a 55 gallon aquarium needs at least 550gph of water circulation. You can include your filtration flow with this figure, and sometimes your filter system will flow enough to meet the minimum requirements, though strategically placing a powerhead in a low flow area (like corners or near the bottom) will offer vast improvements in circulation and water quality. Shoot for 15x tank volume as ideal.

For saltwater aquariums without corals, you can go by the same 10-15x tank volume for circulation. With a reef tank, your corals are going to need alot of circulation as that is how many of them feed. A minimum of 20x the tank size is ideal for gph flow, with up to 30x tank flow being optimal depending on the size of your tank. If it's a long tank, as most 125 gallon and above tanks are, then you'll probably want closer to the 30x guideline. So, if you have a 125 gallon saltwater coral reef tank you'll want between 2500-3750 gallons per hour of water flow in total.

All Hydor Koralia pumps are equipped with both a suction cup and magnet to hold them in place.

Koralia Nano - the smallest of all aquarium wavemaker pumps offered. These are great for the miniature nano tanks. They flow 240 gph and consume just 3.5 watts of energy.

Koralia #1 - flows 400 gph of water and are great for small freshwater and saltwater tanks, up to 20 gallons. You could, of course, use more than one and it would be appropriate for a 30-40 gallon reef tank.

Koralia #2 - Now we're getting somewhere. The Koralia 2 flows 600 gph of water and consumes just 9 watts of power.

Koralia #3 - A pair of these is perfect for a 75 gallon coral reef aquarium. Flows 850 gph each and uses 10 watts of power per hour of use.

Koralia #4 - This is the big daddy as far as their basic line goes. The Hydor Koralia 4 pushes a staggering 1,200 gph at just 12 watts.

Koralia Magnum #5 - the Magnum serious ups the water flow tremedously, with the #5 consuming just 8 watts, four less than the #4, yet flowing a mind boggling 1650 gph.

Koralia Magnum #6 - the Magnum serious ups the water flow tremedously, consuming just 10 watts, two less than the #4, yet flowing a mind boggling 2200 gph.

Koralia Magnum #7 - same as above but consumes 12 watts of power and flows 2700 gph.

Koralia Magnum #8 - this is the big daddy, and it carries a big price tag also. Nevertheless, this pump flows 3250 gph and uses just 18 watts of power. A pair of these could circulate a 300 gallon reef tank with no problem.

Positioning of your Hydor Koralia powerhead(s) is important. If you're using just 1 pump, place it in a corner farthest away from your filtration. This will likely be the place in your aquarium with the poorest water circulation. Usually about halfway down the aquarium as far back as you can put it is a good idea. If you have corals, you may want to put it in the middle of the glass so that you can aim the water stream directly at the middle of them.

If you're using multiple powerheads, place them on opposite ends of the aquarium in a manner than crosses the flow of your filtrated water at between 20-45 degrees. Ideally, both (or 4) powerheads will be pointing towards each other either through the middle of your aquarium and corals or angled off the front glass. In fact, two smaller powerheads aimed at each other from opposite sides are much better for water quality than one large powerhead.