Water flow?

[kevheng]

i was trying to get an idea on how much water flow i should have in my 30 gallon. i have heard a couple of diffent suggestions on water flow. one being " you can never have enough water flow" and another was 10 times the gallon amount. i was just wondering because there is alot of muck on the substrate and i figured if the flow was better the muck would get picked up by the skimmer easier. my filter has a max of 200 gph and powerhead has a max 190gph. but i dont think that much is being pushed.

thanks for your time and help.

 

[kevheng]

thanks for the advice. how much turn over do you have?

 

[kevheng]

yeah you have anywhere from 14.5-29x turnover in the 240 and the 75 had over 66x turnover. thanks for the advice, examples, and help. now i have an idea about what the turnover should look like.

thanks again.

 

[mopar9012]

i think i have about 40X in my 65...
I have a koralia 4 thats 1200gph and a coralvue 1320 gph i think?
Im still having trouble with still water at the surface so im thinking of adding a koralia 1 at the surface.

 

[kevheng]

are you using a wavemaker too?

 

[leslie]

I don't know about all the turnover stuff but we have a 30 gallon with 2 Koralia 1's and the return from the sump whatever that flow is, which isn't as substantial as the Koralias. It seems to be ample flow with no "dead" spots in the tank.

 

[jeep9783]

I have alternating 6000gph in my 75

 

[grouper therapy]

Keep in mind as well that it is not only the gph but also how the current is disspersed and alternated around the tank. If you have a device that rotate like a seaswirl or similar, you can use less gph. I have a 1100 gph return pump with flow eductors and a dart 3600gph closed loop with 4 sea swirls.

 

[ralph atl]

Leslie;376843 wrote: I don't know about all the turnover stuff but we have a 30 gallon with 2 Koralia 1's and the return from the sump whatever that flow is, which isn't as substantial as the Koralias. It seems to be ample flow with no "dead" spots in the tank.

that would work!

 

[skriz]

Focus on having enough flow to keep the debris suspended. Your flow will not only help keep the tank clean, but will also keep your corals clean and fed (by transporting food to them and washing away their waste).

Fwiw, I have 35x in my 35g nano (does not include the return).

 

[kevheng]

thank you for your help. i am currently breaking down my tank, but i hope this Thread helps others in need of this advice. it has helped me, and is going to help me when i set up my next tank. thank you for your help and advice. if anyone else has any helpful info for the future reefers and members. feel free to add your advice. thanks again.

 

[theplantman]

I have a flow of about 1200gph on my 34 gallon, not including the skimmer pump which is 295gph. I don't count that because it is not direct flow in the display area.

 

[jeep9783]

Taking down your tank why?

 

[skriz]

theplantman;378131 wrote: I have a flow of about 1200gph on my 34 gallon, not including the skimmer pump which is 295gph. I don't count that because it is not direct flow in the display area.

You should never count skimmer pumps, filter pumps or return pumps when calculating tank flow. Only count pumps used for flow-only.

 

[kevheng]

jeep9783;378231 wrote: Taking down your tank why?

i had to pay for college, and i am still paying for it untill fall of 2010 then i get HOPE back if it is still around by then. my tank payed for my books, but i really miss my tank.

 

[cr500_af]

My wife's 30g cube is set up with a Mag 5 return on a SCWD and a Koralia 2.

I realize the rule is not to count returns, but in this case it helps the K2 out, and with the alternating flow between one locline per side, I don't think it's a crime to factor it in. It means the difference between one PH or two (which, on a tank that small really affects the appearance), and the flow through the sump is still pretty slow so that the skimmer can do its thing.

 

[smoothie]

Skriz;378058 wrote: Focus on having enough flow to keep the debris suspended. Your flow will not only help keep the tank clean, but will also keep your corals clean and fed (by transporting food to them and washing away their waste).

Fwiw, I have 35x in my 35g nano (does not include the return).

That first line should be on a t-shirt. Bumper sticker at least