Flow

[Toxiq Reef]

Ok so I've started an sps addiction and I'm not thinking my flow is enough, on the 150g we have a wavebox and a tunze 6065, not accounting for the mag 9.5 return. Should I upgrade my flow, or just add another 6065 or something?

[Toxiq Reef]

Hmm?

[DaJMasta]

Judging from the recommended ranges for SPS and the wavebox (which makes a huge difference in effective flow), you're probably covered already provided your powerheads are clean. I don't have experience with tanks this size, but from what I understand that's probably adequate to keep SPS happy as a general amount, of course some locations being better than others depending on flow patterns.

Is there a problem you're noticing?

[Toxiq Reef]

Not a problem, but def seems like more polyp extension of coral the closer to the powerhead you get

[DaJMasta]

Maybe it's worth trying to redirect them then, the dynamics of it all are much more complicated with the wavebox, but if you could keep the circulation relatively uninterrupted you may get some bonus from the current recirculating instead of dissapating.

It's difficult to say because so few people (myself included) even understand all the fluid dynamics aspects at work in even a small single powerhead system, and there's lots of conflicting advice (crossing streams, etc)... but in my experience it's best to have the pumps generally working together and keeping rockwork and tank walls out of the line of fire where possible. I think this gets the most cohesive stream with the least resistance, enabling a current in the tank to form more easily and keeping the powerhead from needing to 'pressurize' the stream as much as if it were physically obstructed.

[JasonJones]

but in my experience it's best to have the pumps generally working together and keeping rockwork and tank walls out of the line of fire where possible. I think this gets the most cohesive stream with the least resistance, enabling a current in the tank to form more easily and keeping the powerhead from needing to 'pressurize' the stream as much as if it were physically obstructed.

I think this statement is completely correct. In general, people are so concerned with having random water motion that they use all sorts of devices (oceanmotions, timer wavemakers, ect..- I do not put waveboxes in this category) to create changing direction of waterflow. However, setting up your pumps to work together to create mass water movement of the entire water column is much more effective. Even with a similar flow pattern throughout the tank, there will be constant "random" flow because we have objects in the tank which the flow will deflect off of. A great article describing this can be found here http://www.advanceda.../1/aafeature#h5 ("Although turbulence is the desired end product of water movement, aquarists should be more focused on producing faster unidirectional flow."

I try to always set my tanks up with pumps on opposite sides of the tank, one side near the front glass and one side near the back glass, trying to form a circular water pattern.

Edited November 16, 2010 by JasonJones

[stoneroller]

+1 on what they said but..... some sps cannot tolerate high velocity current others won't prosper without.

[Timfish]

I can say the best success I've had with gorgonians (years) has been with really high flow rates. What was interesting was Adams description of a horizontal "Gyre Tank" is very close to what **** (Richard) Perrin describes in Coral V2 #3 June/July 2005 except Perrin uses air lifts instead of pumps for maintenance and heat issues. Personally from what I've seen in my tanks I think a lot of the corals we're propagating aren't very particular one way or the other regarding flow rates.