40g reef tank flow

[Dbondaruk]

Hello i been doing alot of research and cant the right answer.... i have a 40g breeder reef tank... it has a 9.5 return pump turned down a good amount and 2 koriala 750 GPH powerheads. i been only running one of them for now. is that to much flow or not enough???
so far i have 2 wrasse/1 royal gramma basslet/
corals 1 Dunkin/couple zoa heads short/candy cane coral/and i think the last one is a birdsnest sps.

 

[Ambition]

Ideally you want the return pump flow, after head pressure is accounted for, to match that of your skimmer. A 9.5, if a Mag drive, is gonna be too much and the electricity usage is a waste of money to turn it down to a certain extent. Don't factor the return pump into the flow for the tank either as its goal should not be to create flow, but circulate enough water for filtration.

The two 750gph Koralias sound about right for a 40B depending on their placement and your aquascape. Your actually close to the 40x turnover rate with both on, which if you want SPS, it is a good thing.

 

[Dbondaruk]

but i am wondering if that is to much flow for my dunkin and zoa.... right now i am not planning on sps. i am going to get a hammer lps and couple more lps and maybe few softies.
i just feel like it is to much currents going on in the water

 

[Dbondaruk]

Anyone want to chime in

 

[JaYbIrD1969]

You mentioned having a birdsnest. thats an sps. However, birdsnest can tolerate the least amount of flow of most popular sps. They will do MUCH better if the flow is random and not linear. The LPS will prefer a milder flow. They will tell you what they prefer. Tweak your powerheads orientation until your LPS are waving nicely with good polyp extention. Too much flow and they will retract and look like a palm tree in a hurricane

 

[JAustin]

It shouldn't be too much flow. I have two mp10 I'm my breeder and two koralia 425gph. Also I use a eheim 1262 return pump.

 

[kga943]

i have 2 800gph circulation pumps and my mp10 and my sump return

 

[Dbondaruk]

Thanks for the help... i guees im good than. I was thinking it was overkill