How much flow you got going?

[geaux xman]

i have a 180g, but when you take into consideration glass thickness(3/4"), waterline, overflow, and rock, i'm probably closer to 130g.

my return pump is about 1000gph(after headloss) and mp60 is 7500, so about 8500gph max. about 65x flow.

when i turn the mp60(7500gph) on full blast, it doesnt seem like the angels(3-5.5") likes it very much. they're either hiding in the rock structure, or when they're directly in-front(maybe 10-12") of the powerhead, they would get blown halfway across the tank. probably b/c they were caught off-guard by the sudden increased of water flow.

i like to occasionally ramp it up full max for about an hour on the mp60 to get the fish crap that is settled gets stirred up.

most times, the mp60 is at minimum(3500gph) or 1/4 of the way. so about 35x flow.

i know some of the sps heavy tanks would go for 100x flow, but those fish dont mind it at all?

 

[sandwi54]

IMO, one MP60 is really not ideal for a 6' tank, since it has to be on full power for the flow to reach the other end. I have a 6', 225g, similar to your 180g, and I use two MP60s pointing at each other, each running at 1/3 to 1/2 of full power. This way my fish don't get blown around like when you turn the pump at full power, and still get to enjoy the flow.

 

[geaux xman]

its a 5ft tank. still not the best setup for flow with just 1 big powerhead, but i wanted to keep the opposite end of the tank completely viewable without any obstructions.

i do have one of my dual returns pointed toward the opposite end of the tank from the powerhead. so that helps with the flow some.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

I have a 5' 110 gal with a MP40 on one end and a Tunze rated at 660 gph on the other end (plus about 500 gph on the return). The tank is pretty much FO as my butterflies decided they liked the taste of the corals.

I would like to add more flow on the Tunze side and am trying to decide whether to just add another MP40 or put another Tunze or Koralia in at around 1400 gph for 1/3 the price or less.

Another MP40 is nice given its lower profile but I won't be taking advantage of the syncing or other features of having a pair of the Ecotechs as I would run them in anti-sync in Reef Crest mode most of the time. I just need water flow to move debris and eliminate dead spots around the rockwork, not something to promote the growth of corals. Are people just using 2 Ecotech's in tanks without corals or using standard powerheads?

Is two Ecotechs for more than $900 justified in FO? Add in a couple of Radions and you could have $3K in lights and powerheads for fish that can get along with lesser choices.