how much FLOW

[Hectorious]

Hi I'm looking to get a Koralia Centrifugal Pump. but i don't know the sufficient amount of flow (GPH) a 36 gallon bow front should have. i have a return pump, but i don't believe that's enough. or if there is a cheaper, better, power head out there that i don't know of let me know. thanks a lot R.C.

 

[cnaegler]

What are you planning on keeping? Yeah!! My 500th post.

 

[Hectorious]

i have now xenia and a mushroom, and a couple of clowns, some shrimp and snails, planning on getting more coral.

 

[mat167]

Depending on the coral you want to keep, you'll want to have more or less flow. Softies like mushrooms, xenia, Zoa's, and most LPS don't need really powerful water movement. I think usually 20-40 x the tank volume is recommended for most mixed reefs. If you plan on heading more in the SPS direction, people try to have as much as possible. My tank has about 50 x the tank volume being pushed by powerheads and the return pump. It sounds like a lot but it's really not that much.
As for which powerheads to use, I really like the Koralias. In your tank the Koralia 2 should be enough. Tunze makes good pumps also, and maxijets with the sure-flo mod work really well especially for the price.

 

[Hectorious]

Thanks a lot mat167 for your help, i think i'm more into having a mixed coral tank.

 

[mat167]

nice, good luck

 

[ReefWreak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14673778#post14673778 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Hectorious
Thanks a lot mat167 for your help, i think i'm more into having a mixed coral tank.

If you're interested in seeing some people's tanks locally, or just want to get to know other reefers in your area, I highly recommend checking out our local South Florida club's site here on ReefCentral.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=235

We've got a ton of experienced reefers around miami, up through palm beach and more, and you can get some ideas from their frequently posted tank pictures.