How much is to much?

[skabimini]

I have a 18 gallon with a maxi 1200 as a return pump... I upgraded from a rio 200 :rolleye1: ...I have been told over and over "you can never have to much flow"... I will add that I am bare bottom so I know the extra flow is needed but it seems like there is a lot of flow in there. Does this seem right? Am I good with a lot of flow

Thanks!!

 

[iCam]

It depends on what you are keeping/want to keep in the tank.

 

[artful-dodger]

Until is splashes out, you're good. (I figure that one step down from an Evenrude would be perfect.) The biggest issue with a powerhead is that it really a single directional flow...in the ideal world there wouldn't be a specific, directed flow but what Anthony Calfo calls "random, turbulent" flow. (I'm not there yet, but on the next tank I'm putting in a closed loop to try.)

Of course, the nano is a different story. Space and heat are obviously big issues for you. If you could split the return to more than one stream I'll bet you could double the flow without a problem.

 

[skabimini]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6842577#post6842577 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nihonjin_anemone
It depends on what you are keeping/want to keep in the tank.

I have little bit of everything... sorta... 2 clowns, 1 six line, 2 shrimp, 1 flower pot, zoos, polyps, snails, herms...

 

[iCam]

There's not really such thing as too much flow in a tank, because comparing to what's going on in the ocean, there's no comparison.

But, having very high flow can agitate some corals and make them unhealthy. As long as everything looks healthy, it should be okay. If you see any negatively reacting, you can place them in an area of less flow.

 

[rlschne]

There might not be such a thing as too much flow, but there is a such thing as too much direct flow, like they said above, movement is good but it needs to be dispersed out

 

[skabimini]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6842587#post6842587 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by artful-dodger
If you could split the return to more than one stream I'll bet you could double the flow without a problem.

I think what I'll do today is go and get 1/2 inch pipe and extend the single return across the top with a double exit. Thanks for the idea. I want to keep the maxi 1200 for a better, faster, turn over but I dont like the hard direct single return flow.