How should I do my return?

[Flaring Afro]

I'm setting up a FOWLR 40 breeder tank that will have a beananimal setup on one end so that you can walk around and see the tank at both lengths. I have black acrylic that I'm going to have going all the way to the bottom of the tank as the overflow.

I'll have a decently tall rock formation that goes down the center of it and was thinking I should either drill 2 return holes mid-depth on each side of the acrylic to have the flow coming in on both sides of the rock or I could just have it on one side to possibly have the water end up flowing in a circle around the rock? I'm not sure if the water would really flow around the rock much or if it would just not have much flow at all on one side if I went with the 1 return.

The pump will be an aqueon 3000 which is rated at 450 gph at 3' overhead which is about what it will be. I bought 2 to have one as a backup so I could double the flow if people think I'd need it, but I didn't think I really did for a FOWLR setup.

Which way should I do it? Or should I go a different route? Thanks.

 

[pompeyjohn]

I think you should drill two holes and double the flow. The fish list you have in your signature is very interesting. How are the puffers getting along?

 

[Flaring Afro]

Do you think I should put one return on each side or both on one? Thanks

And they don't care about each other at all. Had the green spotted about a year before the valentini was added. The green was about 2" and the valentini was maybe 3/4" at the time. My green is a big wuss compared to a lot of them though.

 

[pompeyjohn]

I'd go for one on each side. Having both on one side you could go for a gyre type setup. One on each side should give you some mixed flow and turbidity. A lot depends on your rockscape.

Thanks for the puffer response. Which would you say is your favorite?

 

[Flaring Afro]

The green spotted is my favorite by far. Hard to beat in personality. He always comes up to the glass when people are around wiggling against and around it as he watches us. It's also kind of funny while upsetting when he gets upset and his belly turns gray. He'll do that when I'm cleaning the glass, etc.

Also, having both returns on one side might be too much flow in one area when I think about it. The 900gph blast might be a little too much for some fish, I guess.