Let's talk about Flow in our SPS tanks!

EleganceMan

EleganceMan

New member
I would like to start a discussion about flow in our SPS tanks. For years I have run my 210 with dominated Sps corals with very high flow. I have had fairly good success with it this way but I am starting to think it would be better to vary the types of water movement. I have just put a wavebox in my tank and turned down my two mp40's to less than half... They used to be full throttle and I wasn't getting good PE in the majority of the tank. Time will tell if my new changes help but so far I love the wavebox!
What does everyone else run and how's your Sps PE??
 
I've got a 70g tank that is 36" across and I run 2xmp40s at 100% reef crest. They are rarely on full tilt at the same time, but when they are, there is some real flow in the tank. That said, there is still some pretty low-flow areas in the tank, which is good IMO...not all corals seem to like an underwater hurricane. PE is pretty good in the tank, especially after lights out.
 
Apisto said:
I've got a 70g tank that is 36" across and I run 2xmp40s at 100% reef crest. They are rarely on full tilt at the same time, but when they are, there is some real flow in the tank. That said, there is still some pretty low-flow areas in the tank, which is good IMO...not all corals seem to like an underwater hurricane. PE is pretty good in the tank, especially after lights out.
Click to expand...

Do u use the nightime mode with your mp40's? And are they not sinked together?
 
I run two mp40s at 40% in my 55gal, reefcrest, no night mode, async mode. Same as above poster, good PE, fast flow at times and slower areas for some not so flow happy LPS (frog spawn, hammer, acan). Its fairly difficult to hit sps with too much flow, i just went and saw a 300gal with a large return 6-8 inches from a large millipora colony blasting it to all hell and the colony was super happy.
 
EleganceMan said:
Do u use the nightime mode with your mp40's? And are they not sinked together?
Click to expand...

They are not synced or anti-synced. I kind of like the random occilations of flow that happen without the pumps in coordination. I don't use night mode either. I am not convinced that there is any benefit, but that is just my opinion.
 
I currently have 6 Tunze 6200s on my 500g. I they are set on 'Interval 1" at 30 seconds and on three different controllers so each 'pair' operates independently of the other two. In combination with my returns and separate 'wavemaker' system, my flow is so random, it's probably mathematically impossible for the water to move in the exact same pattern twice, ever. Consequently, my corals grow in several different directions (a problem aesthetically with the tables) but they seem satisfied with the conditions I suppose.

As for PE, it seems generally fine to me though I've never been much of a PE=Happy Acro guy. I've seen them STN from the bottom up while maintaining great PE at the top.
 
I have two oded MJ 1200s with the large props that switch back and forth every 30 seconds, two unmoded 1200s that randomly switch off and on blowing across the back glass, and a Velocity T4 return coming in via Sea Swirl. There is LOTS of flow, and it's about as random as it can get, though there are a few places of lower flow where i have happy LPS. My PE usually looks like this :)

DSCF0368.jpg
 
I just switched mine up, I was running an MP10, and 2 modded 6055's shooting across the tank diagnolly. The mp10 was on reef crest mode. Flow was random but everything was pointed to one area.

I recently replaced one of the 6055 w/an MP40 that I now have going lenght wise across the tank 100% reef crest mode.. I haven't syn'd up the 2 Vortechs so it gets pretty random. I may move the mp40 a little higher up in the water column but am still deciding what to do.
 
i have a mp10 in NTM mode at 80% and a tunze 6055 on random low pulse in my biocube 29 with the return at ~300gph. great PE and growth
 
a mp10, a mp40, and a modded 6025.. vortechs on reef crest not sync'd both 100%. Just added the mp40 in place of a second modded 6025 decided to change the flow around and run it across the length of the tank before I had all 3 pumps off the back wall. I may end up with a second mp40 down the road and place the last 6025. I do like the wider flow and the randomization.
 
i have 2 mp40s on a 120g. i like the pulse mode making waves. every one of my sps colonies(even aussies) have their polyps fully extended with lights on. its a constant back and forth. i put one higher than the other so the water circulates very effectively.
 
Wow lots of dif. Ideas ... I do think that Sps do good in really high flow but I'm wondering if they would do better in high flow only for a short time period. Say maybe only a couple hours a day. I enjoy seeing PE more than not and most of the tanks I have seen in person don't have even close to as much flow as my tank with only two mp40's on the purple mode... Forget which that is again?
I used to have mine on each end pointing right at each other but when I moved I changed them to both on the back about eight inches below the braces on the top of my tank. I think I liked it better before because I had better even flow throughout the tank. Now I have a lot of dead spots mainly in the back of my rock. Hopefully my wavebox moving those areas is enough! I have pretty good waves going with just the one box ... About half an inch worth... Might be able to do better if I fine tune the thing!
 
4 powerheads opposing each other at slightly different angles above my sps and my tank is a cube. Some ppl might get worried if they saw how hard my flow was beating on my sps. heck I worry sometimes but I leave it on 24/7 and everything seems to do well
 
I have one mp40 and a mag24 hooked up to a swqd and they all seem to be quite happy. the mp40 is at 100% in short pulse mode. Oh and the tank is a 90 gallon
 
I have a MP40 on one end (180) set to reef crest 100%, the other end of the tank is a Tunze 6105 built into a diy wavebox, on a controller and goes into storm mode once an hour. Also have a dart closed loop that cycles off for 2 minutes every hour. Lots of random flow.
 
I have a standard 180 w/ 4 MP40s running long pulse full blast, 2 on each end, two sea swirls on the return of about 1000 gph, 3 tunze 6025s, 1 Tunze 6045 and 2 Tunze 6055s. All of the tunzes are across the back of the tank. All of the Tunzes are modded, so their flow is about 40% greater than stock. With the pulsing mp40s and the sea swirl, the flow in the tank is very chaotic.

I have very little polyp extension during the day, but I attribute this to my angels, 1 flame, 1 lemon peel, 1 regal (he is a model citizen though, no picking from him). The flame and lemon peel are occasional pickers.

Needless to say, bare bottom w/ this much flow.

Herb
 
EleganceMan said:
I would like to start a discussion about flow in our SPS tanks. For years I have run my 210 with dominated Sps corals with very high flow. I have had fairly good success with it this way but I am starting to think it would be better to vary the types of water movement. I have just put a wavebox in my tank and turned down my two mp40's to less than half... They used to be full throttle and I wasn't getting good PE in the majority of the tank. Time will tell if my new changes help but so far I love the wavebox!
What does everyone else run and how's your Sps PE??
Click to expand...

I run 2 MP40's and 2 wavy seas, great flow and great growth
 
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