Proper flow GPH with a wavemaker

[DaddyMav]

I've been wanting to add a wavemaker to my tank for a while now. I guess I should have done some more research about all the components but I bought myself a Red Sea Wavemaster Pro a little prematurely. That's when I started researching the pumps that I would need and found out about controllable circulation pumps. I'm about to make the plunge and buy a couple of Koralia Evos but I'm not quite sure how big I should go.

I'm running mostly soft coral right now with a couple of BTA nems. I've heard that I want to aim for turnover in the range of 15-30x per hour. I know that I don't need to be at the high end of the scale for softies but I'd still like to get around 20-25x turnover per hour.

Right now my tank is a 55 gallon and I have my return pump (~250gph) a koralia 2 or 3 (750-1050gph) and an aqueon 500 (500gph). So I'm getting somewhere between 1500-1700gph full time right now. If I'm switching over to Koralia Evos to run on a wave maker, should I still consider the max GPH of the pumps or should I divide this since they won't be on all of the time?

Should I be looking at the 2 750gph pumps or 2 1050gph?

 

[needmore-reef]

Its all about trial and error...

your soft corals would look really nice with alternating current. I would keep a few circulation/powerheads running in conjuction with the two on a wave maker.

IMHO I would go with the larger pumps, but the smaller ones would work well too with soft corals.

 

[DaddyMav]

Alright, bit the bullet and went with the 1050s.

They were rated on the Hydor website for 45 to 70 gallon aquariums. I think I'll be great with these and I have a couple of MJs to supplement if needed.

 

[briankmarsh1980]

The evos won't do well on a controller just an FYI
and that isn't much flow for a 55

 

[DaddyMav]

2 1050s and a 300gph return pump on a 55 gallon isn't much flow?

really?

What sort of flow should I be looking for? By my calculations, that comes out to 43x turn over per hour.

That is immense for a 55 gallon as opposed to the recommended 15x-30x per hour.

 

[briankmarsh1980]

I had A 60 with 2 1050's and 1 1400 and it was not that much flow. plus the evos kinda suck they don't do well if they stop........ they go in reverse or just stop you are lucky if they run right. they are ok if they run constant great cheap pumps and they move a good amount of water.
if you are interested I will sell each evo I have for 10 bucks each if you want more.

 

[briankmarsh1980]

And I had a sicce 3.0 return

 

[DaddyMav]

Where were you yesterday? I would have picked up all your evos from you to try them out. Now I just dropped $80 on new ones instead.