The stronger the water movement for sps, the better?

[transformer999]

Can water movement in our tank ever match it in the nature sea?

Is it true the stronger the movement, the better for our sps?

Whats the exactly the rule of thumb of turn over for sps?

 

[hanas]

With stronger flow you'll develop thicker SPS branches and I've personally noticed better color and PE with strong, random flow. I run 2 MP 40w's on my 90g at 100% in Reef Crest mode.

I don't think there is a clear cut rule of thumb for turnover for SPS, you honestly have to play around with flow and SPS to find their best location for growth. This is the same for placement with lighting as well.

 

[naterealbig]

The term strength when talking about water movement is inaccurate. When considering flow in your aquarium, you have volumetric flow rate, and velocity. You want a high volumetric flow rate (gph) and a relatively low velocity. High velocity water contacting corals will strip the zooxanthellae off the coral, while too low of a velocity will not allow the coral enough opportunity for sufficient gas exchange or feeding.

Random flow is not necessary, however unidirectional flow will cause corals to grow asymmetrically, and appear "deformed". It just so happens that for the most part, random flow is a byproduct of the limited amount of powerheads and powerhead positions we can effect in our aquariums.

There is no rule of thumb, and the coined (and very misused) term "turnover" is completely arbitrary. It depends on which powerheads your using, their number, and their position. Do you currently have a tank set up? If so, what are you using for circulation? If not, which pumps do you have or are thinking about getting? If you are not sure, your tank dimensions, planned livestock, and budget are factors that can help the people here make recommendations for you.

 

[kenith]

High velocity water contacting corals will strip the zooxanthellae off the coral, while too low of a velocity will not allow the coral enough opportunity for sufficient gas exchange or feeding.

Does this mean that if I'm running 2 mp60's at full blast could be the reason the corals lack color? When they are stripping the zoox, I assume you don't mean any flesh is removed correct?

Don't mean to hijack....

 

[chessmanmark]

The term strength when talking about water movement is inaccurate. When considering flow in your aquarium, you have volumetric flow rate, and velocity. You want a high volumetric flow rate (gph) and a relatively low velocity. High velocity water contacting corals will strip the zooxanthellae off the coral, while too low of a velocity will not allow the coral enough opportunity for sufficient gas exchange or feeding.

Random flow is not necessary, however unidirectional flow will cause corals to grow asymmetrically, and appear "deformed". It just so happens that for the most part, random flow is a byproduct of the limited amount of powerheads and powerhead positions we can effect in our aquariums.

There is no rule of thumb, and the coined (and very misused) term "turnover" is completely arbitrary. It depends on which powerheads your using, their number, and their position. Do you currently have a tank set up? If so, what are you using for circulation? If not, which pumps do you have or are thinking about getting? If you are not sure, your tank dimensions, planned livestock, and budget are factors that can help the people here make recommendations for you.

Well put.

You don't want strong laminar flow from a power head that is too close and directly pointed at you corals. That's why Tunze and Vortec are the best choices. They produce wider flow and can be programmed to alternate the output strength.

Can water movement in our tank ever match it in the nature sea? No

Is it true the stronger the movement, the better for our sps? Depends on the coral. They are all different.

Whats the exactly the rule of thumb of turn over for sps? You're asking for a once-size-fits-all model.

 

[naterealbig]

Does this mean that if I'm running 2 mp60's at full blast could be the reason the corals lack color? When they are stripping the zoox, I assume you don't mean any flesh is removed correct?

Don't mean to hijack....

Kenith,

It really depends on the placment of the corals in relation to the pump. If the coral is sitting directly in front of the mp60 within about 6 or 7 inches of it, the coral may be damaged. By stripping the zoox, I do mean stripping the "flesh". If not, I would look for other problem sources. Here is my 150 with 3 MP60's on it, for reference.

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