Turnover rate for 300+180 g. SPS tank

[pdmckinn78]

Hi, I have a 400 gal. SPS tank with 4 Koralia 8 Magnums and 1 Koralia 550 Evolution (aimed through the back of the rock work to keep detritus from settling there) and a turnover rate of about 5,000 gph from sump to tank.

I've recently been told that I'm pushing to much water through the system. I've always gone by the 10x per hour turnover "rule." but with all the Koralia powerheads in there circulating the water, I've been advised to slow the turnover rate to 3 or 4x per hour so that the total circulation in the tank is closer to 10x per hour.

Any thought? Is this reasonable, or should I ignore this advice?

Thanks,
Doug

300 g. SPS with 180 g. sump with chaetomorpha.

 

[ridetheducati]

5,000 gph through the sump is excessive. How big are your bulkheads? To handle 5,000 gph, you must have at least 3-4 bulkheads at 2" diameter.


When we talk about circulation, we are talking about two types, 1) internal flow and 2) tank turnover. For internal flow, 20+ times the internal flow is sufficient, while tank turnover allows enough contact time for the skimmer to work optimally.

For example, if your skimmer pump pushes 600 gph, use a return pump that provides 600-800 gph. A 300 gallon SPS dominated tank will do fine with 12,000 gph (powerhead driven).

My 180 SPS system has 6,200 gph (2x Tunze 6100) with a Eheim 1262 return pump (600 -700 gph).

 

[CHSUB]

10x total flow (sump and powerheads) is not nearly enough; ignore advice!!!

5000 gallon throught sump is a bit much, but imo ok...i run ~ 3000 gph sump and ~ 11000 gph powerheads, 281 gallon dt 80 gallon split sump...

 

[Dog boy Dave]

If the flesh is staying on your corals you cant have too much flow....

 

[HHIreefer843]

Yeah 10x is way to low especially in a SPS tank. I run like 5700 gph in a 90 gallon, which is right around 63x turnover...

 

[pdmckinn78]

Hi guys. Thanks for the advice. I think I will slow down the flow through the sump so the chaetomorpha can do it's job better. I'll make up the difference in flow, plus some, with a new closed loop system.

Wow, i cant imagine an internal flow rate of 65x/hr! Do you have any fish? I have a few fish in the tank--1 maroon clown, a hawkfish (flaco), 2 well-behaved and closely watched dwarf angels, a royal grama, a Springer's Dottyback, and a small ten-year old yellow damsel (from a very different era!)--so I don't want to blast them out of the tank.*

What do you think is a good total flow rate? With the five Koralias in there now, I have an approx. flow of (4x3,250+425) = 13,425 gph. *If I cut the sump flow back to 1,500 gph and add a closed loop system with another 3,000, that would give me a total of nearly 18,000 gph. Reasonable?*

 

[REEF SMAC]

18,000 for your 300g is about 60 times with my math.
Totally reasonable for an SPS tank IMHO.

I've been running 15 times through my sump and over 100 times total turnover in my DT for years now.
SPS seem to be doing just fine.
In fact, I seem to have had better results the more I've turned it up over the years.
I'm planning to turn it up some more here pretty soon.

You can get away with lower flow rates when your corals are frags and small colonies but as they grow in and start blocking your flow I've found that I have better results by turning it up.

I agree with Dog boy Dave.

If the flesh is hanging on, your flow is just fine IME.

 

[lancepender]

18,000 for your 300g is about 60 times with my math.
Totally reasonable for an SPS tank IMHO.

I've been running 15 times through my sump and over 100 times total turnover in my DT for years now.
SPS seem to be doing just fine.
In fact, I seem to have had better results the more I've turned it up over the years.
I'm planning to turn it up some more here pretty soon.

You can get away with lower flow rates when your corals are frags and small colonies but as they grow in and start blocking your flow I've found that I have better results by turning it up.

I agree with Dog boy Dave.

If the flesh is hanging on, your flow is just fine IME.

+1 :thumbup:

Thanks,
Lance Pender
Get Pumped Saltwater
Sent via Tapatalk

 

[toothman]

I have a 400 gallon sps tank and have a 5,200 gallon hammerhead on return, I choked it down it is most likely about 4000 gph. In the tank I have 2 dart pumps for closed loop. I would like a bit more flow I had a nice tunze I think 6000 gph on also and it seemed to be a good amount. A lot depends on your rock work and size of your coral.