What Would You Choose?

[Noddyfish]

I'm in the planning stages of a 96x24x30 300 gallon, mostly sps with a few lps reef tank. For flow I'm torn :headwalls:between going with 4 controllable powerheads or 4 sea swirls. What would you choose and why?


Thank You...Peter

 

[mcgyvr]

Unless you are talking about a closed loop setup and not putting those on your return pump outlets there is no choice to be made..
One is not a replacement for the other..

total flow through a tank and return pump flow are 2 different beasts..

The flow through the sump/return should be lower (typically recommended at 5-10x display tank volume) ..
Total flow in a tank (return + powerheads) should be 30-100x display size.. (higher for higher flowing corals like sps,etc..)

 

[Noddyfish]

The sea swirls would be on a closed loop. I just wondered what would be the best as far as water flow and general flow throughout the tank.

 

[tkeracer619]

It takes a lot to match modern day powerheads with a closed loop. I'd go with two mp60 powerheads.

 

[scar79]

My vote is both. Two 1" returns on sea swirls flanking your overflow (assuming a center overflow on a non-peninsula tank), and a gyre or MP-60 on each end.

just a thought.. has anybody tried using two DC controllable return pumps on anti-sync modes to create surges through each individual output without creating a surge down the overflow? Makes sense to me in theory, but in practice probably quite difficult to dial in, and probably nearly impossible if using a herbie or beananimal

 

[Noddyfish]

Hmmm great idea never thought of that

 

[Noddyfish]

Maybe put the returns on the sea swirls on the back of the tank like you said, then two RW-20 powerheads on each end:bounce2: