how strong is strong?

stevercleeze · 02/04/2011, 11:26 AM

in regards to " strong" water flow, what exactly does this mean? i just purchased my first acropora and im a little confused on how much flow is really necessary to make it happy. do i want to see those little polyps getting blown all over the place as if they are struggling to hold on? am i looking for them to slightly wiggle proving that there is some kind of flow? i have got the lighting for sure, 2 250 mh, 4 pc actinics, so i have got that covered. and also is there any particular suggestion on where to place my 2 power heads and sump head in my 75 gal to ensure best flow around tank?

thump9 · 02/04/2011, 11:32 AM

Enough water movement to discourage slime adherance. Water movement is necessary to extract and discard of wastes expelled from coral heads. If you can see those polyps "blowin in the wind current" chances are thats good movement. But the more random the current the better. If theres mono-directional current the coral (esp SPS) will grow in a manner which depicts the current flow.....we dont want that.

thegrun · 02/04/2011, 11:32 AM

40 x 75= 3000gph total flow would be good. You could find individual areas within the tank close to the returns that will work with less total flow, but if you eventually want a SPS dominated tank, 40 times the total volume works well.

Toddrtrex · 02/04/2011, 01:48 PM

You also have to take into account the type of flow. 500 gallons per hour from a nozzle is a lot different then 500 GPH from a wide flow pump (( Vortex, Tunze, etc )) -- the wider flow may seem less, but won't have to worry about it being too narrow and irritating the corals.

02/04/2011, 11:26 AM	#1
stevercleeze Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: chicago Posts: 66	how strong is strong? in regards to " strong" water flow, what exactly does this mean? i just purchased my first acropora and im a little confused on how much flow is really necessary to make it happy. do i want to see those little polyps getting blown all over the place as if they are struggling to hold on? am i looking for them to slightly wiggle proving that there is some kind of flow? i have got the lighting for sure, 2 250 mh, 4 pc actinics, so i have got that covered. and also is there any particular suggestion on where to place my 2 power heads and sump head in my 75 gal to ensure best flow around tank?

02/04/2011, 01:48 PM	#4
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	You also have to take into account the type of flow. 500 gallons per hour from a nozzle is a lot different then 500 GPH from a wide flow pump (( Vortex, Tunze, etc )) -- the wider flow may seem less, but won't have to worry about it being too narrow and irritating the corals. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

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02/04/2011, 11:32 AM	#2
thump9 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 55	Enough water movement to discourage slime adherance. Water movement is necessary to extract and discard of wastes expelled from coral heads. If you can see those polyps "blowin in the wind current" chances are thats good movement. But the more random the current the better. If theres mono-directional current the coral (esp SPS) will grow in a manner which depicts the current flow.....we dont want that.

02/04/2011, 11:32 AM	#3
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	40 x 75= 3000gph total flow would be good. You could find individual areas within the tank close to the returns that will work with less total flow, but if you eventually want a SPS dominated tank, 40 times the total volume works well.