Low Flow!!

[Sixxtrigger]

Hey Guys!!

I just wanted to get your opinion about the water circulation of my tank. I have been in this hobby for little over a year now and have gone through a few changes with my setup. I started with a 55 gal. and just recently moved to a 90 gal FOWLR. When I first set up my 55, I bought 3 400 maxi-jets and a 350 HOB filter. When I transferred to my 90, I added a sump which carries an extra 10 gal. with a 700 gph pump. My 350 filter no longer works but I feel that my sump serves the same purpose. However, I'm lacking that extra flow that I was getting from the 350. Also, I'm realizing that the 400's are inadequate for this tank as well. So, to get to my question.

I want to keep corals someday so what type of circulation would you add to this 90 gal? Would you remove the 400's and go with something stronger? Are the Tunze's worth the money?

thanks for you help
Kerry

[Clay12340]

If you arn't experiencing problems with dead spots in the tank, then I would decide what kind of corals you want to keep first. If you plan on corals that don't like a strong flow you might already have adequate circulation. If you want something that needs really high flow, then you'll need to add a lot of circulation.

[FireEater]

The Tunze's do cost some big bucks. There are some high powered PH's on the market now that put out great flow.

I have 2 Seio 1500's, one on each end of my tank and they do great. I have LOTS of flow all over the tank with no dead spots. The price of 55 dollars a piece is good also. The only drawback is I cannot hook up a decent wave maker to them. Even the one that Seio makes does not alternate between the PH's.

I have also heard great things about the Koralia's. Lots of folks on the Marsh Board are going to them.

These are two great options for a reefer who just cannot justify spending the kind of money they ask for Tunze's.

[leebca]

Kerry,

Thanks for posting!

If your intention is to go very soon to a reef, then you want your tank to have a flow that is equivalent to about 1800+ gallons per hour. But before you launch into the equipment needed for this, you need to decide how serious you are about going to the reef AND when that will likely happen.

I mean, if you won't be doing a reef system for another two or more years, set the aquarium up for FOWLR and that will require the flow equivalent to about 800+ gallons per hour.

The difference in cost of equipment AND cost of operation doesn't warrant, IMO, scaling up at this point in time unless you'll be doing a reef tank well before the end of 2008.

Once the decision is made, choose from above the target flow. But there are some things you need to adjust for. For instance, you have 700gph system pump, but it is not circulating water at that rate, I would bet. You have plumping? You have elbows? You have resistance? You need to either measure or calculate the real flow from that pump.

The pump manufacturer usually provides a chart on flow compared to resistance pressure (in feet). For every 10 feet of plumbing, you have 1 foot of resistance to the pump flow. For every elbow, you have 1 foot of resistance to the pump flow. For every foot up from the pump level the water has to rise, there is 1 foot of back pressure. If the plumbing diameter is smaller than the intake and/or outlet size of the pump, you will have more resistance. Now you can get the 'real' flow rate from that pump from the above mentioned pump manufacturer's chart.

To determine the flow in the aquarium, add up all the real flow rates: inside power heads/circulating pump flow rates + system pump flow rate. If the total doesn't meet or exceed the target flow, you are short.

One of the attractive features of the Tunze circulating pumps is their low heat generation and low cost to operate. Such pumps should have been available to the hobby a couple of decades ago! The major downside is their initial cost. Are they worth it? Yes, if your system overheats frequently, if your electricity is 'expensive,' and you don't like having to worry about pump malfunction or maintenance. Their performance so far in the field has proven them to be very reliable and long lasting.

Usually, the less expensive the equipment the more maintenance it will require. If you are a DIY kind of person, you can use less expensive equipment that will require more care and attention. I don't come out and recommend any equipment per se but will share what I know about any particular brand. If you have your sights on a particular brand or piece of equipment, search Reefland to see if others have commented on it. If not, post in the Tanks, Filtration, & Basic Equipment Forum for others to comment.

I hope this helps. Ask if you have questions or need anything further.

[Sixxtrigger]

Thanks to everyone for your help. I'll probably keep a close eye on everything and stay put for the time being. I'll take a closer look at the Seio's and the Koralia's before I start adding corals.

K