Water flow - how much is really needed?

[Freddy Twotimes]

I have a 55 gallon tank 48x13x20. Currently I am using two maxijet 1200 powerheads for water flow located on the back glass aiming into the center of the tank.

Aside from the intake PH on the protien skimmer and the intake on the Whisper filter I use as a makeshift sump for carbon and Phosphate remover.

I seem to get plenty of flow mid-tank and up top but the front corners and the back, behind the rock really has no flow at all. I get detritus build up on the LR after a year or so but am not sure if what I am describing is normal in a tank? I try to wave my hand back and forth over the rock now and again to kick up the detritus and sand so the skimmer can get it, or before sucking the water out during a water change but it always seems to settle.

I get confused in regards to how much flow is needed and whats too much. The mushrooms at the bottom of the tank don't like a lot of flow so...is it ok or normal to have some detritus on the rock after a year of a new setup? is it normal for tanks to not have every inch in the tank stirring with water flow? I have always been curious about that.

I have maintained a successful Soft coral reef with a lesser set up than I have now but considering that this is a hobby I could always improve...and I would like to try some LPS corals with my new setup. Can anyone comment?

[Poseidon]

I would say more flow is needed. In my tank, I have a Tunze 6060, which is about 1400 GPH, a MJ 1200 for my CPR overflow, and then I have my return. My return has a 1" Penductor on it, and it moves a LOT of water. I would guess my penductor moves somewhere in the neighborhood of 1000 GPH maybe more, but I can't measure it. So all told I am pretty close to 3000 GPH total, I keep mainly SPS, but I do have a few Rics and Candy Cane, they both seem to like it in there.

I think people under estimate the importance of good water movement, in my opinion it is right up there equal to lighting. If you have great lights and no flow you won't be successful, same if you have Tons of flow and poor lights. ;)

[oktober7609]

Freddie:

I guess I could tell you this in a pm, but:

Almost all of the reading I did before setting up my tank showed that somewhere between turning the whole of the tank's volume over around 10 to 15 times an hour is what is required- however that seems to be an old belief nowadays- kind of like using a canister filter instead of a skimmer...

All of the beautiful "show" tanks I've seen are pushing more like 40 times an hour turnover- some more...

My tank right now is turning over it's volume about 30 times per hour, and I am going to add 2 1800gph powerheads to the main tank for motion soon...

I agree with the last post that motion and lighting both need to be much higher than typically thought to have a thriving reef- however, I also believe that the animals will let you know if you're doing something wrong, or to a lesser degree than they desire...

See you later,

oktober7609

[rayjay]

WATER FLOW MAY BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN LIGHT

[Freddy Twotimes]

Wow

[WillieM96]

At what point are you just blasting the fish around beyond their capabilities? I put in a power head in my nano cube once and my poor royal gramma was pasted against the back wall of the tank. Took it out and he appeared to be a lot happier.

[oktober7609]

At what point are you just blasting the fish around beyond their capabilities? I put in a power head in my nano cube once and my poor royal gramma was pasted against the back wall of the tank. Took it out and he appeared to be a lot happier.

I guess you have to ask yourself if you are trying to build a "fish" tank or a "reef" tank, and plan accordingly.

Not everything will work in all systems- fish that cannot handle strong/ alternating currents probably shoud not be kept in systems that have corals that demand high water flow...

Another point is how much movement to volume. A nano requires a lot less power to move a "good" amount of water around as compared to a 250g show tank with many nook'n'krannies through the rockwork.

We all know not everything works the same way for every tank, and that there really is no "right" or "wrong" amoung the accepted methods of reef keeping, but:

It has been proven in application that higher water flows, alternating currents, and intense lighting all help a captive system mimic a real reef enviroment... now the question is what do you want to keep, and what level of care do those animals require of you and your system design...

I have a friend (freddy twotimes) who isn't looking to keep hard stonies, my tank on the other hand- will have multiples of these when the time is right, so my tank requires different condtions than his...

More flow is better than less as a default answer, but keep in mind your system and the animals who will call it home....

-oktober7609