Flow and Placement in a 5fter

[JoshMack]

Hi all!

My tank has had a rough start with a leaky pipe due to a broken fitting, but we are on our way to a cycle.

In the meantime, I'm trying to work out my flow that I need.

Return pump is set to about 3000lph, and I have two tunze nanostream 6095's plus a random powerhead (no idea what it is).

Now, the question is - how much more do I need? I'm thinking of putting two MP40 QD into the tank on the back wall to hide the cables and then running my two tunze across the tank to create a strong flow. Is this overkill? Eventually the tank will have SPS, but consider me a beginner for this one.

Are the MP40s enough on their own for a 150g tank?

Thanks in advance and happy reefing

 

[Ron Reefman]

If you are heading toward having an sps tank, you'll want to turn over the 150g tank at least 30 times and hour and 50 times isn't out of the question... some reefers turn sps tanks even more than that, up to 80 times. And having the flow as random as possible is, IMHO, very important. So more pumps at lower flow rates is better than 1 or 2 big pumps with high flow (even if they are wavemakers).

Take the flow from the return pump (about 750gph), add in the 2 tunze pumps and guess at the flow of the extra pump. Where are you at? Turning the tank 50 time per hour is 7500gph total. It sounds like a lot, but it's really not. Two MP40QD pumps make 9000gph at full capacity, so you can run them at less than full power.

 

[JoshMack]

Thanks for such a good reply!

So if I run the two tunze at 1500gallons per hour, return pump at 750 I'll have nearly 4000. I've also got a coralbox qp9 (this is the unknown pump) which is rated the same as the tunze. So running them all around half would give me 5000gph.

So then adding either 2 MP40's or 2 nero 5's would be perfect for SPS, assuming they all run around 50%.

Owned
- Return pump: 750
- Tunze x2: MAX 5000 gph combined
- coralbox QP9: 2500 gph

Adding:
- MP40QD: MAX 9000 gph combined
or
- Nero 5: 6000 gph combined

Placement wise, would you put 2 on the back wall and 2 on the sides? At different heights? This is my aquascape for reference.

If you are heading toward having an sps tank, you'll want to turn over the 150g tank at least 30 times and hour and 50 times isn't out of the question... some reefers turn sps tanks even more than that, up to 80 times. And having the flow as random as possible is, IMHO, very important. So more pumps at lower flow rates is better than 1 or 2 big pumps with high flow (even if they are wavemakers).

Take the flow from the return pump (about 750gph), add in the 2 tunze pumps and guess at the flow of the extra pump. Where are you at? Turning the tank 50 time per hour is 7500gph total. It sounds like a lot, but it's really not. Two MP40QD pumps make 9000gph at full capacity, so you can run them at less than full power.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I think you are very much on the right track. And the rockscape looks very cool.

It's just me, but I'd do 2 high on the sides near the back of the tank looking out at a 45 degree angle toward the front. The 2 in the back I'd kind of try to hide low and behind the rockscape and aim them between 30 and 45 degrees up. It would be great if the back 2 create enough flow that they make the water surface disturbed. Any motion at the water surface is the very best way to get gas exchange (oxygen into the water and C02 out of the water).

 

[JoshMack]

I think you are very much on the right track. And the rockscape looks very cool.

It's just me, but I'd do 2 high on the sides near the back of the tank looking out at a 45 degree angle toward the front. The 2 in the back I'd kind of try to hide low and behind the rockscape and aim them between 30 and 45 degrees up. It would be great if the back 2 create enough flow that they make the water surface disturbed. Any motion at the water surface is the very best way to get gas exchange (oxygen into the water and C02 out of the water).

I like that idea! I probably have enough rock to make something come. I'd thought the only thing that was missing was a bit of depth with the rock work.

Interestingly, my powerhead is aimed in the wrong spot and cleared the sand from exactly where you suggest putting the rocks. Cooincidence?

I'm nearly thinking of 2 Maxspect Gyres back to front then the 2 nano streams disturbing the surface across the sides.

 

[Billldg]

I have a 120 gal tank and just replaced 2 of my pumps with a mp40 and a mp10. I will also install a gyre 350. So at max I could turn the tank over roughly 90 or so times. I plan on turning the tank over roughly 40 times which means that I can turn the pumps down and give them a break. Plus, ecotechs on reef crest means they aren't a constant gph, so you have to take that into account in your turnover and make a rough guess.

 

[Jon Fishman]

I run 5 MP40’s on my 140G and as long as I don’t directly blast anything, I can run them at 100% reefcrest for a mixed tank

 

[JoshMack]

I run 5 MP40’s on my 140G and as long as I don’t directly blast anything, I can run them at 100% reefcrest for a mixed tank

That's a lot of flow at 100%!

Okay, so don't be conservative haha.

 

[Jon Fishman]

That's a lot of flow at 100%!

Okay, so don't be conservative haha.

They are all on the back glass too...... although I have kicked the idea around of putting them on the sides

 

[JoshMack]

Soooo ended up with 2 Nero 5's.

Placed them on the back glass - Can honestly barely see it! The flow is amazing though.

I'm now considering removing my two Tunze Nanostream 6095's and replacing it with another two nero 5's. The app is just that good in terms of programming, timing, random mode, syncing etc that I don't see the point of running two different brands.

Plus, the slim line profile will look a lot better on the sides of the tank than the long pump faces of the tunze!