(for an article) Tank Turnover

Seawitch

Water, water everywhere,
View Badges
Joined
Nov 3, 2018
Messages
1,740
Reaction score
4,421
Location
Vancouver Island
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
For the purposes of an upcoming article, I'd like some input from forum members:

1) what's your tank turnover (how much water goes out and comes back in per hour + how much is just moving around or circulating but not necessarily going out and in = total turnover)?

2) what's your size of display tank?

3) what have you got in the display tank that led you to decide on this particular turnover rate?

4) photos would be nice too....;)

5) are your tank inhabitants doing well with this rate?

Thanks!!
 

MnFish1

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 28, 2016
Messages
22,559
Reaction score
21,786
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
1) what's your tank turnover (how much water goes out and comes back in per hour + how much is just moving around or circulating but not necessarily going out and in = total turnover)?

2) what's your size of display tank?

3) what have you got in the display tank that led you to decide on this particular turnover rate?

4) photos would be nice too....;)

5) are your tank inhabitants doing well with this rate?

1. No idea actually but there is a lot of flow (mostly from a large Gyre)
2. 100 gallons
3. I don't pay attention to 'the flow rate' of the return pump. I like the high flow rate from the Gyre - and the variability. If you've ever been snorkeling/diving, the flow is often far higher than in our tanks.
4. See the signature:)
5. Yes seemingly.
 

blackizzz

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 5, 2010
Messages
405
Reaction score
850
Location
Sweden
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
1. Sump -> Tank flow: around 3000l/h. In tank flow: around 10000l/h when at highest, ramps up and down throughout the day. Total turnover = 13000l/h / 3400g/h
2. display tank volume 35-ish gallons
3. Keep SPS, try to keep as "high flow" as I possibly can without having a sandstorm / fish plastered to the tank walls :p
4. Pictures are in my thread ;)
5. Yes, fish doesn't seem to mind the high flow, corals seem to "love it" (based on PE and general health). A fairly young tank though, so time will tell :D
 

maroun.c

Moderator
View Badges
Joined
Feb 13, 2011
Messages
4,111
Reaction score
6,387
Location
Lebanon
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
1- Return pump is a 5500 gph gallon hayward pump, effective flow after head loss is around 3250 Gph split over 2 lines with seaswirl to make flow redundant. In tank flow is 2 gyres rated at around 5750 gph each but running at 50 percent. And 2 MP60s rated at 7500gph running at 80%

2- tank is 400G

3-SPS dominated mixed reef. Added flow helped with detritus settling, algae buildup and in overall tank health.

4-build thread :)

5- Yes
 

Billldg

My Gem Tang Is Watching You
View Badges
Joined
May 14, 2018
Messages
17,478
Reaction score
121,885
Location
Georgia
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
1. Sicce 5.0 turnover roughly 700 gal an hour split thru 2 supplys, if I turn it up any higher my drains get to loud. I have 3 Innovative Marine DC power heads at 100 percent turning over between 6000 and 3000 gph. I do plan on adding a gyre 350 and removing 1 IM power head, for a max of almost 10000 gph turnover in the near future

2. 120 gal DT

3. I turned up the power heads because I am converting tank to a mixed reef tank with main emphasis on sps.

4. Build thread, lol!:)

5. Yes
 
Last edited:

Daniel@R2R

Living the Reef Life
View Badges
Joined
Nov 18, 2012
Messages
37,363
Reaction score
63,251
Location
Fontana, California
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Are you asking about overall flow or just return pump turnover?

1) In-tank is a Ecotech MP40 running at random flow up to 3200 gph. My return is about 400 GPH
2) 50g cube
3) Supposed to be SPS dominant...right now it's fish and aiptasia dominant. LOL
5) All my fish and aiptasia are happy. :D
 

Jay Z

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 16, 2019
Messages
1,339
Reaction score
2,422
Location
Saint Clair Shores, MI
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
325-350 on my return
3 mp 10's 2 set at 55% in multiple modes through the day, 3rd set at 30% of main (behind rocks to keep back of tank clear)
Per vortechs specs (if accurate), up to 1900 gal a hour, per how the 3 are setup now.
Total max flow 2250, 3600 for clean up cycle 7 minutes.

45 gal, 39 actual

Tried to get the most flow without disturbing the tank or inhabitants.
Mixed reef
 
OP
OP
Seawitch

Seawitch

Water, water everywhere,
View Badges
Joined
Nov 3, 2018
Messages
1,740
Reaction score
4,421
Location
Vancouver Island
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Are you asking about overall flow or just return pump turnover?

1) In-tank is a Ecotech MP40 running at random flow up to 3200 gph. My return is about 400 GPH
2) 50g cube
3) Supposed to be SPS dominant...right now it's fish and aiptasia dominant. LOL
5) All my fish and aiptasia are happy. :D


Both. Because tank turnover means different things to different people. In my first post I said "how much water goes out and comes back in per hour + how much is just moving around or circulating but not necessarily going out and in = total turnover". Some people have no sump, so the number is strictly water moving around inside the aquarium.

P.S. As long as your aiptasia are happy, then I'm happy.
 

Mortie31

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 5, 2016
Messages
1,789
Reaction score
3,004
Location
Uttoxeter. England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
1) what's your tank turnover (how much water goes out and comes back in per hour + how much is just moving around or circulating but not necessarily going out and in = total turnover)? 4000L return pumps + 30000 - 70000L/h tank circulation

2) what's your size of display tank? 750L

3) what have you got in the display tank that led you to decide on this particular turnover rate? SPS

4) photos would be nice too....;)

5) are your tank inhabitants doing well with this rate? Yes
 

Rybren

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 13, 2011
Messages
1,492
Reaction score
1,895
Location
Ottawa, ON
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
1. Return pump is rated at 1500gph, but I have no idea how much is making it to the DT.
In tank circulation is provided by a 3000gph-ish gyre running between 10 and 50%, an MP40 on Reef Crest mode, and a Chinese DC-powered 3500gph wavemaker running at a max of 50%
2. DT is a 4' 120G
3. Dana Riddle says that you can almost never have too much flow :)
4. No photos
5. Everything seems to be thriving and loving it.
 

ca1ore

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 28, 2014
Messages
13,803
Reaction score
19,657
Location
Stamford, CT
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Water passing through the tank overflow and through the sump is nominally 1,600 gallons per hour on a tank that holds 400 gallons (before displacement by rock, sand, etc). So about 4x. I’ve never been a massive flow-through-sump guy. Just seems like a good way to waste electricity, and I’ve never read a cogent argument for more. You want enough flow to maintain even temperature between display and sump and to affect proper surface skimming. Some will offer up the logic gem that it’s important to match turnover with skimmer processing - how that makes any kind of sense escapes me. My tank thrives at 4x.

Internal display flow/surge is completely different. It can be easily accomplished with a wide array of highly efficient DC pumps. I’ve yet to reach the point where I’d judge my tank to have too much internal flow. No doubt that point CAN be reached; I just haven’t yet. In said 400 gallons I run four vortech MP60, one MP40, two ReefBreeders RP-M and an educated closed loop. Spitballing, somewhere in the 20 - 25,000 gallons per hour; so 50-60x.

The only challenge with this much flow,is keeping the sand in place. I figure what works for beaches will work for me.
 
Last edited:

Pntbll687

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 4, 2017
Messages
2,076
Reaction score
2,587
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm on the low end for turnover
2400gph provided by 2-mag12 return pumps. With head loss probably around 2000gph.

190g display tank. Works out to about 10x per hour. I have a deeper sand bed, and I'm sure it's packed with some detritus, but I can't get nitrates to test above 5ppm using multiple test kits. The tank gets feed frozen twice a day, and pellets three times a day, plus some extra flakes when my 2yr old son wants to feed the fish.

I have a softy and lps tank. I started with a 6in toad stool in June and now it measures 14in across. It can't even open all the way because it is blocked by some rocks

IMG_20190311_154555.jpg
 

WVNed

The fish are staring at me with hungry eyes.
View Badges
Joined
Apr 11, 2018
Messages
10,206
Reaction score
43,615
Location
Hurricane, WV
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a 75 gallon tank, 500gph goes through the sump
I have 2 gyre pumps that run at 30, 40 or 50% depending on the time of day,

I did some math and that works out to 15x at the lowest.
22x at the highest

It's the motion of the ocean that matters.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Seawitch

Seawitch

Water, water everywhere,
View Badges
Joined
Nov 3, 2018
Messages
1,740
Reaction score
4,421
Location
Vancouver Island
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Anyone else want to chime in. Great feedback and numbers so far. Working on this article RIGHT NOW.
 

Rybren

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 13, 2011
Messages
1,492
Reaction score
1,895
Location
Ottawa, ON
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
1. Return pump is rated at 1500gph, but I have no idea how much is making it to the DT.
In tank circulation is provided by a 3000gph-ish gyre running between 10 and 50%, an MP40 on Reef Crest mode, and a Chinese DC-powered 3500gph wavemaker running at a max of 50%
2. DT is a 4' 120G
3. Dana Riddle says that you can almost never have too much flow :)
4. No photos
5. Everything seems to be thriving and loving it.

Here's the tank...

FTS 15 Mar 19.jpeg
 

fabutahoun

Angels and Acros
View Badges
Joined
Sep 18, 2015
Messages
2,701
Reaction score
14,584
Location
Amman Jordan
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
1) what's your tank turnover (how much water goes out and comes back in per hour + how much is just moving around or circulating but not necessarily going out and in = total turnover)?
From Return 3000 gph, around 10 - 11 X of display size goes to display and the rest in redirected to feed different reactors. There are 2 Apex Wav 2 X 4000 gph and 1 Gyre XF250 at 5300
So total GPH (2000 from return + 13000 from wave makers ) = 15000 gph

2) what's your size of display tank?
180 Gallon

3) what have you got in the display tank that led you to decide on this particular turnover rate?
SPS corals

4) photos would be nice too....;)
47279365481_4b68666c0d_k.jpg

46551749584_52452a74cc_k.jpg

33399303858_2a15529fc9_k.jpg

47222950082_42d6c3df7d_k.jpg

32313911987_83383a10c6_k.jpg

45162556344_5a5ed80da1_k.jpg

32015599478_aae27e0705_k.jpg




5) are your tank inhabitants doing well with this rate?
All is doing great, I may need to add another wave maker soon as corals grow.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 73 37.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 66 34.2%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 13.0%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 14.5%
  • Other.

    Votes: 1 0.5%
Back
Top