How much total flow do you have in your tank?

[skinz78]

Until recently I have always thought that 40x turnover in a tank is sufficient as long as you have random flow. From what I have seen this isn't the case so I am wondering what everyone has for flow in their tanks. Please use the equation total GPH divided by display tank volume equal's x amount of turnover.

Also keep pumps in sumps other than the return out of the equation.

For example, I have this going on in my tank:

MP40 = 3,000 GPH
MP20 = 2,000 GPH
Sun Sun Koralia knock off = 800 GPH
Koralia 1050 = 1050 GPH
Rio 1700 = 642 GPH
Rio 2500 = 748 GPH

3,000 + 2,000 + 800 + 1050 + 642 + 748 = 8,240 total GPH divided by 120 gallons = 67.66 times per hour turnover for my tank. I realize it will be a bit lower for me because of head loss on the return pumps.

 

[Reefer831]

72 gallon bow front

2 mp40's

Mag 12 return

 

[slice]

47g column

2 MP10s 2x 1500=3000
1 accella* 1x 260=260
3200ish/38ish = 84x turnover

*skimmer/fuge pump

 

[Troylee]

2 mp60=15000gph
flowstar return pump 3200gph/200gal tank = 91% turn over...1smile1
if i counted my airstar on the atb skimmer i would be over 100%

 

[subielover]

40 breeder

2 MP20's running at 100 percent

100x turnover :)

 

[VegasRick]

2 6105s @ 3k ea
2 6100 @ 3k ea
2 6200 @ 6k alternating so 11k at any given time plus the return at 3k on a 500g so about 300x turnover

 

[btkrausen]

Return Mag 9.5 = 950GPH
MP20 - 2000GPH
MP20 - 2000GPH
MP10 - ~1000GPH

 

[Dave3112]

Lets see.........

2 MP40s=6000
2 MP10s=3000
3 Koralia EVO 750=2250
1 Mag 9.5=850 (minus head loss)
TOTAL 12100/GPH in my 220 is 55X turnover.

Sounds low but it is working for me............

 

[benny z]

rock layout has a lot to do with it, too. an open aquascape needs less flow than a heavily rocked scape, imo.

i send ~500gph through my return (it's a big external pump, but feeds several outputs)
2 x mp40 (opposing reef crest mode, so never full potential)
tunze wavebox

it's good, sufficient, random flow for my 200g open rockwork display, but none of this crazy 2,000,000x turnover business. ;)

 

[skinz78]

WOW, it looks like everyone has some serious flow going on and so far I am at the low end.

 

[m and m]

Two mp10's W es's and a ehiem pushing 1200GPH but i want to add a mp40 i dont feel like i have enough.

 

[Paul_N]

FWIW, I always viewed flow and turnover as two completely different things. You can have a system with low turnover and very high flow, vice versa. I view turnover as the number of times the total water volume goes through the filtration you have and back into the DT. IMO turnover is decided by one factor: The return pump (GPH minus head loss divided by system water volume). Flow is simply the gph of the ph's in the DT and also add in the flow from the return. Before I took my 75 gallon down I had a 600gph return pump that had 100gph head loss and my total system volume was 100gallons between DT and sump so I had 500/100 or 5X turnover. BUT I had (3) K3's (850gph ea) and also the flow from my return (500gph) so I had a total flow of 3050 gph.

 

[slice]

FWIW, I always viewed flow and turnover as two completely different things. You can have a system with low turnover and very high flow, vice versa.

I am a 'poster boy' for turnover vs flow. My tall tank with tall rock made it very difficult to get proper flow, even though I had fine turnover. At one point, I had a Koralia 1050, 1400 and a 650 going, a "squirt gun firing squad". PLENTY of turnover, bad flow issues. All I could do with positioning was move the dead spots from over here to over there.

It took the Vortechs to transform turnover into proper flow.

 

[Paul_N]

I am a 'poster boy' for turnover vs flow. My tall tank with tall rock made it very difficult to get proper flow, even though I had fine turnover. At one point, I had a Koralia 1050, 1400 and a 650 going, a "squirt gun firing squad". PLENTY of turnover, bad flow issues. All I could do with positioning was move the dead spots from over here to over there.

It took the Vortechs to transform turnover into proper flow.

Good point. I have my temp 135 gallon rubbermade set up now and I have very little flow in the tank but don't need it due to the way the tank is setup. I have the return 800gph pointing along the wall so it creates a gyre type flow. I have one K3 and one k2 in the tank that only run when the lights are out 75% of the time it is just the return pump for the flow in the tank.

 

[emureef]

90g Tank

2x Koralia Evolution 1400's
quiet one 4000 return about 700gph
so that leaves me at about 3500gph... i feel like i need a little more with how i have my aqua scaping set up

 

[toejam]

MP40 = 3,000 GPH
MP20 = 2,000 GPH

I dont think its fair to say this is 100% 24-7
Maybe cut that number in half?

I have in my 180 48x turnover and my special grade seafloor moves all over the place.
Thats with one mag 8 on one end and a reeflow dart pushing a sea swirl on the other end.
I cant see anyone with substrate having more than 50x turnover.

My 40 br I have a mag7 with no substrate 70x. The water wants to leave the tank at this point. The clown seems to enjoy it. Rides the waves throughout the tank.