Large tank flow

Steph14 · May 6, 2022

Hey guys, hy tank is giving me a masive headache(or im just totaly overthinking the subject) i have a fairly large tank(96×40×30h) that im hoping to transform into a sps dominated reef tank, the problem im having is getting flow to the centre of the tank without causing masive sand storms in the corners of the tank where the water returns to the wavemakers, i need some guidence on where to place my wavemakers and also flow modes, i have a mp60qd(another one on the way) 4xreefocto op4's and 2x7000gph gyre pumps with 2600gph return from my sump, i currently have the op's on the back wall and the mp60 on the side wall opposite the 2 gyres. Thanks

blaxsun · May 6, 2022

I have four gyres - two on the ends, two on the back on either side of the overflow. I have the same issue you do although I have managed to get a decent amount of flow in the center. You could always try the pair of gyres near the top on both sides and the MP60s lower down - also on both sides.

Steph14 · May 7, 2022

blaxsun said:
I have four gyres - two on the ends, two on the back on either side of the overflow. I have the same issue you do although I have managed to get a decent amount of flow in the center. You could always try the pair of gyres near the top on both sides and the MP60s lower down - also on both sides.

Thanks, i thought of doing just that, and then have the op4's in the bottom corners on both sides, just have to figure out how to have them pushing water without pulling up the sand bed, i switched the op4 off and saw a improvement in the centre flow, i think that having them om the back wall pushed the flow from the mp60 to the front glass and away from the rock structure

am3gross · May 8, 2022

What kind of sand do you have? If it is the finer stuff, good luck with that. If you have some of the bigger stuff it will be a bit easier. I have the bigger stuff, crushed coral almost. I have 3 MP603 and a MP40. I have 2 on each end. Plus the returns of course, that is pointed more towards the center.

AlexG · May 8, 2022

I would recommend the gyres on the short end of the tank towards the top and put them next to each other in 100% random flow. I would also send water from the return in the same direction the gyres are pointed to accelerate the flow to get a gyre flow through the entire tank. The rest of your op4s and MP60s I would angle from the front to back in the tank or if you have specific areas you need to cover flow for colonies. As for the sand concerns its hard to control with sps level flow but I have had some success mixing large grain sands with small grain sands. Sand will still have shifting over time though with lots of flow which might need to be moved around from time to time.