Too much flow?

[jpxp90]

Hello everyone!
I’m running a 50g lagoon style tank that will be only sps. I’m currently running 2 mp 40s each running around 1800 gph each. Is this too strong for sps? Just got my first set of them in there and they seem to be doing alright. Any input would be great!

here’s some photos for reference on where I put them in the tank and stuff:

 

[javisaman]

if fish can handle it so can the corals. The tank does look pretty new though. How old is it?

 

[jpxp90]

It’s been up since February, one of the pics is really old, didn’t have a more recent photo without blues

 

[Dburr1014]

Hello everyone!
I’m running a 50g lagoon style tank that will be only sps. I’m currently running 2 mp 40s each running around 1800 gph each. Is this too strong for sps? Just got my first set of them in there and they seem to be doing alright. Any input would be great!

here’s some photos for reference on where I put them in the tank and stuff:

Looks like they're on opposite corners. That's going to be basically a swirling pool.
SPS like random flow not flow that's going One Direction all the time.
IMO, can you put them in the middle facing each other or in the back corners of the tank facing each other? That will give you more random flow.

 

[ShepherdReefer]

We have an IM-50gallon tank, which started with one MP40 and one MP10. We removed the MP40 and keep the MP10...much better.

 

[Alexopora]

Looks like they're on opposite corners. That's going to be basically a swirling pool.
SPS like random flow not flow that's going One Direction all the time.
IMO, can you put them in the middle facing each other or in the back corners of the tank facing each other? That will give you more random flow.

Agreed on this, its random and chaotic flow that hits the coral from all side that we want.
@ OP

SPS such as acro, monti and porites to name a few can really handle extremely high flow and in fact requires it but do remember the size of your frag/colony also dictates how much flow u need. You really need to spend time observing your corals and tweaking if necessary. What you would like to see is your sps extending its polyps and not retracting its flesh. You wanna see their polyps dance around and not just get hit from one direction. If you are able to get it right, you might even get waves/flow that periodically tumbles onto the coral which really is what I find my sps love.

 

[jpxp90]

Agreed on this, its random and chaotic flow that hits the coral from all side that we want.
@ OP

SPS such as acro, monti and porites to name a few can really handle extremely high flow and in fact requires it but do remember the size of your frag/colony also dictates how much flow u need. You really need to spend time observing your corals and tweaking if necessary. What you would like to see is your sps extending its polyps and not retracting its flesh. You wanna see their polyps dance around and not just get hit from one direction. If you are able to get it right, you might even get waves/flow that periodically tumbles onto the coral which really is what I find my sps love.

Hey thanks for the info! I tried putting them closer together and they just shoot sand everywhere. Do you think having them on a setting where they go opposite from each other would do it? Like every 5 min one switches off and the other turns on? Appreciate it!

 

[Dburr1014]

Hey thanks for the info! I tried putting them closer together and they just shoot sand everywhere. Do you think having them on a setting where they go opposite from each other would do it? Like every 5 min one switches off and the other turns on? Appreciate it!

Yes, random.
Have one turn on/other off, both on the same time, reef crest,...
Point at each other so you don't create a swirl motion.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Without video and Under white lighting will be very hard to tell.
If corals are bent over ttheir base, indication its too strong

 

[Dburr1014]

Without video and Under white lighting will be very hard to tell.
If corals are bent over ttheir base, indication its too strong

Ummm, but they are sps in the picture.
I guess if in the picture the sps were bent over.... That would be too much flow. Lol

 

[Alexopora]

Hey thanks for the info! I tried putting them closer together and they just shoot sand everywhere. Do you think having them on a setting where they go opposite from each other would do it? Like every 5 min one switches off and the other turns on? Appreciate it!

this works as well. I have my Nero 5s programmed this way so its always a swaying back and forth flow with my sps.

 

[BCSreef]

Yes, random.
Have one turn on/other off, both on the same time, reef crest,...
Point at each other so you don't create a swirl motion.

Agree. In addition, have a few periods with both on to give you occasional random/chaotic flow. That way you get 3 very different flow patterns.

 

[jpxp90]

Awesome thanks everyone! I swapped up the positioning and put in the reef crest alternating I was worried about sand going everywhere but it’s doing great. Appreciate the help

 

[homer1475]

Chaotic flow is what were trying to achieve with SPS.

With that said, in my 90G cube I run 2 mp10's, 2 jebao pp8's, and 2 nero 3's. all fire off at different times and different intensities to create that random chaotic flow.

No such thing as too much flow in an SPS dominant tank, unless your peeling the skin off the coral.