Water circulation and turnover rate?

Treefer32

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Hello, I have a 350 gallon display that I know I have in sufficient turnover, by the stringy algae that grows around fish poop in my sand bed. It's a harder form of hair algae. More like chaeto but not chaeto... It seriously wrapps itself around fish poop and looks gross. This tells me I don't have enough circulation, but am not sure what I should be aiming for in this size of tank.

My overflows handle around 2400gph and they're pretty close to maxed out if not over max. I have an MP40 (had 2 but one just completely stopped working - dry side won't turn anymore.) The MP40s are around 7 or 8 years old and stored for a few years in an unheated garage and got well below 0 numerous times. So, who knows what happened.

So, I have 1 functional MP40 and I've added 1 skimz S18 on top over the overflows.

The skims is rated at 4700 gph at max. The MP40 is around 4500 gph at max. I'm adding a second Skimz S18 this week. (They're really good work horses.)

So, 4500 + 4700 + 2400: Overall circulation right now is 11600 gph at max. Adding a second skimz will increase that by almost 30% to around 16,200 gph.

Don't take me wrong my corals are doing great, LPS are growing the best, SPS are keeping their color and growing. Not fast, but growing. I just need to find a way to get the algae off the sand bed and get it filtered out.

Is circulation of 16,200 gph enough for a 350? I've been told by fish stores that I should have around 30,000 gph. My tank would be covered in Powerheads unless I go with behemoths like MP60s. I'd still need like 3 -4 of those to get remotely close to 30000 gph.

Suggestions?
 

WVNed

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I am running 22,000 in a 240. It isn't too much. Not even close. I really wish I had more and bigger returns drilled. Tank has 2 return pumps and 6 wave makers. I could get maybe 10-20 more by programming more overlap on the pumps. Yes I will be looking for bigger pumps in the future.
 

lpsouth1978

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You could add a couple MP60's or some gyre pumps. Four Gyre 350's would be about 1k, but would add some amazing flow for you. I plan on having 2 x MP40's and 2 Gyre 350's on my 180.
 

Sisterlimonpot

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You could add a couple MP60's or some gyre pumps. Four Gyre 350's would be about 1k, but would add some amazing flow for you. I plan on having 2 x MP40's and 2 Gyre 350's on my 180.
I agree, I would diversify the type of flow, I really wish that I used a combo of vortechs and gyres.
 
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