Do you have enough flow?

[inktomi]

Yea, my torch coral survives in my tank only by being tucked away in almost a cave, protected from most of the flow. Big fleshy LPS corals are just not built the same for flow as SPS.

It's almost a wonder that it works as well as our reefs do when we keep species with such different wild environments in the same tank!

 

[MnFish1]

Yea, my torch coral survives in my tank only by being tucked away in almost a cave, protected from most of the flow. Big fleshy LPS corals are just not built the same for flow as SPS.

It's almost a wonder that it works as well as our reefs do when we keep species with such different wild environments in the same tank!

Everyone has a different experience. IME - what corals don't like is being changed from one flow to another quickly (i.e. being in a tank with very low flow, and then put in a tank with high flow. I have 2 Maxspect Gyres that are set to alternate from one side to the other (One on each end of the tank - facing each other). When one is running, the other is off. They slowly ramp up over 10 seconds to 100% each. there is a GPS on top (you can see it in my build thread) - and it it literally in Max flow - yet not all the time - and not in one direction. My 2 goniopora literally sway completely back and forth as the 'tide' changes. At our LFS they have a tank full of hammer coral where the flow is higher than mine. IME - its a matter of 'acclimation'. Now - part also depends on the size of the pump - and the size of the tank. Check out this video:

 

[Crotalus]

I use a pair of Gyre 250's on their programmer, and several Koralias on theirs so that there is rarely a calm moment and often a tremendous amount of varied flow. Because they are controlled separately, what is on and when is constantly changing. I feel that the tank and it's corals benefit greatly from it.

This why I love the Maxspec Gyres so much. I have one on each end of the tank connected together in random opposed mode. The flow shifts back and forth continuously.

 

[inktomi]

100% agreed, even Acropora won’t like having a constant stream of flow blasting them.

 

[Metcho]

Would you recommend the Gyres? I was thinking about maybe adding two in the back of my tank, one each side of my overflow. Good diffuse flow? I've never used them - I've been a long term Vortech user.

I have two FX350 on my 225 at one end and two MP60s at other end and love the flow they all produce. It’s a peninsula tank 60”L x 36”Wx 24”T

 

[Shooter6]

How so ?

Because the tides ebb and flow, theres a constant switch in direction . Also where the wave action hits coral or rock, theres rven more turbulence. Waves are not only at the surface. Uf you watch a wave flow over a reef, even 20meters down, the wave will shove you a good 20ft in the direction of the flow, then you will be pulled backwards 5-15ft in the direction it came from.

 

[Kresimir_72]

I just put Maxspect Gire Jump 4 in action. It is only few days but all look great. Pump works in alternating gyre mode and looks great. No constant blow. Changing sides and power corals are in constant "dance" not blown so they wanna close or escape from that place....
For now perfect....

 

[Giancarlo_f]

When it comes to mimicking wild reef parameters in our tanks, we must take into account the (very complex) interactions of all parameters present in a wild reef. Most of our tanks are far removed from the ocean. Just as many have tried to mimick the near-undetectable levels of nitrates and phosphates in the ocean in their tanks which resulted in malnourished corals, I feel that more than one variable must be considered when it comes to flow such as nutrient source, availability, import and export.

 

[Barnabie Mejia]

Bringing this back from the dead, I just added a second MP40 to my 75g. so now I have an MP40 on each end of the tank offset from eachother running at 75% and I have two MP10's on the back wall running at 65%...everything looks good in the tank so far, but what percentage should I be running them at for a 48" x 18" x 21' tank?
what made me ask the question is someone said that they turned the pumps down from 65% to 35% and they saw a big difference in the tank. I guess I just don't want to subject the tank to a bunch of changes....

 

[MnFish1]

Bringing this back from the dead, I just added a second MP40 to my 75g. so now I have an MP40 on each end of the tank offset from eachother running at 75% and I have two MP10's on the back wall running at 65%...everything looks good in the tank so far, but what percentage should I be running them at for a 48" x 18" x 21' tank?
what made me ask the question is someone said that they turned the pumps down from 65% to 35% and they saw a big difference in the tank. I guess I just don't want to subject the tank to a bunch of changes....

If you think about what happens 'in the ocean' as compared to our tanks. The flow nearly everywhere is much higher than most powerheads. IMHO, the more flow the better - and the more random the flow, the better. As far as someone else turning flow up or down - thats likely specific to their tank. Completely agree less changes are better.