Ecotech flow

Billups · Jul 16, 2022

Fellow reefers,

Question about flow in your reef tank. I have a 90 gallon 2 feet by 3 feet and 2 feet tall tank with one ecotech MP40 and another MP10 on opposites sides of each other. In my first 30 gallon tank I found out I had to little flow. Now I think I have too much flow in my 90 when I am was using both MP40 and MP10 at 90% of their power. What would you recommend for my new 90 gallon tank that has an NSA rock work and 95% LPS with zoas being the other 10%? Tank is 6 months old and have plans to add SPS once the tank reaches its one year mark but I am curious what percentage of the pumps I should be using for my LPS dominate tank currently. Thank you!

watdachuck · Jul 16, 2022

I would try this based on Ecotechs Flow Calculator. It is how I determined my flow speeds.

It looks like no greater than 60-70% on either pump.

VorTech Flow Calculator – EcoTech Marine

ecotechmarine.com

watdachuck · Jul 16, 2022

Oh for LPS I wouldn’t use more than 40-45%. Sorry, had SPS on my brain.

rtparty · Jul 16, 2022

I have one MP60 (buying the 2nd soon) on my 250g peninsula and a Tunze Stream 3. I run the MP60 on lagoon mode at 100% and I definitely need the 2nd pump so I can remove the Stream 3.

Lots of variable when it comes to flow. The Ecotech calculator says I can run one MP60 on my tank and be good for SPS. Which is completely wrong.

Susan Edwards · Jul 16, 2022

does this calculator take into consideration placement? I have 2 mp40's on the back wall directed toward front with 2 gyres on each end. Per the calculator I should be around 3300 for lps and 6000 for sps. I have a mixed reef. The mp's are running in the 33-3300 range currently. A lso, I don't want too much flow hitting the front glass in case over time that is too much pressure on glass? My only complaint with the mp's is I wish I could direct the flow--angle each in a bit toward the center.

watdachuck · Jul 16, 2022

rtparty said:
I have one MP60 (buying the 2nd soon) on my 250g peninsula and a Tunze Stream 3. I run the MP60 on lagoon mode at 100% and I definitely need the 2nd pump so I can remove the Stream 3.

Lots of variable when it comes to flow. The Ecotech calculator says I can run one MP60 on my tank and be good for SPS. Which is completely wrong.

I mean it’s wrong and it’s right. The total flow from one meets the target for total flow a tank needs. To your point you couldnt meet the the various flows around the tank to avoid dead spots or blasting corals to death.

I run a single MP60 on my 180 just fine.

watdachuck · Jul 16, 2022

Susan Edwards said:
does this calculator take into consideration placement? I have 2 mp40's on the back wall directed toward front with 2 gyres on each end. Per the calculator I should be around 3300 for lps and 6000 for sps. I have a mixed reef. The mp's are running in the 33-3300 range currently. A lso, I don't want too much flow hitting the front glass in case over time that is too much pressure on glass? My only complaint with the mp's is I wish I could direct the flow--angle each in a bit toward the center.

IMO no, it’s just total flow targets based on coral type and tank size. There are lots of variables that can come into placement of the pumps and where coral are around them. Or open aqua scape versus tighter.

gbru316 · Jul 16, 2022

There is no such thing as too much flow but you can absolutely have too much velocity.

I can blow the tissue off an acropora with a 100 gph power head if I placed it directly in front of the nozzle. Place that same coral 24” from the same power head, and it’ll die from the inability to excrete waste products.

I’m considering 2 more tunze 6040’s to my 40 breeder, resulting in almost 120x turnover per hour. But because of the way they disperse the water, they’re much more gentle than the mp10 (which is roughly comparable in flow rate). The mp10 is like a laser beam in comparison (but still much better than the options we had prior to vortechs).

Susan Edwards · Jul 16, 2022

watdachuck said:
IMO no, it’s just total flow targets based on coral type and tank size. There are lots of variables that can come into placement of the pumps and where coral are around them. Or open aqua scape versus tighter.

that's what I figured.