Flow overkill?

[SoloSuperman]

Hello all,

I’m setting up a 120 and am trying to figure out flow. Currently I have planned a lifegard quiet one pump for about 600 gph. Additionally I have a sicce voyager 3000 for 800 gph to put at one end of the tank and a sicce voyager 1000 for 270 gph at the other end of the tank.

I also have an hydor koralia (I think it’s 600+ gph, maybe more), which I was thinking about putting towards the bottom of tank in the back, middle. The thought was to have flow coming out of the rock work.

So the question is, am I going way too much in flow with 3 power heads and a return. I’m hoping to keep zoanthids and other softies, but Kay also get into sps toward the top of the tank. I’d appreciate some insight. Thanks!

 

[Ron Reefman]

Add all your flow rates together and you get 2270gph. Divide that by the volume of the tank, 120g, and you get a 'Turnover Rate' of 18.9. That's probably OK for the zoas and softy corals. If anything. I'd suggest adding a bit more. A turnover rate in the 20's or 30's range is better. And remember, there is head loss to the return pump, so it really isn't getting 600gph to the tank.

I run a 90g mixed reef tank and I run a turnover rate of 25 and I know that I want to add another wavemaker and get up into the 30's for turnover. My 120g sps tank had a turnover rate of 60.

 

[SoloSuperman]

Thanks for the input! I already took into account the head loss, as it’s a 1200 GPH pump.

 

[Hydrored]

I’m running 4 MP40’s (18000+ GPH at 100%) at 60-80% and dual COR20’s (2000 GPH each) one 48% and the other at 38% in a 120 to give to a comparison. No idea on the turn over rate but everything is happy

 

[Arthacker87]

Youd be surprised what zoa can live through lol. But I try to keep good flow low and more turbulent flow higher just because I'm trying to keep more flow corals at top and lower flow at bottom.