Good Reef Gph Flow Rate

NicksTanks223 · May 4, 2020

What would be a good flow rate in gph for my 40g reef tank? I’m planning on having all types of corals and I want it to be good for the corals and fish as well.

lapin · May 4, 2020

What you want to achieve is Random flow. In a 40 this can be done with 2 power heads.

|Tom the Bomb| · May 4, 2020

NicksTanks223 said:
What would be a good flow rate in gph for my 40g reef tank? I’m planning on having all types of corals and I want it to be good for the corals and fish as well.

Well if ur having ALL types of corals: soft, lps, sps EVEN nps?!
so ur corals need like supreme water quality anbd circulation.
I would have a total of ~500gph for the circulation pumps (2 wavemakers will do)
and the filter will need around 5-10x also around 500gph return pump if u have a sump
if not just get a 307/407 or FX4 canister from fluval

Super Fly · May 4, 2020

Good reef flow rate is 6-10 times/hr

Billdogg · May 4, 2020

For Fish only tanks, whatever is enough to avoid dead spots will do. The fish don't care too much. For Soft corals somewhere around 20-30x is suggested. For LPS, aim for 30-40x. For SPS, at least 40x or more.

In my 120DT (mixed, mostly SPS, the flow tops out at 80 or 90x, with a minimum of 40 or 50x. I don't include the return pump when figuring it out.

In any case, the more random and chaotic it is the better off your system will be. I have a total of 5 wavekaers (powerheads) in my DT. 2 x 250 gyres and 2 x 1500gph koralias on the back glass and a 850gph koralia on one side in back to blow out behind the rocks. All are on controllers so that the speed and direction of flow in constantly changing.

So. for a 40 breeder mixed reef, you should shoot for at least 1600 gph in tank circulation.

hth!