Mixed Flow + Mixed Reef + Sand Bed = What are your tips?

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Ok this QOTD was inspired by a member who's trying to get a good mixed flow in a mixed reef with a sand bed! So today I thought we could maybe share some tips and tricks we have used to accomplish getting this done. A "mixed reef" is a reef that have a variety of different types of corals ranging from soft corals to hard corals and everything in between. It provides a bit of a challenge when it comes to lighting and flow because of the different requirements for the range of coral types. Throw a sand bed in there and you just make it even more complicated because sand doesn't like high flow! But for today we're talking about the flow aspect only! So let's hear from all you mixed reefers out there on what has worked for you!

What are some ways you have found that work well when creating the right flow for a mixed reef without causing a sand storm?

@CMO's beautiful mixed reef with sand bed!

 

[homer1475]

In my "mixed" reef(80G cube, so have a lot of height to work with) I run high flow up high in the tank, and lower flow down low.

Easy to do with a cube tank as the height and cube design helps. I run 2 mp10's, 2 jebao pp8's, and a maxspext gyre xf250. I have all my PH's up high in the tank, which creates chaotic upper level heavy flow, and lower turbulent flow down lower in the tank.

Euphyllia and the likes are in the middle to lower portion of the tank(they like some flow, but not being whipped about), lobo's, acans, rock flowers, etc are in the lower portion, and most SPS are in the upper portion.

I tried to model my display to what a natural reef would look like(LPS down low, SPS up high). Everything is thriving so far, so I think I might have it dialed in finally after a few years.

 

[CoralClasher]

Rinsed crushed coral.

 

[montethemoster]

In my mixed reef (25g), I think a small standing wave made by an MP40 plus a couple small tunze powerheads to add random flow has been a really effective for a mix of SPS, LPS, and softies with fine sand bed.

 

[Crotalus]

Sand that isn't too small, Fuji Pink, and 2 XF250s high in the tank opposing each other.

 

[Doglips56]

We have a 6’ x 18” x 23” 125 mixed reef. It has been set up for about 9 months now. We have a mix of soft, LPS, zoa, Paly, shrooms, anemones, hammer frogspawn...idk a huge mix of corals plus a BTA multiple inverts and about 10 or so fish of all varieties.
Flow has been the thing that confounds is yet our tank is thriving. We decided rather than trying to direct flow a certain way we just place our corals based on the light and flow it needs based on what we have. We’ve got two Jaebo gyre style wave makers. One turns off completely at night and the other goes into night mode on a light sensor. Seems to be working. No sand blows but there is also a fair amount of flowjust above the sand based on how the food floats around and into the little caves and crevices at the rock bases.

 

[Zeedawg]

I have a couple of MP40’s about 3/4 to the top of my glass on each end of my RS Reefer350 pointing towards each other and gyres on the back for laminar flow. Seems to work very well and sand is stable.

 

[eric.tech]

I’m using Bahama oolite in my mixed reef and an ice cap 3k gyre. It’s been “interesting” getting the corals in places where they’re happy and creating “wave breaks” with dry rock to keep the current from blowing sand. Mind you, my aqua scape is a bit old school with lots of rock, caves and passages for the fish to swim through. This by no means is a negative space aqua scape that is currently taking off in popularity. I have struggled keeping certain species of corals because of this though. Trachyphillia don’t do too well and I recently lost one. Between the flow from the gyre, fish activity kicking the fine sand into it constantly, and my lighting (MH), it didn’t do well. Also placing my euphyllia more or less at the “end” of the gyre flow so they don’t get blow away.

 

[Karling]

I am just struggling with creating proper flow. I feel like i get some flow right and some coral are happy (my hammers) but then my zoa's get all grumpy and close up....

 

[Greg Goby]

In my 16 bio cube I have had to get creative with flow. My upgraded return pump in sump and my mp10 are on their lowest power settings, which is perfect currently. I use small frag racks directly in the flow path to reduce and slightly randomize water flow on Euphyllia.

 

[Vivid Creative Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

This is some that we think about constantly - LOL

Creating different flow zones or filling a small space such as our aquariums with strong but broad and varied flow can be a challenge. In instance like this, a properly deployed Random Flow Generator® Nozzles can help create that kind of environment.

In many cases, even in your low-flow zones, your corals still want the occasional push of high flow followed by periods of relative calm. This type of flow also allows you to have a sand bed without creating a sand storm. Because the flow is more broad with short bursts of high flow it won’t have enough momentum to pick up the sand.

This can be achieved in a few different ways, but the easiest way to add this kind of movement to your tank is the RFG nozzle

Here’s a good example of that in one of our Demo videos. There’s now sand, but you can see it creating short period of clam and bursts of high flow at the bottom off the tank.




Here’s another video that can help you visualize just what the RFG dong to create this kind of flow.

 

[GrandpaShark]

Great topic. I have a tall 45g so this is an issue with me. I also use a canister fx4 fluval. It seems my return flow coming from the canister tends to just whip everything around. I have the intake on the right side and the return on the left side of the tank. I have turned the blowers every which way but it seems the water bounces off the front glass and makes a whiplash motion in the middle.of my tank. I also have a jabeo sw8 on wave 1 mid strength to blast the top of the water shoot across and spread out. I also have one small blower pointed to the back side from right to left. I think all my corals are happy just have to move corals from time to time if they don't appear happy. When i feed the food does go in a circle from back to front and into the intake so in that aspect i feel I have decent flow.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

For my 180 I just setup, it took some time. It is truly a mixed reef. Lps, sps, 6 kinds of nems,
gorgs, dendros, and everything in between.

3x mp 10s behind the rocks down low at 60% random.
2x gyre 3ks on sides you high at 100%
The returns are what evens things out and gets everything happy. The right return has a nozzle on it pointing at an angle towards the front glass and the left return shoots straight down being the rocks.

this allows for massive random flow up high for the sps and Ritteris, medium random flow in the middle and a slower random flow on the sand. Basically just enough flow to keep anything from settling on the sand. It also leave no dead areas in between the rocks. If I feed and do not turn the pumps off, food dances all over the place, in and out do the rocks, and allows the 80 or so barnacle blennies to all get something lol.

 

[Turkey head]

I’m going through this now. I have a 28g nano. I use the two built in power heads and add an additional small powerhead aimed at the side of the tank not the front. I had one a few years ago the had a Montipora capricornis that grew so large it choked out one side of the tank that caused flow problems but it was in part good flow that allowed it. In the same tank I had some soft corals, some branching SPS, and some LPS that all did well together. Currently I’m working on a different tank with some branching SPS (no more playing for me in a 28g) and LPS. Not really interested in softies anymore either. Not as fun for me as LPS.

 

[BackToTheReef]

Since I think this was based on my question in the thread the other day I'd like to say thanks for all the responses!

I'm looking at a long, wide, tall tank so hearing what everyone doing is really useful! Now if I can figure out how to do it on a tank with 1.5" sides...

 

[Lasse]

In my mixed reef (25g), I think a small standing wave made by an MP40 plus a couple small tunze powerheads to add random flow has been a really effective for a mix of SPS, LPS, and softies with fine sand bed.

I´m agree - standing waves is the thing

​

Sincerely Lasse

 

[stanleo]

I may be doing something wrong but mine works great. I have a 4 inch sand bed. It was challenging finding the right position for the pumps. Too high and not enough flow gets lower to the tank, too low and the sand goes everywhere. It was a lot of trial and error. I finally have one pump on each side on a wavemaker that alternates every fifteen minutes. These pumps are 5 inches from the surface in a standard 120 gallon. And a pump that sits on the center of the back just below the surface and faces straight to the front but slightly towards the surface. The other two point straight towards each other. It seems to work, I get a turbulent random flow all over the tank without moving the sand too much. The sump return is faced towards the surface for surface agitation.

 

[H3rm1tCr@b]

I use a Biowheel (with out the wheel) and a Hygger pump for flow. I recently cleaned the Biowheel so the flow has significantly increased (I really need to keep up with my equipment maintenance). Now that I think about it, I do need to experiment with the flow, as it is lacking in some areas.

 

[Fishurama]

This is how i have my set up for my mixed reef of softies, LPS, and anemones. 1 Jebao Ow-25 at level 3 angled and blasting off the glass for stronger indirect flow, 3 Jebao OW-10s, two on the back glass at level 2 slightly aimed upwards at level 2, the other OW10 is on the opposite side of the OW-25 aimed downwards at level 4. The two returns are also aimed slightly downwards. My return pump is a Aquastation silent swirl, 3100+gph, i run it at 75 percent. Too lazy to do the math, but 27 times turn over total in my 120 or something like that. Nothing to crazy but not low either. No dead zones, don't have to run the pumps max speed(imo saves the life). You could get away with less pumps if you wanted to up their flow at the cost of their lifespan. Excuse my dirty glass today is water change day ugh lol.

 

[Brew12]

I find the flow to be extremely challenging in my mixed reef. There are very few places in my tank that LPS and soft corals can not be bombarded. And, unfortunately, those areas keep getting smaller all of the time. Most of the spots I can put LPS are protected by rock structure. As the SPS above them keep growing in they have started to shade the areas my LPS are at. It is a constant battle.