Varied flow, critical or not?

[drblakjak55]

Not sure why you want to avoid powerheads. In a showstopper tank one coral or one fish can cost what a power head costs. Unless you buy four SunSun heads for twenty bucks. Mine have been blowing 800gph quietly last six months in a 125.

 

[NS Mike D]

It really depends on what you plan on keeping. Lots of adjectives get used to describe flow but it's important to know we are all on the same page with them. By varied flow, do you mean flow that changes often in intensity, or flow that changes direction and intensity?

Flow coming from a single source will be laminar. It'll only ever push things one way, and will cause dead spots. Are dead spots all that bad? Maybe, maybe not. Kind of depends on your goals. It can become troublesome with stony corals though, as they will tend to grow in the direction the flow is running, and you cannot reverse that. If you have soft corals they'll always be leaning one way.

I tend to prefer having flow that comes from opposing directions, that alternates intensity. The conflicting flow streams create random turbulence that helps discourage dead spots from forming, and gives your corals uniform current, allowing for more symmetrical growth. Ive used Vortechs, Tunzes, jebaos, and Koralia. The jebaos were kind of in the middle on noise. By no means loud. Tunzes were 100% silent even on 100% and youd have to visually observe the impeller spinning to verify they're actually working.

+1

The way I see it is in the ocean corals get hit by wave action, tidal flow and storms. Plus these are also affected by the moon. In addition to my return, I have three tunze nano power heads on a wave maker to create opposing turbulence and flow and calm pattern, plus a 900 gph I run for 1 hour 4 times a day that kicks up detritus and clean the corals of the mucus film (I read SPS produce more slime that soft and lps corals, it just that the current is constantly blowing it off them).

I also agree that powerheads are very quiet.

 

[BornHandy]

Not sure why you want to avoid powerheads. In a showstopper tank one coral or one fish can cost what a power head costs. Unless you buy four SunSun heads for twenty bucks. Mine have been blowing 800gph quietly last six months in a 125.

It isn't the money. Power heads are an eye sore.

 

[Bpb]

It isn't the money. Power heads are an eye sore.

It’s and give and take. Have no Powerheads and you’ll have that clean look you desire, but, your growth and coral health will possibly be negatively impacted.

 

[BornHandy]

It’s and give and take. Have no Powerheads and you’ll have that clean look you desire, but, your growth and coral health will possibly be negatively impacted.

I plan on getting one, maybe two if I must. - maybe that tunze - and trying to hide it in the back. I am sure I can hide a power head with careful rock work.

 

[davocean]

Flow is your friend, 30-40x turnover would be my target for mixed reef, and you want to make sure there are no dead spots where dietrus can collect.

Random flow is very beneficial for sps, gives polyps time to relax at low flow period, they can feed easily during that period, high keeps clean.

The only real way to get good flow w/out PH's is w/ a closed loop as mentioned earlier, and some people have really done well at hiding those.

Hiding PH behind rock work might really block your flow and make it harder to avoid dead spots

 

[Bpb]

Another far more complicated solution would be a closed loop with multiple pumps and many outlets

 

[thepubenator]

I think the flow figures ppl say u need are inflated. My 210g had one gyre running constant at 70%

 

[BornHandy]

Those results are talking...

 

[Mebbid]

I think the flow figures ppl say u need are inflated. My 210g had one gyre running constant at 70%

Which gyre?

 

[thepubenator]

Which gyre?

the first one that came out. 150 from memory???