Calculate Flow rate in your tank

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Al

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Hi Guy's,

How do you calculate the Flow in your tank? I read that some have , 30 0r 40 times?:)

I have,

Seio M820 - 3200 lph
Tunze 6025 - 2500 lph and a return pump of 720lph i think. Tank is a TL500 Total 128ltr.
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Take the total flow of all your pumps and divide by the total volume of your system (including sump)

IE: 6420/128 = 50x

Which is a good flow :)
 
yip just i like to get a slow movement through the sump so the DSB and macro algae has time to filter. then to get good flow in the display for corals and to stop settlement


dont you think 73 is a bit high, although your 2600 is turned down so it may not be that high. al the sea probably can do more than a 2600?
 
You should not include the sump because the DT is where al the flow is and it is the area you want flow, you will get a false reading if you add on the sump.
 
What would you guys recommend a good flow for the TL-550 128 litre ???

I have (2500+750)/100L = 32.5 X
 
Loads of flow isn't necessarily the answer, good flow - flow that keeps the detritus off your rockwork and keeps it in the water column - is much better, as long as you keep a good flow through the rockwork, and keep your rockwork structure open and full of gaps, your tank will remain healthy. If you can, purchase some controllers or wavemakers with the powerheads to get a more mixed flow, to try to recreate the chaotic flow of a real reef.
 
Wee-Man said:
Loads of flow isn't necessarily the answer, good flow - flow that keeps the detritus off your rockwork and keeps it in the water column - is much better
Click to expand...

Wee Man is spot on with this advice - don't chase numbers...

One additional point to consider - external pumps (i.e. sump return pumps) will have flow loss caused by the water "head" it pumps against. CLS's will also suffer some head loss caused by elbows, "T" joints and valves. I also suspect that *most* power-heads are terribly over-rated, and actually give considerably less flow than advertised - for one thing, they are always rated in fresh water, and salt water being denser (heavier) and requiring more effort to move would always have reduced flow rates when compared to fresh water. So, try to actually measure the flow rates if this is important to you... but, as I said above, don't chase numbers :whistling:

Hennie
 
35L nano has a seio M250 (1000lph) and an eden 1100 lph pump. Works out to 60x flow. Still needs maybe another seio...
 
My tank has 78x with Polario included.
 
Hiya all.....

Just remember WHY you would want HUGE flow. The water flow (and as both Hennie and Wee-Man said - CHAOTIC FLOW) is required to ensure that detritus are not suspended, to remove excrement from the corals, and to supply the corals with fresh oxygenated water.

If anyone can achieve this with lower flow, then it would be good. For example, Glynn Foreman only has something like 15 or 20 times water-flow (not 100% sure of the number), but look at his tank and corals.....

Everything is relative to WHAT you are trying to achieve and what life-stock you keep. Everyone's tanks are different, with different lifestock in....

Just remember what causes problems in one's tank:
- detritus (leaching phosphates/nitrates)
- too much CO2 and too little O2 (the power-heads should cause the water-surface to be extremely turbulent to assist in O2/CO2 exchange)
 
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