Setting up my 150 gallon reef tank....question re: water flow

newreefer_59 · #1 02-12-2009, 04:07 PM

Have 2 Tunze 6055 powerheads at present working with the Tunze controller. Also have a Koralia powerhead by itself. So my question: How much flow is too much for an LPS coral and small fish setup? ie: would you recommend a third 6055 powerhead to be installed with the controller and should they all be placed low in each corner of the aquarium.

Many thanks.

Trigger Man · #2 02-12-2009, 04:16 PM

part of the answer will lie in you rockwork placement. In the end you don't want any crap to settle on the bed of you tank or in any corners, but you also don't want your lps to get blown around and hence not open fully. With the powerheads you have currently you can place them in your tank and then see the effect on the lps. If you find certain spots in the tank are not getting enough flow you can then add more. In my tank I've got sps as well as torches, frogspawn, gsp, Xenias, Shrooms, flowerpot, and some zoas, and my flow can get up to 48x turnover with no problems. It just came down to rock and coral placement in relation to ph flow angles.

Rbacchiega · #3 02-12-2009, 05:25 PM

I agree with Trigger. With the layout of my rockwork I can have my open brain and fox coral on the bottom and they look as though they are jiggling because of the lower flow. On the actual rockwork and near the top of the tank I'm keeping Zoas, SPS (acro, digi, birdsnest, monti) and all have rediculous polyp extension (the first time for me in EVER)

I have a quiet one 4000 HH, a Koralia 4, Koralia 3 and a Koralia 2

newreefer_59 · #4 02-12-2009, 07:20 PM

thanks! And so are a few of your powerheads near the top of your tank for the SPS coral? Still not sure what I will be carrying in my tank as all it is right now is live rock and a few pieces of LPS coral. Is it true that LPS coral is easier, in general, to keep?

Rbacchiega · #5 02-12-2009, 07:39 PM

I have my return coming through lockline that flows kind of to the front of the tank. One koralia 4 is placed in the back left corner pointing straight. The other is placed near the bottom of the tank blowing across the back of the rocks and then the last power head is on the right hand side, near the front blowing accross the front of the tank. There are a few spots that, realistically, should be getting more flow. But that's also where my fox coral is happiest, so I leave it the way it is and get in there every couple of days with a turkey baster and move some gunk around that way.

newreefer_59 · #6 02-12-2009, 07:49 PM

Is fox coral LPS? Is there a guide to the various corals available out there that specify types, hardiness, colours, compatibilities, etc or is it more of a learning process of trial and error?

Rbacchiega · #7 02-12-2009, 07:56 PM

Yes, Fox is LPS.

Find my 90 gallon Reefsetup thinger and look there. Probably one of my favorite corals. EVER.

For me coral has been a learn as you go thing. When I'm at a LFS and see something I like, I look for all the info I can find on it, talk to people who have had experience with it and go from there.

newreefer_59 · #8 02-12-2009, 08:01 PM

"90 gallon Reefsetup thinger"?

Have any pics by chance of your setup and coral, etc?

Whatigot · #9 02-12-2009, 08:17 PM

nothing makes lps/softies happy like a wavebox.
couldn't believe how much happier mine looked after I installed it.
such natural movement and lots of it.

I would bet you could lose your koralia and and a wave box and be better than ever.
Though, maybe unbeknownst to me your tunzes do the same with the controller?

Rbacchiega · #10 02-12-2009, 08:32 PM

yeah, sorry, my build thread.

I have such poor vocabulary..