dimanche 9 avril 2017

How much flow does a reef tank need?

I have a 30 gallon JBJ all in one system. There is no sump, just filters in the back. The main flow for the tank comes from the pumps that return the water from the back of the tank to the front, and they rest at the top of the tank, just below water level. I'm sure if anyone is curious you can just google a picture of the JBJ all in one tanks and it will show up!

I will be getting into coral I believe this week or the next, and I am not too concerned in terms of the water quality part. I will be starting out with soft corals, maybe an LPS. My tank has been running since January and has very stable water parameters, and my clean up crew and the tank running for a while has taken care of the algae issues I was having for the most part.

My concern is the placement of the coral in the tank with the light, and the flow. I have no idea how much "flow" I need in my tank for a soft coral. To me, the flow in my tank from the return pumps seems decent, as food that drifts onto the sand during feeding comes back up and circulates, so I can fish it out and clean up it (Sorry this is my only frame of reference). And since they are at the water level of the tank, I can't gage how strong they are at the bottom with the rocks and where the coral will be, and the clownfish don't seem to struggle to swim or fight any sort of strongish current.

My question is if my flow seems to be enough? Do I need to add a powerhead? All of the videos I have seen online have crazy large flows and many powerheads. Granted, they have much larger tanks and sumps and extravagant fish, the whole nine yards.

If I do need to add a powerhead, where should I place it in the tank for optimal results for the flow for the corals? On the side, or from the back where the pumps shoot out, but at a lower level?

I will also be talking to my LFS concerning this, but I would like to hear you guys' thoughts on this. Everyone seems to think the more flow the better, but I don't want my tank's current to be extreme, if that makes any sense.

Thank you all in advance!:fish:


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