SPS Keepers, how many X turnover?

[fritz]

I'm wondering how many times an hour everyone is turning their tank over. I have problems keeping the turnover high without making it laminer. At lower volumes it's very easy to keep it very random and turbulant but as you crank that number up it's hard to bounce that flow around without a lot of space.

I've found that if I use two high volumes pumps I get good turnover but it's mostly a laminer flow. Even if I point the two pumps directly at each other. In a few areas I get great random flow but for the most part I see all my polyps blowing in one direction. Am I being too anal about keeping my flow random and turbulant everywhere? Should I conceed some laminer flow for higher turnover?

Just wondering how other MRs are doing it.

 

[jhale]

I have 2 tunzes, one in each upper corner of the tank. they are both pointed at the front glass. the return is in the top front left corner pointed down the length of the front.

I know the flow works, I watch the food when I feed, and it never settles anywhere in the tank.

 

[fritz]

So you're saying as long as nothing settles on the bottom don't worry about the turnover or even how laminer the flow is? In your larger tank is't easier I think to point them at mid center glass then in a 58. (Nice touch with the return going down the glass btw)

I guess I have to wait till the nanostreams come out. Two tunzes in my tank would make it a washing machine.

 

[pecan2phat]

OM-4way pushed by a Sequence dart so the flow alternates from outlets, two 3/4" Sea Swirls pushing about 800gph each and a single Tunze 6000 on a multi-controller.

 

[bad coffee]

i'm not an lps guy, but:
return (Eheim 1262) returing to tank and Y'd at the bulkhead with lockline. One toward the front, along the back.

Closed loop: (another 1262) intake center back pane, Hits OceansMotions supersquirt and goes 4 ways. (1+3 then 2+4)

Holes across back of my tank

(1) (2) |overflow is here| (3) (R)

# 4 is in the front left corner will be an OM revolution (180degree)

lots of random flow.

B

 

[jhale]

your going to need a decent turnover to prevent crap from settling
on the bottom of the tank, and to get it over the overflow.

I don't get too caught up in the numbers. But I guess my tank has about 1000gph cycling through it plus the tunzes add another 3850gph.
so roughly 4800gph in a 120 gives me 40X turnover. I also have less rockwork now so the flow in the tank is much less impeded.
By pointing the tunzes straight at the glass 2' in front of them this is removing the laminar flow of a straight shot across the tank and causing the flow to become more turbulent and chaotic. I like this better than the same flow pattern cruising through a tank.

 

[herman]

Two Tunze 6100 on Multicontroller pointing at each other alternating between 30% & 100%. So when one pump is at 30 the other is at 100. This basically creates massive turbulence where the two streams meet and because of the powershift the turbulence in turn moves from side to side.

Other than that I have the returns, but I dont depend on that for flow at all. I would net too caught up with the number times turnover. The only important thing to me is that water flows through all parts of the tank especially through my sps. I wanna see them polyps move back and forth.

As far as detritus goes or leftovers, I also dont worry about it going to my overflow. If it settles in the corner of the tank I just siphon it. It definitely easier than siphoning anything out of the crowded sump.

 

[cali_reef]

IMO, OceansMotions Squirt with a closed loop is your best option for a "random" flow in a small tank, Sea Swirl or wavesea are good too but your are some what limited for flow thru in a small setup.