A few points about circulation pumps.
If you think the flow is too high, dial it back a bit and see how you make out. It's easy enough to change it back, and it's not going to be very disruptive to the system.
For pump placement, every tank is different. Don't be afraid to move then around a bit. You almost need to do this to get the flow just right. If you stir up a little of the sandbed, it's usually not that big a deal on a shallow one, just move the sand back.
This is an area in the hobby where there is no "one size fits all" correct answer. This also means you can't go too far wrong. Change it around until it's right.