The perfect flow for a mixed reef tank

[Poormans reefer]

I wanted to start this dicussion about flow in our aquariums. There are soo many options out there today that it has got to be hard for a noobie and even the seasoned reefer to figure out what the heck is the deal!!!!
I would like to know (skys the limit) what would be the perfect setup for a atypical home aquarium. You can use plano powerheads, go with closed loops, and for the serious DIYer the surge tank. Of course some of these examples won't work for the "home aquarium" but still the "skys the limit". I personally have used powerheads and waveboxes. My issue with powerheads is that the flow is soo directed. It's like a nozzle blowing in one small diameter directional point. And the wavebox,,,,the wave is cool but how can you figure the actual flow??? The turnover rate of the pump is one thing but the I feel like the wave eats up so much of the flow that it seems to me(by the videos) that the flow actually isn't all that great.

Let's use a typical size home aquarium, and figure out what would be the best setup for flow

First what would be a good size for a atypical home aquarium?????

Let's see some thought behind this and let's not just say throw some powerheads in and let it reap

[dobejazz]

For a "typical" home reef I think a std 75 rectangle would be a good tank to discuss.

Unless someone is starting a nano I like to recommend a 75 as a good size to start with.

[dobejazz]

For flow powerheads have come a long way ! Tunzes, Koralias and even a modded Maxijet give a wider dispersed flow

[RyanG]

Im a closed loop fan as I have a serious aversion to powerheads! For a mixed reef I would go with a 10-20x turnover per hour. Preferrably using a Sequence or a Dolphin pump

[tbittner]

A 75 IS a nice sized tank but I'd recommend a 125. That six foot length really opens up your options for what fish you can keep.

I'm too a CL fan but you can't argue with the flow created with Tunzes and Vortechs. Add in the controllers for these two and you can create pretty much any type of flow you want/need.

Koralias are nice but they aren't anywhere near the pump of the tunzes and vortechs. I have one vortech and 7 koralias (in three different tanks) and the vortech is by FAR a much superior pump but they're really expensive.

[rmlevasseur]

When I got back into the hobby I did a lot of reading and prep, and probably (imo) the thing I was least prepared for was the flow. Not that I didn't have enough - I had too much! Now I understand completely that SPS need a lot of flow, but I wanted to keep a mixed reef. What I found was that even in a 180 my blueline circ pump provided more than enough flow, and I was spending more time aiming powerheads into rock walls or the surface as too much flow was preventing the LPS from opening fully. I wound up pulling one Koralia all together. Even now when I add new corals I'm not searching for high flow areas, I'm searching for areas that don't have too much. I've come to the conclusion that since I now have my LPS and softies in places where they are doing well, finding spots for SPS won't be a problem. I am very glad I didn't spend money on closed loops, sea squirts and wavemakers. I simply don't need them.

[Frankie]

I have about 33x turn over in my 120. I still look for more ways to get better flow. Wave boxes don't do diddily, power heads of any kind are ugly and closed loops are difficult to dial in. I have a closed loop on my tank and also use the returns for flow. I also use my overflow for rotation with great success. My tank is a turbulent roll over. When i built the tank itself i did so with the intention of using a surge tank. I have yet to build the surge tank but still plan on it. I have to say surge tanks are the way to go for an sps tank like mine. The crashing bubbling erratic motion is as close to nature as your going to get.

[BigAl07]

I like the idea of a larger "1st" tank as well but realistically that's not going to happen with most new comers. That's just a LOT of investment for a beginner. I think the 75 - 55 is more realistic.

For flow I like a 20x turn over.. this is via the return pump and power heads. I only have experience with Koralias but from my experience I do like them. The "dispersed" flow is very cool and works out great in my 90g.

Have a GREAT day

[bunjin]

For perfect flow I think sometimes the straight GPH statistic is misleading since it doesn't take into account types of water motion.
From Reef Aquarium Vol.3 Delbeek and Sprung talking on the three types of water motion, surge, turbulence, laminar:

"Surge is the back and forth movement caused by ocean swells and wind-driven waves."

"Turbulence is random swirling of water in all directions."

"Laminar flow is water movement in one direction and is the type of flow commonly generated by aquarium pumps."

So the perfect flow in any aquarium, in my opinion, would have a means of generating all three types of water motion.

In the last few months I have become quite obsessed with constructing a system using a Surge device as I am a huge fan of the simplicity to create powerful, chaotic water motion.

In a dream set-up I would like a closed loop with the return bulkheads creating the laminar flow and I would use 2 surge device tanks of different sizes fed by a SCWD (switching current water director plumbing) from a different pump from the sump/fuge. The interaction of 2 surges firing at off-intervals would create the random turbulent flow and the aftermath would produce the surging current effect in different direction than laminar.

[jediraverz]

I have yet to setup my tank 55gal acrylic. I thought this might be a good place to ask this question, I plan on using a rio 1700 and a rio 2500 for my return pumps, 1 of them will push through a chiller then to the tank. Do you think this wil be efficient withought the use of more power heads?

[Rcpilot]

I like the idea of using a surge tank. What would be a good size surge tank for a 90g mixed reef?

[framerguy]

Originally Posted by Rcpilot

I like the idea of using a surge tank. What would be a good size surge tank for a 90g mixed reef?

LxWx(how much you are willing to let the water level fall)...3" maybe. Use the tank volume calculator and that will give you your resevoir size. Surge tanks can be loud and splashy though, I considered one for my new build but talked myself out of it.

[Rcpilot]

Hmmmmm, wit the tank level rising and falling that much, I think it would cause problems with my overflows. Skip the surge tank.

[Frankie]

Thats the great thing about a coast to coast overflow. Tons of room for a large surge of water.
The way you stop the splashing Greg is having the in flow directed on an angle across the tank. Input at one end top, pointed to the bottom corner at the far end of the tank. The biggest complaint about surges is bubbles.

[burning2nd]

MY 75 will be a mixed reef as well... ill mimic my tank now... just larger..

tunzes. and overflow/sump/refugem