how much flow in your fowlr
 

I have a 150 with twin overflows with twin returns. I have two eyesore powerheads inside the tank to add extra flow. I hate looking at them and wondering if it would be advisible to remove them. I use a turkey baster everyday to hit the liverock to remove excess detritus and uneaten food. Also I was wondering if anyone has any experience, good or bad with seaswirls? This would help to push water throughout the entire tank and not leave portions of rock not hit with flow. Thanks for any input. Tim

If you have a big enough pump to turn your water over 5 to 10 times per hour, you don't need the powerheads. You pump should be anywhere from 750 to 1500 gph.

Thanks. I definately have that. Does anyone have any luck with seaswirls? I'm concerned that certain areas would become 'stagnant' because of lack of flow. Thanks for any input. Tim

I would be worried about "stagnant" areas due to lack of flow. I'd rather keep the powerheads in there if everything is working right. I don't see how 5-10x is enough. For a 6ft tank, you'd need more because there is so many places where detris can settle. I just set up my 110g finally, bare bottom and have about 20x turn over rate, still probably have some dead spots though.

I try and do the turky baster thing once a day. Its amazing the ampunt of crap that comes out of the rocks. I wish they actually made a decent oscilating powerhead. Thanks for the reply. What are other people's flow like in their fowlr?

I have a tad more then 60x, a 4000gph Wave2k, 2 Koralia 4's and a Mag 18 as a return (throttled back to about 1200gph). I will be keeping mostly wrasses, triggers and angels so they'll should enjoy the flow. It's also not a true FO as I will have more then a few corals...

I have a turn over rate of 11x in my 210g but in the next 2 weeks I will be adding 3 Hydor Koralia 4s which will add alot more putting me at 33x turnover. No dead spots at all.

I think 10-15x turn over in a fowlr is not nearly enough, personally. Especially because fo tanks tend to be larger, and it's quite difficult to not have dead spots with that little of flow. I used to do the turkey baster thing, but that got old! I do have a sea swirl, and could take it or leave it. the maximum flow rates aren't enough in my opinion to do much. If you do get one i would say get the flare nozzle. get a couple of maxijets with a mod kit from triton aquatics (highly recommended!), and tru to disguise them in the back pointing forward.

Why not get a vortex, I have 1 on my tank on half power and I get little sand storms on the far end of my tank 6' long -- on half power.