I think I have WAY too much flow

[cwegescheide]

Latley I have been thinking I have WAY too much flow in my tank. I've got a standard dimension 90 gallon tank with a 6100 and 6200 on a 7095 along with a 600/hr return providing current in my tank. Ive visited several friends houses and checked out their systems and I noticed the PE they are getting is MUCH better than what I am getting. Their corals just look healthier I guess... I think that has a lot to do with how much flow I have as opposed to my friends tanks.

One of the nicest 90's I've seen had 3 small nano tunzes and a 600/hr return and his coloration and PE was outstanding. I got some corals from him and over time the PE has deminished a lot. I feed 2x/day with an autofeeder that I load with a concoction of several kinds of flake, pellets and cyclopeez. I do 10% weekly water changes and do my best to keep my parameters solid.

So tonight I had my hands in the tank and was thinking that it seems like the water is really whipping around in my tank considering the 6100 and 6200 running about 80% alternating about every 30 seconds. I decided to change my flow and slow it down a little. I'm going to leave it like this for a week or two and see what happens.

Anybody else notice the same thing when they had too much flow? I have read somewhere on here that having massive flow is sortof a misconception. Just as long as there are no dead spots in the tank and polyps are moving a little you should be good to go.

What do you guys think?

Thanks,
Chris

[Marko9]

On my 90, I have a mag 9.5 as my return. I have 2 6055 nanos and a modded 6025. Oh yeah, I also have a vortech. All full bore with a aragonite sand bottom that stays in place. I think flow is only one characteristic that determines a healthy system. As long as they are not directed right at a coral, the corals should be fine.

I have seen lower flow tanks where there is a lot of PE as they are hunting for food as there is not enough floiw to bring them the proper amount of food.

I also know that mine might be an the higher end, but a friend just told me that he added a third vortech to his 90 and he has a wonderful tank with great PE.

[LobsterOfJustice]

Yeah, that sounds like a lot. I have two 6000s on a multi plus return. I would dial them back and see if that changes anything.

[NanoReefWanabe]

i dont think you can have too much flow...unless it is uprooting the corals....

i read here somewhere today that flow is more important then light...as it is, and the analogy went:

imagine yourself standing outside with your lungs in your hands, unable to move, hoping only the wind blows hard enough to fill your lungs so you can breath...cause your not gonna last long if it doesnt..

corals not having functioning lungs depend heavily on the water to remove waste and allow them to "respire"....

i would think there issomething else in your system that is hindering the corals...i have crazy turnover in my tank and the polyps on my caps are larger then the ones on my leathers i used to have..

colours i think are very dependent on trace elements and lighting...there is no way two systems could be the same, and perhaps yours is lacking something your friends are not..

[twon8]

that does sound like a lot for a 90, i would try and go down to two 6100's

[roktsintst]

I have 2 seio 2600's a tunze 6100 and a mag 18 return on my 90 and mine does well. If i turn the ph off i get much better polyp extention of course but that doesn't mean my corals arn't healthy.

[Wonder]

I used to add lots of tunze to create flow and here are some experience i observe

Corals that are directly receiving compact flow tends to grow in a compact form as well (much compact then i first bought from wild). So, it is a question of how much is really required. Sometimes, it's growth is so compact that it actually starts to limit light to the base. (this may also apply to my previous system only)

Polpy extension is certainly lesser in my case with too much flow (still very healthy).

I'm also sure that areas with high flow tends to be stronger when it comes to TN due to KH drop (unexpected mistake) or others. (observation only)

Providing strong random flow (in minutes not sec) with a good spread is the best option.

[cwegescheide]

So what I have done so far is reduced the output to 50% of what it was to see what if any difference in the corals it will make. I did this last night and i dont know if its my imagination or not but I can already see polyps peeking out of the corals a little. I'm going to leave it like this for a week or two and see what happens.

I think certain corals respond better to a little less flow as others might be adversly affected. Those are the ones that I will keep my eye on like my efflo and milli's I think those like the higher flow. We will see what happens.

Thanks for the input. Keep the input coming!

Happy Holidays,
Chris

[King-Kong]

haha.. I have 3x Vortechs (3,000gph each) on my 90g and a Eheim 1262 return.

Poor polyp extension due to the flow?






...dont think so

[hyperfocal]

Yeah, polyp extension isn't really an indicator of much. In the wild, many (most?) corals have little or no daytime PE, they feed at night. I get very little daytime PE, but nightime is crazy... it's a bit of a bummer, but at least things are healthy.

[LobsterOfJustice]

cwegescheide, what fish do you have in the tank? Check for night-time PE as well.

[nattydread]

What is real flow for 500 alex.

[em805]

I agree with King-Kong, I really don't think it's your flow... I have a 112 shallow cube with a 5000gph sequence pump on a CL and I have no problem with the polyp extension. However, I will say this, too much direct flow can hurt your coral.

[King-Kong]

Originally posted by em805
I agree with King-Kong, I really don't think it's your flow... I have a 112 shallow cube with a 5000gph sequence pump on a CL and I have no problem with the polyp extension. However, I will say this, too much direct flow can hurt your coral.

Yes -- direct flow is nasty. We're talking softer mass-units of water movement here.

I have had frags where their tissue is blown off on one side from the strong laminar flow. Then, I have seen them, over time, grow new tissue in such a way that helps DEFLECT this flow.

[hockeyismylife]

king kong what is the acro in your first pic?

[King-Kong]

it is an ORA Chips

[Kinetic]

direct flow is bad, no matter what. what you want his high TURBULENT flow.

[cwegescheide]

My fish are as follows:
6 chromis
1 pigmy angel
1 powder brown tang
1 huge wrasse
1 Hippo Tang
1 Flatback Angel (just added him today)

I feed 2x/day a mix of flake/pellets/Cyclopeez via autofeeder. On weekends I feed Rods food and extra flake feedings as well. I do 15 gallon water changes every 2 weeks.

Not enough?

Chris

[King-Kong]

that pygmy angel could be it right there; they are known to nip.

[chadfarmer]

are you joking

i had 3 6000
1 6100
1 6045
eheim 1260 return in my 58


got tired of trying to keep everything from touching

i have 2 6055
1 6024
2 6045
and eheim 1260 return

[LobsterOfJustice]

Originally posted by cwegescheide
1 pigmy angel

Ding ding ding ding!!!!!

I would be willing to bet you have decent PE if you check at night.

[coralite]

Yeah it is very likely that your pigmy angel is pecking lightly and inhibiting PE. In nature SPS corals generally have reduced PE during the day because of light grazing by b'flys and other corallivores.

But whoever said that PE isnt an indicator of much was totally wrong just as in this case PE is an indicator that there is light grazing of the coral colonies. Furthermore corals vary PE to change their usable surface area for gas exchange (breathing) so PE is a very important indicator of coral health and physiology.

[hyperfocal]

Originally posted by coralite
In nature SPS corals generally have reduced PE during the day...

vs.

But whoever said that PE isnt an indicator of much was totally wrong just as in this case PE is an indicator that there is light grazing of the coral colonies.

So which is it? Is it 'normal' for corals to have reduced PE like they do in the wild, or is it not?

Sure, I said lack of daytime PE isn't an indicator of much. What I should have said was "Lack of daytime PE isn't a DEFINITE indicator of much BEING WRONG" which amounts to about the same thing.

In this case lack of daytime PE *may* be an indicator of light coral grazing, but if the corals are otherwise healthy and growing it isn't anything to panic about. The OP could go through all the frustration of catching and removing the angel and *still* have no daytime PE.

[LobsterOfJustice]

Both are true. Reduced PE indicates a fish is picking... fish pick in the wild. The difference is it usually makes more of a difference in our tanks because of the confined space and limited corals.