chaotic water benefits: I say yes.

[Sk8r]

The biggest improvement I've gotten in a reef in the past couple of years was the addition of chaotic flow.

I have a 54 wedge in which euphyllias [hammer, torch, frog] and caulestra and fox thrive and grow. I use mh light [just say, good light, liked by all except bubble, which also grew well [I sold my frag]]---and I use opposed Sea Swirls on the two straight walls of a wedge bow, each with a T-connector for a nozzle.

This result: chaos. The Sea Swirls, off one T-connected return hose, but on opposite sides of the tank, don't move in time with each other. The water moves everywhere, and mostly and most important, imho, tentacles toss, and fishfood gets suspended in dither for a moment in various places where it has a chance to descend onto, say, the 30 heads of the hammer, or into the folds of the fox.

The hammer has more than tripled in size, the fox which started as a gappy mess is as extended as possible, [on the bottom], the other corals are growing, the candy cane has gone from 3 heads to 10-15.

Adequate calcium supply, etc. But the biggest growth spurt of all was involved with the flow. I started with one Sea Swirl. I added the second to fight it, and that means something is always going on with the currents. [Makes my fish work, too, and keeps them from fishy boredom.]

I would say one thing lps 'hates' is having its tentacles blasted consistently sideways in one direction. Plates have trouble eating in this situation. So do others have trouble getting and hanging onto food naturally.

Mind, I never target-feed. I do use frozen mysis, cyclopeeze and and occasional Formula One cube with no gel, and an occasional dose of Formula One micropellet.

So what's your experience, and if you have a good set up how did you do it?

[porky]

I agree, random, chaotic flow is our best chance for replicating the movement of the ocean. Sea Swirls are great for that...
I have Tunze's @ various angles and they do pretty good. I also agree that most LPS hate laminar flow.

[MSU Fan]

Sk8r, what size swirls do you have, and what do you estimate the GPH going through each one is?

[Sk8r]

WHen the water gets upstairs from my pump, counting a ball valve check, it's about 1000gph out of a 1" hose heading into a 54g tank.

The 1" is subdivided by a T connector into two 1/2 inch hoses, each with a 1/2 inch Sea Swirl mounted face on to each other across the corner.

This STILL was enough to make my sand get up and walk.

So I consulted my lfs, who handed me 2 T connectors [modular hose] which I shoved on as Sea Swirl nozzles. [That was an interesting operation involving nothing to hold onto, a pair of pliers, and a hammer.]

Each nozzle now terminates in a T, and the hammer-headed [no reference to how it was put on] water exits now being further subdivided, are perfect. No more walking sand. No more problems. The lps is ecstatic. Food, rather than leaving fast for the sump, circulates for quite a while.

[MSU Fan]

Ok, right now I have about 400gph coming up from my basement sump, and I am wondering if it would be enough to run 2 1/2" swirls. Can you add penductors to the swirl outputs if you figure only about 200gph through each one?

[Sk8r]

Interesting: it might work. The swirl has about a 45 degree angle of swing. The penductors might add an interesting dimension.

The main thing is to watch the tentacles: full extension and easy, never flogging movement is the idea. They should sway and flow gently. Repetitive 'beating' motion is not good. Easy always does it best.

[oldreefer76]

hmmm not sure how well penductors will act at only 200gph thought min. flow for good results was 400 gph

[MSU Fan]

I'm only estimating, but I think that the flow will actually be a little more than the 200 listed.

[Pufferpunk]

I love my SeaSwirl! I have the output split in 1/2 & it covers every inch of the tank.

[Echidna09]

I am planning on adding additional flow to my NC12 (250 gph powerhead) to make my SPS happy, but am worried about my LPS (duncans, mircos, favias, fungia [not really worried about fungia]) will get sad from too much flow. I also want to put another of the same powerhead for the main return if I like the output of the other one. You don't think this will be a problem?

[SPS20]

If you don't want to spend a bunch of money, an SWCD on the return from the sump splitting flow between nozzles pointing at each other fromt opposite ends of the tank works well enough for me. This is only a 20L, so maybe that solution won't work too well for larger tanks, but it has created chaotic flow patterns in my tank, at least.

I have heard people complain about SWCD's jamming up and whatnot, but mine has been running strong for 6 months or so with no problems. Maybe I just got lucky, but those things seem to be pretty well-designed.

IME, LPS with lots of protruding flesh like Euphillia hate strong flow, but things like favia and acans can handle quite a bit of flow without looking too irritated.