Flow & Filtration in Large FOWLR???

sixxer · #1 10/04/2004, 11:27 AM

How much flow is truly neededin a FOWLR?

I am setting up a 300 gallon FOWLR for Large Angels and Tangs and don't want to kill them with flow!!!!

I am going to be running an ETSS 1800 Skimmer on the tank so I believe my skimming will be over-kill, but also have a UV sterilizer and was thinking of adding that to the tank as well.

Any other sources of filtration (other than water changes) that you would suggest?

Looking for any opinions or experiences!!!!

Thanks in advance for the help!

jwm2k3 · #2 10/04/2004, 11:31 AM

General rule of thumb is 5 to 10 times turnover rate for a FOWLR and 20 times turnover for a reef....

Flame*Angel · #3 10/04/2004, 06:09 PM

I dunno. I set up a 300g FOWLR recently. It's for butterflyfish mostly but I do have an emperor angel. Large angels are the more "difficult" so did most of the research with this in mind. These fish love high circulation. Besides their preference, here are some other benefits to high circulation:

- less algae
- less detritus
- more oxygen
- less aggressive fish
- better filtration
- good exercise for the fish

I went with a pair of Tunze Streams (6100). Very high circulation. The fish seem to really like it. They don't have trouble swimming, even the tiny 1" baby emperor. The pair of leopard wrasses cruise into it all the time.

sixxer · #4 10/05/2004, 08:45 AM

I have an Iwaki 100 for my return and have figured out approx 1894 GPH from that pump alone. But I was also considering a Tunze system as well.

Flame Angel - How many GPH do you figure you are achieving with the two 6100's?

SHARKSRME · #5 10/05/2004, 11:07 AM

I currently have a 240g tank. My current flow scheme consists of a tunze 6080 and a mag 2400 for a return. I wish I had about 2-3 times the flow. So I am getting a new pump for my skimmer and putting that pump as my return, its roughly 5000gph and will put my mag as a cl system possibly hooked to a oceansmotions devive or something similar.

sixxer · #6 10/05/2004, 11:30 AM

SharksRME - Do you still have all those Angels??? Awesome group of fish.

SHARKSRME · #7 10/05/2004, 09:28 PM

The big queen, french, purple rhinopias, bumblebee grouper, and frog fish are pics I took from work. All the other fish are mine. A couple i sold back to work due to aggression, and I got rid of my two 24" sharks because they were chowing on my small fish.