Is this too much?

[causeofhim]

I'm setting up a standard 6' 125 gal reef ready tank.
I was thinking about this:
Using a Dolphin 3000 (3000 GPH) on a closed loop hooked up to a few eductors or penductors.
&
Using a Dolphin 2100 (2700 GPH) on a closed loop manifold with 8 outlets.
I haven't even considered my return pump from my sump yet. It wont be as big.

I will have mostly SPS in the tank. I'm a little concerned if it will be too much flow if I want to put in any other corals or anemones.

[Anthony Calfo]

for an sps tank... it may well be on par. Acro enthusiasts are often using 40-60X turnovers to get good growth.

Paletta cites something like a ~40X turnover avg in the systems mentioned in his last book.

And the reef is a very(!) dynamic environment. Most of our tanks don't have anywhere near enough flow.

You may well be disappointed too with that 2100 pump. Asking it to drive 8 effluents is giving only ~300gph per nozzle. If that nozzle is 3/4" or larger... it will be a diffused stream. You may want to install the 8-10 tees... but cap 3-5 of them to get the flow desired. FWIW

[causeofhim]

Thanks Anthony for the quick response. Your advise is greatly appreciated.

[Anthony Calfo]

You are very welcome, my friend :)

Don't be wary of "too much" flow. When properly diffused in the aquarium... there is no such thing. Millions of gallons of water move to and fro on a reef right before your eyes.

The problem we run into in aquariums is by delivering the wrong kind (direction, not volume) as with linear/laminar effluents such as limited effluent tees or worse... powerheads and the like. Such unidirectional flow is generally not helpful, if not hurtful to the reef creatures we commonly keep. Its unnatural too.

Keep the flow high, but mixed (turbulent) and/or diffused.