Define flow rate

[Brocnizer]

What is High, medium, and low flow?

I have 1900 gph in a 36 gallon corner. What is it defined as?

[Reeftanker3295]

I would deffinetely say high, thats like 50x turnover. My tanks are all low flow, I get worried when i see corals blowing around haha stock biocube return pump for flow in my biocube, 106 gph in my mantis shrimp tank, 90 gph HOB filter in my 10 gallon native/fuge tank for now until i upgrade to my 25 gallon and then ill put in a K2

[bcrum51]

I love high flow I have 3 koralia 1's in my 40g plus the return flow

[Jadinop]

Flow cannot be described strictly in gallons per hour or X many times turnover. The flow from a 1/2 nozzle of a water pump does not create the same amount of movement in the tank as the wide flow pattern of a Koralia or similar type of wavemaker. Even if they are the same GPH, the overall effect on the tank will be different.

[quader94]

IMO i would define it as how the corals react as not low medium high, ide say good or bad

you could have thousands of gphs but the corals only sway

or you could have it and there all closed up and getting blown around

[jenglish]

Originally Posted by Jadinop

Flow cannot be described strictly in gallons per hour or X many times turnover. The flow from a 1/2 nozzle of a water pump does not create the same amount of movement in the tank as the wide flow pattern of a Koralia or similar type of wavemaker. Even if they are the same GPH, the overall effect on the tank will be different.

I regularly see gph or times turnover used and they are a very rough estimate dpending on the type of flow. I agree with Jadinop that it is at best a rough estimate. You also have to watch what you are adding into that number if it is going to have any meaning at all. Running a 400 gph powerfilter or skimmer that drips water back into the tank creates next to no actual water movement in the tank.

So to the point what all are you using to create 1900 gph?

[Brocnizer]

TO get to 1900 I have (2) koralia 1's, (1) koralia 3, and a ehiem 1250 at 4ft (180gph). The koralia do not have the flow director on them so its a more gentle exit from the pump.

I guess my corals sway a good amount. Nothing crazy, but a good movement of back and forth.

I like my flow as nothing could really settle on the sand and it stays suspended.

I have the koralia 3 blowing right into the live rock so it disperses it nicely and the way I set the rocks up, it flows nicely through all the rocks and has a easy exit on the other side of the rock.

The koralia 1's are placed 5 inches above the sand bed and level placement.

The return from the ehiem is pointed at the surface.

I have a frogspawn and a torch that I just purchased which say they want medium flow.

The frogspawn isn't moving like crazy, but it is moving and the torch does have a lot more movement to it.

[Brocnizer]

Maybe when I get back from vacation on monday I can post a small video to see if it is too much

[biowheel]

Originally Posted by Brocnizer

Maybe when I get back from vacation on monday I can post a small video to see if it is too much

Looking forward to it . I've been adjusting the flow in my tank for a month . I even had flo deflectors on my PH's .

[Neuticle]

It's only high flow if you can feed your fish a Nachos Bellgrande every day and not grow cyano.