Water Volume

Dr. Water · 01-20-2005, 04:52 PM

Okay, well, here is another question...I have a 75 g tank, 40-45 LBS LR, the filter, skimmer, pump combined flow rate is about 1,100 GPH. As I add more LR and the total water volume decreases, total water circulation increases, what does this mean, generally? Essentially I am asking if I need to decrease circulation as my water volume decreases...And thanks for the info about Clams and anemones.

yardboy · 01-21-2005, 09:57 AM

Flow is almost as bad as lighting in that you can hardly have enough. As you add rock to the tank, flow is disrupted, increasing the dead spaces where more flow is needed. Many long term aquarists complain about how much more flow is needed as the corals grow and disrupt the original setup of flow patterns. Also, there isn't a pump made that doesn't slowly decrease in flow rate, from wear in the pump itself and buildup in the plumbing.

When I first set up a reef tank (a 70) I had two Maxijet 1200 (290gph ea.) I had so much flow I thought the water would come out of the tank. Before a year was up I was having problems with low flow. Growth and perceptions had changed. Similar to the first time I plugged in those 2-55W PC lamps. I thought it'd blind me! Eventuially I added 2-96W PC and a 250W metal halide!