Water Flow For Soft Corals

[Jaybo]

I havent seen this posted, and would like to hear opinions on how much water flow should be present in a 120 gallon or better Soft Coral tank without any Stonies!????

 

[LakeEd]

I don't think there is anything "writen in stone" for flow, but I would say for a 120 gallon tank, 900-1200gph would be good enough flow.

The important thing would be more the dispersment of that flow, so it isn't all comming out in one powerful stream, but dispursed causing a nicely circulating water patern.

 

[aquarookie]

Hmmm... In my 54 corner bow front the ONLY source of flow is the return line, ran by a maxijet 1200 with a 4 foot head and a couple 90 degree elbows... the return line points down at the back corner of the tank, somehow disperses thru the tank and drains out a CPR overflow box. I have had this setup for at least a year and have not lost any corals (thank Goodness). People give me a hard time about it, but I say if it ain't broke, don't fix it :lol:. I do believe it is the distribution of flow that matters, not the actual amount...

 

[bbehring]

gees in my 54 corner bowfront I run a mag 5 for my sump retun, with a panworld 50pxx closed loop with om squirt 4 way. Also have sump urchin skimmer and HOB skimmer running off mag 7. Pushing 15x flow. Guess that's the opposite end from you aquarookie. But I agree if it ain't broke... I have some softies, LPS & shrooms. Might give SPS a go someday? When I planned my system out all I read was the more flow the better. My tank is about to hum out of my house LOL! I agree with the flow dispersment, but it's tough to disperse with lower flows.

 

[Jaybo]

Thank You

for the response. I have been running my setup for almost 2 years, and I have not lost any corals in fact, they grow very well in my opinion . I have already had to frag a majority of the corals to keep them in check. I am currently running a Rio 2100 and a Seio 1500 for current in the tank, and a 800 gph return pump. There is quite a bit of flow . I havent had any problems.. and to be honost the reason for the question was to make any adjustments, if any were required.:?: I dont know if the coral growth I am experiencing is High, Medium, or Slow. I know that I have friends with the same corals, and not getting the growth I am in the same period of time.

Again. Thank you for the response.

 

[acrodesiac]

Sounds to me that you're on the right track. A wave maker timer can add alot to the asthetics of a soft coral display. In my opinion the amount of flow applied to soft coral dominated displays typically leaves much to be desired. It is a common missconception that soft corals need less flow than sps because people are fairly successful with this approach. If you are trying to keep deeper water species that are adapted to low flow then you will be right on the mark as far as the coral's flow needs, but you will be running the risk of extreme detritus buildup. Many corals that require less light due to deeper origins are very much adapted to moderatly high flow but in a laminar style motion, this is somewhat easy to create in the aquarium on a tight budget. But on to the real reason for my response. Many of the beatuiful soft corals imported are from relativly shallow waters much like sps, but are more adapting to less than perfect conditions. It is for this reason that most reefers feel that these corals need less flow and light. Your sarcophyton may look pretty good under pc's with minimal flow but if you placed it in a tank properly geared towards shallow species(SPS) you might see a suprising change in the corals growth, color and polyp extension. Most lps corals in my opinion are more likely to do best under moderate water flow, whereas soft corals need to be adressed in an individual manner and not grouped together in their water flow needs

 

[Anthony Calfo]

which soft corals specifically? We must always address that question... there is no safe blanket answer for "all soft corals"

 

[Jaybo]

Pics!

These are some shots of my current "stock".. Let me know what you think! These were taken 2 weeks ago..It is easier to just show you what I have than list things out.. (For size reference.. the toadstool is almost 8 inches across the top)

 

[CCR]

I would say from the pic's they lok good and happy. check water per. and feeding. I feed a blended oyster and cyclop ese every couple of days. Turning skimmer off for half hour.

 

[Jaybo]

As far as water perimeters go.. things are all in check.... for the most part.

0 nitrate
0 nitrite
325 calcium (could be higher.. but softies don't require as much as stonies from all the reading I have done.. so I keep it above 300 but nowhere near 450)
mag.. don't check
phosphate... (my test doesn't read high enough.. )
Ph 8.2
alk.. I don't check, but last time I took it in.. I was told was just fine and at acceptable levels.

The phosphates I have found to be coming from my tap water. I live in an area where I live on a well, and the phosphates are reading about 30 on my fresh water test. I am living with the nuisance algae until I purchase an RO unit, but until then corals seem to be doing alright. The water out of the tap is EXTREMELY HARD... and so I know there are a million other things going in there that probably shouldn't.

With that said... I am still very happy with the growth that I have seen, but look forward to the day when I can say I have no problems growing Coraline algae! (phosphates tend to hinder that possibly at the moment)

Thanks for your input!

 

[returnofsid]

I think I'd be more concerned with making sure you have enough flow for adequate filtration with the live rock. Lack of flow could result in the live rock not getting enough flow to be a proper filter. Enough flow to keep detritus suspended to get sucked up helps too. As was mentioned above, I think all your corals look great. Soft coral tanks don't get enough recognition IMO...lol. Your tank looks beautiful!!!

 

[shallowreef]

I don't know if too much flow is a problem with softies. I run a Dart for my main return and then in my tank i have 4-TUNZE 6100s so i have a ton of flow and my softies all look good.

 

[acrodesiac]

I did notice a little cyano in you photos, that can sometimes attributed to low flow but most of the time its a nutrient problem. Corals do look really nice though

 

[Anthony Calfo]

the biogger issue here is that your tank is so overstocked that saying overstocked doesn't begin to describe it. Sure... it looks like many other crowded reef tanks with noxious corals touching each other... but short of yeoman husbandry (massive weekly water changes, ozone use, etc) those tanks usually crash in 18-36 months (or the aquarist upgrades or otherwise has occassion like a nuisance organism bloom to do a large water change or tank move).

There is simply no room for these corals to grow in the 6-12 month picture let alone the 3 year picture.

You will be slave to water quality and/or frequent propagation and suffer the same "mystery" deaths of corals that the other folks with such garden reef tanks suffer.

Please reconsider your long term plan my friend.

 

[Jaybo]

the biogger issue here is that your tank is so overstocked that saying overstocked doesn't begin to describe it. Sure... it looks like many other crowded reef tanks with noxious corals touching each other... but short of yeoman husbandry (massive weekly water changes, ozone use, etc) those tanks usually crash in 18-36 months (or the aquarist upgrades or otherwise has occassion like a nuisance organism bloom to do a large water change or tank move).

There is simply no room for these corals to grow in the 6-12 month picture let alone the 3 year picture.

You will be slave to water quality and/or frequent propagation and suffer the same "mystery" deaths of corals that the other folks with such garden reef tanks suffer.

Please reconsider your long term plan my friend.

With that said, IF this was your tank... and it was handed to you.. what steps would you take to remedy the issue? Dont hold back, and be as brutely honost as you need to be. Im here for education, as well as an ass chewin if needed. I will take some heat, as long as its something that can be example to others NOT to do.. or to do.. Im in this for the long haul.. and 3 year plan is only the beginning. Its been setup this way for nearly 1 1/2 years and the only thing I have added since my last coral (which was a little over a year ago)has been a few fish. I did get quite a few softies early on, all as frags, and just let things grow. To date.. I have not lost a single coral.. as you have stated, things are going to start to go down the crapper in hurry as far as water quality and "mystery deaths" all of which I would like to avoid. Your help and your knowledge are beneficial to me.. and everyone.

 

[Anthony Calfo]

all good my friend... I was indeed speaking frankly. Glad you appreciate it too, bro.

For heavily stocked tanks... they can work. But most folks are too busy in life however well intended they may be to keep up with water changes and prunings (literally weekly) to have such lush and heavily stocoed systems. MOst folks as stated above just beocme a statistic and kill quite a few animals in the process.

My advice is that unless you have a remarkable amount of free time... stock your tank with your favorite corals at a rate of one per ten gallons. That will keep you safe for the 12-18 month window and reduce your husbandry needs to traditional work loads (monthly carbon/water changes... quarterly trimming of corals)

Whethere you choose to stock heavier and service more frequently or not, Id still suggest adding an ozonizer (see my fav links sticky atop this forum for feedback in the discussions post on the topic - alphabetically sorted).

Ozone is perhaps the single greatest thing you can to a tank to make improvements to the system overnight. Its critical for keeping mixed species tanks too. Aquarists fear it irrationally (or wont spend th emoney but they will keep killing corals... oddd, really), but public aquaria and fisheries folks use it nearly without exception. Its a crucial tool for aquatic science.

 

[Jaybo]

Okay.. My tank is established right now, and I am not starting a new tank... so if I understand you correctly..I need to thin down my "garden"??? I need to remove a bunch of the coral to the top 12 I want to keep?? Does this removal inlude polyped coral as well? (sea mat or starburst (star polyps) are hard as heck to pull off of rocks!) Once thinned, you still recommend ozone?
Any other suggestions? I'm pretty open to drastic steps to contiue a healthy place for my corals to live! Thanks