What is Good Flow?

[Krish]

You always here the terms, "You need good flow" or "It's not how much flow you have, but how well placed it is". What is good flow??? I know one of the factors that relates to having good flow, is keeping detritus in suspension to be skimmed, mechanically filtered, used up by corals etc. but what else?
Here's why I ask...

I've made a few observations in my tank lately.

(1) Has to do with the flow being directed at my rocks

and

(2) Has to do with flow being directed around my rocks

I've noticed that if I point my flow at my rocks, I see less detritus coming off of my rocks when I blow them off every day or 2 with a powerhead (same as turkey basting), than if it is directed around my rocks

BUT

If I leave the flow directed at my rocks, where the current is strongest (as high as 1850 gph in some cases), small patches of hair will start grow and the rock is much more brown in color. Whereas if it is directed around the rocks (and not directly at the rocks), the rocks look cleaner, no patches of hair will begin to grow and the rock seems to look healthier and brighter (but will shed a bit more when blowing them off).

Is it because my tang can now pick on the rocks much better because the flow isn't too strong for him, or does too strong of flow directed at a rock cause these problems like green hair growing and the rock browning up? If I had a quarantine tank, I would take the tang out so as to test to see how the rocks look after a few days, but I don't have one But in any event, what is the correct way to have flow placed? A good representation I would say is how Chuck has his flow set up. His Tunzes seem to bounce off off the glass at angles infront of and behind his rock pile and the sea-swirl circulates everything. To me, according to his pictures, his rocks don't look like they get a full direct blast from his Tunzes, and his tank looks amazing...So does that mean (if I am correct) that proper flow is flow that is placed surrounding the rock and not directly right at it, or is it something else?

Hope that wasn't too confusing

 

[moortim]

Krish I think in your case having "good flow" means when you turn on the pumps to your tank the water level rises an inch...................:lol: :lol:


Tim

 

[Krish]

Krish I think in your case having "good flow" means when you turn on the pumps to your tank the water level rises an inch...................


Tim

LOL...That's called divorce when the water level is already sitting at 1/2 inch from the top before they turn on!

 

[wrightme43]

Yeah Krish, bouncing around is the trick. I have one bouncing just perfect, but the other is too acute (is that the word?) a angle. I need to move it back a little, and turn it more to the front glass.
I will get all this stuff one day.
Maybe. LOL

 

[Krish]

Yeah Krish, bouncing around is the trick. I have one bouncing just perfect, but the other is too acute (is that the word?) a angle. I need to move it back a little, and turn it more to the front glass.
I will get all this stuff one day.
Maybe. LOL

If you've got mental issues like me, you'll never get it right:lol: Ever heard of direct flow or too strong of a flow causing hair algae to start growing at that spot or causing your rocks to brown up a bit? Not too sure what the browning is (maybe diatoms) but ever heard of that being the case? It will only get so far in my tank (browning, beginning of what appears to be hair)because I keep a pretty clean tank, but it does start with the more directional flow...

 

[Krish]

Ever heard of direct flow or too strong of a flow causing hair algae to start growing at that spot or causing your rocks to brown up a bit? Not too sure what the browning is (maybe diatoms) but ever heard of that being the case? It will only get so far in my tank (browning, beginning of what appears to be hair)because I keep a pretty clean tank, but it does start with the more directional flow...

???Anyone???

 

[spongebob lover]

dood that's a tough one.
hmm i don't knwo dood, i'd try asking Mike (mojo), i think your flow is good but the browning sounds kind of weird... are you sure you're not going through a cycle and you just don't want it to happen?

 

[Krish]

dood that's a tough one.
hmm i don't knwo dood, i'd try asking Mike (mojo), i think your flow is good but the browning sounds kind of weird... are you sure you're not going through a cycle and you just don't want it to happen?

LOL...Who knows...But I haven't had any rocks "brown up" since I adjusted my flow from being directed at my rocks neither any form of green. I'm starting to think my tang is just picking the hell out of my rocks now(LOL)

 

[Scooterman]

That strong flow is providing food in those locations, the food is constant from the steady stream, remove the source & this won't be a problem.

 

[Krish]

That strong flow is providing food in those locations, the food is constant from the steady stream, remove the source & this won't be a problem.

Thanks Scooter

 

[reedman]

You really don't want constant flow anywhere in the tank (unless you are keeping sea fans...but that's a whole other story). You want to have random flow that collides and causes chaotic eddies and such in the tank. Anything that can cause changes in the flow patterns (sea swirls, MBVs, Oceans Motions, tunzes with a controller) will help to release detritus from the rocks and get it out of the tank and into the skimmer. This is the goal. From a coral standpoint you want flow that is strong enough to remove and detritus or slime from the corals, but still allows them to keep their flesh. Fish are adept at adjusting to their surroundings (IME). They will find a nook in the rocks to duck into when they get sick of the high flow.

Cheers Krish!

 

[Krish]

You really don't want constant flow anywhere in the tank (unless you are keeping sea fans...but that's a whole other story). You want to have random flow that collides and causes chaotic eddies and such in the tank. Anything that can cause changes in the flow patterns (sea swirls, MBVs, Oceans Motions, tunzes with a controller) will help to release detritus from the rocks and get it out of the tank and into the skimmer. This is the goal. From a coral standpoint you want flow that is strong enough to remove and detritus or slime from the corals, but still allows them to keep their flesh. Fish are adept at adjusting to their surroundings (IME). They will find a nook in the rocks to duck into when they get sick of the high flow.

Cheers Krish!

Thanks Reed! I've got a sea swirl in there and works great. Just trying to find that sweet spot I guess by using all the info I can get about flow

 

[Sherman]

A while back, I upgraded from about 30x/hr flow via 3 Maxijet powerheads to about 45x through 2 Seios. While the Seios certainly lack that high flow jet, they also create TONS more flow over all. I immediately noticed a drastic improvement in all my corals (polyp extension, even growth) and a lot less dead spots for flow behind the rocks and in the nooks and crannies. I have a pretty small tank (38g), and have the 2 Seios in the top back corners, each pointed at the center of the front glass, so their flows collide.

Consider in the ocean, jet streams aren't really happening in the reef. It's more of the wave action creating huge washes of current. Heck! You're in the Bahamas, go outside and snorkel already! I'm sure you've experienced the tossing around the waves can do. Our tanks are simply too small to think this big.

 

[Krish]

Thanks for the input Sherman...I've been tossed many times and have been in current so strong, that I kicked, and did not moved a budge! I may try bouncing my 2 Tunzes at the same point from either ends of the tank (like you did) to see what happens. I have 5 "outputs" total that should aid in catching the dead spots (1 being a sea-swirl). I'll try mixing it up a bit tomorrow...All this talk about aqauscaping on the forum lately has got me in the mood of moving around rocks an all

 

[Willy]

All this talk about aqauscaping on the forum lately has got me in the mood of moving around rocks an all

Again ?!?!?! LOL

 

[spongebob lover]

Again ?!?!?! LOL

yeah and i bet you he's gonna do it .

 

[Krish]

LOL...Who knows! I need corals man so I don't get so bored!

 

[CarlaW]

LOL...Who knows! I need corals man so I don't get so bored!

Remeber the "moron cycle".

 

[Krish]

Remeber the "moron cycle".

I think about it everyday I'm a moron...what can I say!(LOL) I'm gonna have to put those hands in there a lot soon to add those corals. Gotta make sure everything is how I want it before they go in because once they do, then I screwed with changing up things. It's more talk than action though...I doubt I will move any rocks, but you never know(LOL)

 

[CarlaW]

Put coral in the darn thing Krish, that way all temptation to move stuff around is gone. I bet your fish are bored with looking at the same old rocks everyday.:lol: