Flow

[kimoy]

I have a 120 AGA with 2 megaflow and an iwaki 55rlt as my return pump, on top of that I have 2 tunze nana streams (stock), 2 nano streams (moded), 2 Koralia 4 and 1 koralia 3 in the main tank for circulation, Do you think it is an overkill? the reef has more than 200 pieces of sps(14 in 2-4 inch frags and the rest are colonies) corals in it not counting the softies and lps.

 

[fatman]

I have a 120 AGA that came with towers on the back wall. Two holes for 1" bulkhead drains and two for 3/4" returns. The tested flow on the drains was only 685 gph for the combined overflow through both outlet holes. This drainage undrsizing by AGA and others is typical. Even theoretically the drainage of their claim of 600-650 gph per overflow is nearly impossible. Perhaps with syphoning through the overflows. I cut out the towers and put in a Glass-Holes overflow box with two 2" back wall overflow bulkheads. I can move almost 4000 gph "real measured flow" through the two 2" bulkhead overflows. Of course I do not use this much flow through my sump. I do have A Dart pump rated at 3600 gph runnind in a closed loop throttlred back to around 2000-25000 gph and I run a Iwaki 40Rx1200 gph return pump from the overflow supplied sump. The Iwaki is putting about 950 gph of its 1200 gph rating back too the tank (total flow around 3000-3500 gph). I also have a second Iwaki matching the first set up as back up from the sump but have adequate circulation without its use. The standard recommended circulation flow for SPS is 20 times your tank gallon capacity. Figure your getting maybe 800 gph through your Iwaki based on probable overflow through your limited small bulkheads. Tunze Nano streams can put out 660-1453 gph (average 1100 gph) depending on size and a Koralin #3 puts out 850 gph (therfore 800 +1100 +850 =2750 gph) 120 gallons x 20 = 2400 gallons per hour. Your SPS should be plenty happy, but if not, be assured people out their are using even heavier circulation so do not be surprised when the recommended average is reported as higher than 20 x for SPS tanks. Softies and LPS usually do not like the heavier flow preferred by SPS, but there are always spots in a tank with lesser circulation for softies and LPS's.
Do you like the looks of your overflow towers and in tank circulation pumps? Bulkhead holes are easy to cut and there are no syphon draidown problems with dedicated circulation pumps. You do have quite an investment in those interior circulation pumps though. I also like the facy that cutting out the AGA towers opened up so much once lost tank space.

 

[reeffreak]

So you have 7 circulation pumps as well as the return pump.Thats a lot of pumps in tank.For an SPS dominant tank,sounds good to me.Kimoy,you make me want to go out and get more pumps(which is my plan anyways).I'm going to try 2 of the new Seio Prop or one of the Polario.Right now,I have four K3's,plenty for LPS and softies.Inadequate for sps though.