Help placing torch coral

[derek681]

I have recentley purchased a torch coral and the ideal spot for the live rock to sit in which it is attached to is in the flow off of the glass as i have my 2 maxijet 1200's pointed front centre of the aquarium glass and as a result the 2 streams meet in the middle and roll off the glass and towards the torch coral. Is this to much and should i move it my tank is 4ft long and 18inches deep.

[mr_fosi]

Depends.

If you place the coral here and it looks like it is being buffeted by the current (i.e. it is blown every which way and it never fully extends), it is too much.

But, if you place it there and it extends fully and doesn't look like it is going to be blown away, it is fine.

I wish I could give you something more specific, but I'd have to see your tank.

[Blinky]

Euphyllia corals, like most of the 'LPS' corals, don't really like a huge amount of movement but they're able to handle more than you might expect, as long as it's not direct flow (in the direct path of a powerhead for instance). You'll know if it's too much, the torch won't fully extend its tentacles. Unless it looks REALLY miserable, give it a while to adjust to a given spot before you decide whether it needs to be moved somewhere else.

[derek681]

What do you guys think of instead of having my powerheads pointed front centre leaving one pointing front centre and turning the other so it is pointed along the back of the tank towards the other powerhead so that it streams current along the back wall to the 1st powerhead causing a kind of circular current.

[mr_fosi]

It's not a terrible idea, but if you do the circular current idea, you'll have more laminar flow.

Most corals do better in turbulent waterflow, such as that caused by the two streams crashing together.

The torch will probably do fine in either type of flow, but it may like the turbulence more.

[derek681]

i have only two maxijet 1200 powerheads and one maxijet 500 powerhead and 2 external filters empty running 2 spray bars what would be the best method to utilies all the powerheads as at the moment i am only using the 1200's and i use the other to mix my salt.

[Blinky]

No idea if this helps or not, but here's a diagram of the PH placement in my 65g. I also have a canister filter with a spraybar, the flow from the spraybar is aimed straight across the surface. The two powerheads in the back corners are MaxiJet 1200s, the one behind the rocks is a MaxiJet 900. The little black thing to the left of the spraybar is the skimmer outflow. It took me a while to get the powerheads in a good position, but this arrangement gives me good flow with no dead areas and no place where the current is extremely strong either.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a21/ACBlinky/Misc/PHplacement.jpg