Determining Proper GPM

Pheintz

Pheintz

Oh Great Giver Of Food From Above
Sep 9, 2006
62
0
0
Oregon, USA
How do you determine the amount of filter gpm you need for your tank size and bioload?

It seems to me I remember the filter should cycle the amount of gallons in the tank 3 times per minute so with a 55 gallon it needs 165gpm, right? And anything extra is a bonus.
 
what you're looking for is GPH, gallons per hour. otherwise, you're correct. three times an hour is what you want, but you can go as high as you like as long as you don't turn the tank into a whitewater river.
 
Some one once told me, when I asked a question like this, that the water flow is less important then the amount of media that the filter holds. The filter is where the bacteria is, and the water flow can be faster or slower, but if you have a lot of space for both bacteria and for stuff to be taken out of the water then you are good to go. My 55g has huge amount of current--but it is all under the water with a canister filter--but it is more important it has lots of media.
 
Are we talking about the turn over rate or the flow rate in the water?
If it is the turn over, 165 GPH is very low. For FW aquarium you need about 5 to 6 times the turn of the total volume of water.

Flow rate is the actual rate at which water moves within the tank. This is very important for SW tank with corals. But for FW tank, it really doesn't matter as long as the fish aren't stressed by water movement.

Rohn
 
rohnds said:
Are we talking about the turn over rate or the flow rate in the water?
If it is the turn over, 165 GPH is very low. For FW aquarium you need about 5 to 6 times the turn of the total volume of water.

Flow rate is the actual rate at which water moves within the tank. This is very important for SW tank with corals. But for FW tank, it really doesn't matter as long as the fish aren't stressed by water movement.

Rohn
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Hmm.. well, for instance, I have 2 Penguin Biowheel 170s on my 55 gallon tank. According to the manufacturer website, the "170 gph" does pertain to flow (you did have me a little worried there for a second ;) ).

I haven't noticed anyone except my female killi swimming against a current. She had positioned herself directly in front of the outward flow and looked like she was just goofing off. Which kind of surprised me because I thought they liked calmer water areas.
 
According to the manufacturer website, the "170 gph" does pertain to flow
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This mean that 170 gallons of water flows through the filter in an over. That is turn over of 170GPH or approx 55 gal of water (volume of your tank) is turned over 3 time every hour. Although many sites suggest 5 to 6 times turn but I feel that 3X is is just fine for a FW tank.

Many fish does like to swim against the cyrrent. For example my True Percular loves to swim againt the current in front of my powerhead, and I assume that some of the FW fish are the same.
It is your powerhead that creates the flow rates while the filter and closed loop pumps that creates the turn over.

Rohn
 
rohnds said:
This mean that 170 gallons of water flows through the filter in an over. That is turn over of 170GPH or approx 55 gal of water (volume of your tank) is turned over 3 time every hour. Although many sites suggest 5 to 6 times turn but I feel that 3X is is just fine for a FW tank.
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Ok, so having 2 filters that each produce a flow of 170gph would be equivalent to a turnover of 6 times per hour instead of the 3 times I would get with just 1 filter?

Or does it work that way?
 
Ok, so having 2 filters that each produce a flow of 170gph would be equivalent to a turnover of 6 times per hour instead of the 3 times I would get with just 1 filter?
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Exactly.

Rohn
 
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