Powerhead

[schigara]

I agree but what do we refer to as "spindly"? This becomes very subjective. Anything more than 10-15x per hour is healthy for SPS but growth can be very different. The difference can be anywhere from 1/8th an inch per month to 1/2 inch per month. These are extremes but still possibilities. It's all just a balancing act. Light, flow, nutrients, calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, etc. etc..

Yes, but the thicker branches do make for a more natural display as opposed to spindly ones often found in tanks with relatively deficient flow. Also, overall growth rates are increased with an increase in flow.

 

[schigara]

Amp,

Please let me see some pics of your tank with 160x turnover rate. Alot of my SPS have turned into thick brutes at just 40x turnover rate.

Yes, but the thicker branches do make for a more natural display as opposed to spindly ones often found in tanks with relatively deficient flow. Also, overall growth rates are increased with an increase in flow.

 

[rcervel]

I have two Hydor Koralia Nanos in my 29 gal at 240 gph each, plus the output from my HOB filter 200 gph and my skimmer which is proably less with the flow control adjusted. Even still it has good circulation in the tank. Placing the powerheads for best flow is the most difficult part.

 

[Amphiprion]

Amp,

Please let me see some pics of your tank with 160x turnover rate. Alot of my SPS have turned into thick brutes at just 40x turnover rate.

Don't really have any to mention at the moment, other than a few of the ones that survived. The few frags I had accrued were annihilated when my refugium began leaking and the salinity dropped too low. However, if you look at the past pics of my tank, turnover then was around 120x to give you a good idea. Yes, they were all very, very dense and difficult to break apart. One Pocillopora colony weighed about 6 pounds, but wasn't incredibly large--just dense. But keep in mind to have this kind of flow, it is very, very dispersed. 160x in my tank "feels" like much less in many tanks with higher velocity flow. A tank that has 40-50x with higher velocities easily feels like more than all of my powerheads combined. But in terms of volume, there's no question.

I agree but what do we refer to as "spindly"? This becomes very subjective. Anything more than 10-15x per hour is healthy for SPS but growth can be very different. The difference can be anywhere from 1/8th an inch per month to 1/2 inch per month. These are extremes but still possibilities. It's all just a balancing act. Light, flow, nutrients, calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, etc. etc..

I've seen tanks with around 20 or so times per hour turnover and I just didn't like the growth forms of the SPS I saw. I had tried to think of the major factor that would affect that, and flow was it. With high flow, I was able to get that nice, stout growth that I always see in reef photos as opposed to the thinner, more delicate ones I used to have and that I commonly see. I do agree that it is a balancing act, but why limit a coral's growth when you can positively accelerate it through increase flow? Granted, these aren't necessarily linear growth rates, but increases in mass. Many argue the same about light.