Full Answer
What is the best flow rate for a 30 gallon tank?
Choosing the Proper Flow Rate for Your Aquarium. We generally recommend that on average, you turn over your aquarium volume four times per hour. This means that if you have a 30 gallon tank, you need a pump and filter with flow rates of around 120 gph.
Do I need a higher flow rate for my Aquarium?
Those with large fish need higher flow rates and possibly additional powerheads to get as much fish detritus into the filter as possible so it can be removed. Reef tanks need higher flow so water is moving in all areas of the aquarium.
How much flow do I need for my tank?
This week we are answering one of the most frequently asked questions from Week 9: “How much flow do I need for my tank?" There are a few variables to this as it's not an exact science, but in general we recommend 20 to 40 times your display tank's volume.
What size pump do I need for a 30 gallon tank?
We generally recommend that on average, you turn over your aquarium volume four times per hour. This means that if you have a 30 gallon tank, you need a pump and filter with flow rates of around 120 gph.
How many GPH does a 30 gallon tank need?
120 gphWe generally recommend that on average, you turn over your aquarium volume four times per hour. This means that if you have a 30 gallon tank, you need a pump and filter with flow rates of around 120 gph.
How much flow does a 29 gallon reef tank need?
Reef Tank 365 So a 29g tank could have a total flow rate of anything from 300gph to as high as 1200gph.
What should the flow rate be in a reef tank?
The needed flow rate for a reef tank is (size of tank) x (turnover). For example 50g x 20 = 1,000gph. Therefore, if you have a 50 gallon aquarium, you should aim to have at between 500 and 1,000 gallons per hour of flow at a minimum.
How many GPH is a 30 gallon?
If you have a 30 gallon tank, you need a pump and filter with a flow rate of at least 120 gph.
Can you have too much flow in reef tank?
Conclusion. So yes, there is such a thing as too much flow in a saltwater tank. It may take a bit of tweaking initially but if your fish and coral look healthy, you should have reached that happy medium.
How many GPH do I need for a reef tank?
For reef aquariums, the general rule among hobbyists is to choose a pump that can provide a turnover/flow rate of 5x to 10x the tank volume per hour. For example, a return pump for a 50-gallon tank would equal a flow rate of 250-500 GPH.
How much flow does a 40 gallon reef need?
for a 40 breeder mixed reef, you should shoot for at least 1600 gph in tank circulation.
How many GPH do I need for a 20 gallon reef tank?
For example in a one hundred and twenty gallon tank, your target goal would be around twenty four hundred to forty eight hundred gallons per hour depending on what type of corals dominate your tank, split between your desired amount of pumps.
How do I get better flow in my reef tank?
0:266:35Reef Tank Basics Episode 3: Flow In a Saltwater Aquarium - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou'll need to buy power heads. And because you need to create random ocean light flow. It is bestMoreYou'll need to buy power heads. And because you need to create random ocean light flow. It is best to avoid. Simple ac power heads ac power heads like this tunze nano stream. Simply run at 100.
How many powerheads do I need for a 30 gallon reef tank?
For a larger nano reef tank of 30 gallons, that revolves around LPS corals your best bet would be to buy two Hydor Koralia Nano powerheads, rated at 240 GPH. In the case of an SPS-dominate nano reef aquarium, you'll need a maximum of 1,200 GPH water turnover, assuming the tank has a 30-gallon capacity.
How many GPH does a 40 gallon tank need?
A good flow rate is 5 times the amount of gallons your tank holds. The 40 gallon x 5 turn over is equivalent to 200 GPH flow rate. You would want it to be at least 200 GPH.
How do I calculate flow rate in my aquarium?
For example, consider your pump is able to fill the gallon container within 15 seconds. Divide the timed rate by 60 to find the gallon per minute rate: 60 divided by 15 equals 4. Multiply the gallon per minute rate by 60 to find the gph rate: 4 times 60 equals 240 gph.
How many GPH do I need for a 20 gallon reef tank?
For example in a one hundred and twenty gallon tank, your target goal would be around twenty four hundred to forty eight hundred gallons per hour depending on what type of corals dominate your tank, split between your desired amount of pumps.
What do I need for a 29 gallon saltwater tank?
7:4513:58MY 29 Gallon Saltwater Reef Tank.. *YOU Should Get One!* (NEMO ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipPeople start with dry rock due to it not having any pests on it I went with live rock in my firstMorePeople start with dry rock due to it not having any pests on it I went with live rock in my first tank and maybe that I'll pay for it later but I haven't noticed any pests.
How many GPH do I need for a 40 gallon reef tank?
for a 40 breeder mixed reef, you should shoot for at least 1600 gph in tank circulation.
What size wavemaker do I need for a 20 gallon tank?
That means if you have a 20 gallon tank, shoot for a wavemaker that is capable of at least 200 gph, but preferably up to 1,000!
How much water can a 30 gallon tank filter process?
So, a 30 gallon canister filter, for a 30 gallon tank, should be able to process at least 90 gallons per hour.
How many times can you filter a 30 gallon tank?
So, if you use it for a 30 gallon aquarium, it can filter the entirety of the tank almost 7 times per hour, which is of course extremely impressive. Of course, the AquaClear Power Filter also allows for flow rate control, so you can set it at the ideal filtration level for a 20 gallon tank or a 50 gallon tank too.
What To Look For When Buying A 30 Gallon Fish Tank Filter?
There are certain things that you need to look out for when buying a 30 gallon filter for your fish tank. Let’s discuss the most important purchasing points right now.
What is the best filter for a 30 gallon aquarium?
The large media volume of this filter ensures maximal filtration of your aquarium water. All in all, we think that the AquaClear Power Filter is one of the very best filters for a 30 gallon aquarium out there today.
How many gallons of water can a Penn Plax filter hold?
This is true for a variety of reasons. This particular filter is ideal for any aquarium up to 30 gallons. It can handle 115 gallons of water per hour.
What is the best thing about the Penn Plax aquarium filter?
Something that we really like about the Penn Plax Aquarium Filter is that it has an easy prime feature. You literally just need to push a button to totally prime this bad boy, making life just that much easier for you.
Why do people like the Marineland Penguin Power Filter?
People also tend to like the Marineland Penguin Power Filter because maintenance is not hard to perform on this thing. When it is closed, it is completely secure, but getting to the inside to perform maintenance is about as easy as it gets.
Why do aquariums need higher flow rates?
Aquariums that need higher flow rates include: Those with large fish need higher flow rates and possibly additional powerheads to get as much fish detritus into the filter as possible so it can be removed . Reef tanks need higher flow so water is moving in all areas of the aquarium. This is essential for filter feeders.
Why is flow rate important in aquariums?
This means that your aquarium will stay cleaner longer, providing a healthier environment for your inhabitants.
How far off the floor should an aquarium be?
But often conditions are not perfect. For instance, most aquarium water levels are about four feet off the floor. Canister filters, modules, and wet/dry filters need a pump to push the water upward. High-pressure pumps are usually fine, but high flow, low-pressure pumps may drop their flow rate significantly in that four feet.
What type of tank does better with slower flow rates?
This is essential for filter feeders. The following types of tanks do better with slower flow rates: Live plant tanks. Decreasing surface agitation helps hold in the CO2 much needed by plants. Most plants cannot tolerate being in the middle of the flow stream. Small fish, baby fish, and betta tanks need a very slow flow rate.
Do baby fish need a slow flow rate?
Small fish, baby fish, and betta tanks need a very slow flow rate. It can cause much unwanted stress for them to swim in the current all the time.
Does tubing slow down flow?
Also, consider that every elbow or sharp turn in tubing slows flow rate. Smaller tubing than the pump requires and dirty or clogged filters have a significant effect on flow rates, slowing them down. Another factor in flow rates to consider is filter media type.
What type of flow is most familiar to aquarium hobbyists?
The type of flow that is most familiar to aquarium hobbyists is laminar flow. This type of flow is what we see when water shoots out of a powerhead. It is unidirectional and the easiest type of flow to get in an aquarium. It is also, in my opinion, the least useful of the four types of water movement discussed in this article. Even when a powerhead is connected to a device that moves it around, the flow is less random than the other types. If the pump is too strong, it can knock corals around or even shear off coral tissue. If the pump is too weak, it only moves water around in a limited area.
Why do corals need flow?
Flow determines if and what food comes to a coral since it can’t move to capture its food. This is also the case for nutrients. If there were no flow, the coral would quickly use up the food, nutrients, and structural elements surrounding it. It would cease growing once these were all used up.
What happens when corals are flowed?
Flow removes the waste corals produce along with waste products and detritus that settles on and around the colony. If the flow is inadequate, detritus can build up around the coral, which may allow harmful bacteria to thrive that can attack the coral.
How does surge movement work?
Surge movement can be produced by having powerheads placed at opposite sides of the tank and alternating when the pumps turn on and off. In large aquariums, this type of movement is produced by what’s come to be known as the Carlson surge device. This device was developed by Bruce Carlson when he was at the Waikiki Aquarium. The device consists of a large dump bucket that is gradually filled with water. Once full, it will tip over and dump all of its contents at once back into the tank.
How does a gyre pump work?
The pumps move a large volume of water across a large cross-section. With flow going across the top on one side and on the bottom of the other in a circulator patter, a “gyre” is created. Gyre pumps move far more water than any other type of water movement system. As a result, anything that gets caught in the Gyre: food, detritus, waste, etc., stays in the water column for an extended period of time.
What is a gyre flow?
Gyre flow moves in a robust circular motion and moves a great deal of water with it. Jake Adams began talking about Gyre flow almost 15 years ago, but only in the last few years has the technology caught up in the aquarium industry to produce it.
What is turbulence in water?
Turbulence is when random water movement results from when water comes into contact with either another current of water or a solid object. In most of our tanks, we have microturbulence. This happens when the flow from two powerheads comes together. It also occurs when the flow contacts live rock or corals and, as a result, changes its direction. It is one of the best types of water movement as it keeps dead spots from occurring and keeps things moving around the corals in a random pattern.
How to find gallon per minute rate?
Divide the timed rate by 60 to find the gallon per minute rate: 60 divided by 15 equals 4.
How to calculate water volume in a tank?
Alternatively, you can convert the measured dimensions into gallons by multiplying the measured height, width, and depth to find the volume in cubic inches. Divide the result by 1,728 to convert to cubic feet. Multiply the result by 7.5 (the number of gallons in a cubic foot).
How to find turnover rate of a tank?
Divide the calculated gph rate by the tank water volume to find the turnover rate. For example, if your tank actually holds 38 gallons and the flow rate is 240 gph: 240 divided by 38 is 6.32. The pump system filters all of the tank water 6.32 times per hour.
What is the gph rating for saltwater?
When you purchase equipment like water pumps and filters for your saltwater aquarium, they typically come with a gph (gallons per hour) rating. However, there are sure to be sources of resistance that reduce the rated flow. For example, the flow may be slowed by a power filter or canister filter, a filtering sponge, or head pressure from pumping water uphill. Testing the water flow after the equipment is installed gives you a more accurate picture of the actual flow rate.
How to measure the water in an aquarium?
Measure the height, width, and depth of your aquarium in inches to determine the amount of water you have in your tank. Measure only the area where water touches the glass; do not measure the area where your substrate covers the bottom or the space at the top of the tank where there is no water.
How to determine how many times a water pump turns over water?
If you are purchasing a new pump and want to estimate what the flow rate will be before you buy it, take the manufacturer's flow rate and divide that into your measured tank water volume. This will give you how many times per hour the water pump will turn over the tank water, without any resistance factors.
rodcpierce Ritteri Anemone
hey guys, how much water flow do I need in a 125 gallon reef tank? Currently I have an 850 gph and a 1400 gph pump, but when running them both, i get alot of air bubbles making alot of noise coming out of the over flow pipes into my sump. Just curious as what everyone else runs for pump, and what is enough?
lightningfront Spaghetti Worm
I'm running 1000gph return from sump, 2 korilia 4, and 2 korilia 3 powerheads so around 5000gph total, gives me 40x turnover per hour.
Parker Astrea Snail
Depends also on what you want to keep in the tank. If it's an SPS tank then yes 50x Turnover is a good rule of thumb. If it's a Softy / LPS tank you may end up with some pretty unhappy corals.