So, water flow and likely a pile of other questions.

[tennesseebob]

First me...I'm new to marine and an infant to aquarism in general. Had a small marine tank for 6 months, liked it, fw tank is converted to salt now.

I liked the look of the gyre pump, but I don't want to sound like a cheapskate, but I don't have tons of money so I'm saving where I can...so Jebao lol.

I had 2 small ones from my little tank (rw4) and got 2 rw8 and lined them all up on one side of my tank to mimic the Gyre.

My question is, is this flow pattern problematic, the water in the whole tank rotates counterclockwise, my idea is the coral that will need the highest flow apear to generally need the highest light, so top of the tank is high flow and bottom is lower.

[tennesseebob]

DT 150g tall, 48"-24"-30"
40breeder DIY sump
4 power heads 2 each Jebao rw-4 and rw-15
Return is reef octopus diablo 3500 dc
Lights 2 ocean revive arctic t-247 (arriving tomorrow)

No skimmer, next paycheck will get Skimz sm201

The rock was put together by me, fiberglass rod, epoxy, and silicone

[tennesseebob]

Pumps

[tennesseebob]

Sump

[tennesseebob]

I'd take better pics, but those were with an ipad to post quickly lol

[homer1475]

Are those bioballs in your sump? If they are, unless you want to keep taking them out and rinsing them off all the time(like every week)I would junk them and just put some live rock in there. They tend to trap detritus and become nitrate factories, unless you constantly rinse them off. Way to much time and energy spent on something that can be accomplished with another product that wont need to be cleaned constantly.

If it were me, I would place those heads in a few locations so you dnt have just one way of movement. Random flow is better then constant one direction flow. Thats why the gyre has several different modes and is recommend to have 2 on opposite sides of the tank blasting at different times. Think of the ocean, does it always flow in one direction? or is there several different flows to it? That should answer your own question.

[toothybugs]

I'm looking at your first posts and have a question - do you have 2 RW4s and 2 RW8s, or 2 RW4s and 2 RW15s?

[JammyBirch]

I'm a nano tank guy, 25g, but the gyre is not a one and done pump, in other words it's the main pump but in larger tanks you can still get dead spots. Besides gyre just pusjes water, it's a squirrel cage fan basically instead of a prop...

You are in a good spot though, you have RW pumps. If it were me i'd put one RW8 at each end facing each other and sync'd up, in W1 mode. Run the RW4's on the back wall...sync them too in else mode.

You'll have a great flow regime with no dead areas. The way you have it set right now you'll have dead spots on the opposite sides of the rock scape and will push sand towards the pumps from the back wall.

I like your scape by the way, the only thing i would change is i'd take the highest rock out, it's too close to the surface for me anyway...

Sweet looking tank. Take advantage of all of those pumps though, you have great capability right now.

My friend has a 125g, with the gyre, he has three other circ pumps going at all times, because of dead spots and algae problems.

[tennesseebob]

I'm looking at your first posts and have a question - do you have 2 RW4s and 2 RW8s, or 2 RW4s and 2 RW15s?

I have 2 rw4's and 2 rw8's

[tennesseebob]

Are those bioballs in your sump? If they are, unless you want to keep taking them out and rinsing them off all the time(like every week)I would junk them and just put some live rock in there. They tend to trap detritus and become nitrate factories, unless you constantly rinse them off. Way to much time and energy spent on something that can be accomplished with another product that wont need to be cleaned constantly.

If it were me, I would place those heads in a few locations so you dnt have just one way of movement. Random flow is better then constant one direction flow. Thats why the gyre has several different modes and is recommend to have 2 on opposite sides of the tank blasting at different times. Think of the ocean, does it always flow in one direction? or is there several different flows to it? That should answer your own question.

...are just a place holder till i buy a skimmer...next paycheck, couple weeks.

[tennesseebob]

I'm a nano tank guy, 25g, but the gyre is not a one and done pump, in other words it's the main pump but in larger tanks you can still get dead spots. Besides gyre just pusjes water, it's a squirrel cage fan basically instead of a prop...

You are in a good spot though, you have RW pumps. If it were me i'd put one RW8 at each end facing each other and sync'd up, in W1 mode. Run the RW4's on the back wall...sync them too in else mode.

You'll have a great flow regime with no dead areas. The way you have it set right now you'll have dead spots on the opposite sides of the rock scape and will push sand towards the pumps from the back wall.

I like your scape by the way, the only thing i would change is i'd take the highest rock out, it's too close to the surface for me anyway...

Sweet looking tank. Take advantage of all of those pumps though, you have great capability right now.

My friend has a 125g, with the gyre, he has three other circ pumps going at all times, because of dead spots and algae problems.

I dont have any deadspots at the moment, but the pumps are on the half way setting, whether or not it is actually half power, i doubt, but any higher and i have migrating sand. But no dead spots yet, the reason is partly my return, I have one high and one low, and they point with the flow in opposite directions.

on the scape...i couldn't take the top rock off without a major bit of rock surgery...cutting fiberglass and all that, it is about 3 inches from the top though lol, too high, but ill have to deal atm lol.

I dont think my rw8's are powerful enough to work opposed to each other and keep me from having dead spots, and they cant be synced separate from the 4's because they all use the same controller, so you cant have 2 masters without the pumps getting confused.

But i do have good flow going, i just wanted to make sure rotational flow it fine, as far as the Gyre is concerned my favorite LFS is showing one off on an SPS tank, its the only pump in the tank and it is only on 3/4 power. The tank is a 210g, same measurements as mine but 2 feet longer, that is part of the reason i like it so much lol.

[tennesseebob]

Imma get a couple RW15's and then put the 8's on the back wall to give myself random flow, but that will be after the skimmer, the current set-up is meant to be a "for now" kind of thing, just to keep dead spots out of the tank till i can get slightly larger pumps...the rw4's will go in the sump to keep detritus suspended in there.