Water Turn Over Rate

[bhdmc]

What should be the GPH turn-over rate on a 125 gallons tank? I did not see anything under the "Calculator Forum". Is it 4x or 5x times the amount of tank capacity?:)

[SDguy]

Depends on what you are keeping. Also, make sure you have random, turbulent flow, not high velocity laminar flow. 4-5X through your sump is fine. 10X total including any internal powerheads and/or closed loop is BARE minimum. 20X is better. High flow loving tanks with SPS can get up to 50x even 100X.

[BryanJ]

I have found anything less then 20x to be a recipe for disaster. I find 28x to be the most successful for a lps and softy tank.

[SDguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6873747#post6873747 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BryanJ
I have found anything less then 20x to be a recipe for disaster. I find 28x to be the most successful for a lps and softy tank.

I was including FO tanks when I said 10X.

I agree, I have about 30X on my mixed reef (very few SPS)

[otterpop510]

i've heard 20x is minimum, 30x to 60x would be better for 'mixed' reef.. again that is total. most of the time, the overflow/return is lower and powerheads/closed loops make up the rest. especially if you are doing sps reef like it says in your sig, the more flow (30x being minimum for sps) the better..

[bhdmc]

Thanks everyone. What about thru my sump and refuge?

[BryanJ]

well you should have 1200gph draining into your sump. I have the same with 2 overflows. So my sump has 50 gallons in it plus I have a maxijet 900 and a skimmer with a ocean runner 2500. I am turning the sump about 30x and I am thinking of increasing it.

[SDguy]

Just keep in mind when people talk about tank turnover, they do not include anything that does not contribute to the flow in the actual tank. For example, don't include your skimmer pump in your calculations, or refugium for that matter, unless either of these items are feeding directly back into the tank. Also, when I say 5X turnover through your sump, I mean 5 times your tank volume, not your sump volume.

You want minimal flow through the actual sump for many reasons. Microbubbles, noise, salt creep, etc. Also, for high flowthrough sumps, they need to be very well designed to not have the problems I just listed. Most are not. As for refugium flow, it again depends on what you want in there...some macroalgae prefer high flow.

[bhdmc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6875533#post6875533 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SDguy
Just keep in mind when people talk about tank turnover, they do not include anything that does not contribute to the flow in the actual tank. For example, don't include your skimmer pump in your calculations, or refugium for that matter, unless either of these items are feeding directly back into the tank. Also, when I say 5X turnover through your sump, I mean 5 times your tank volume, not your sump volume.

You want minimal flow through the actual sump for many reasons. Microbubbles, noise, salt creep, etc. Also, for high flowthrough sumps, they need to be very well designed to not have the problems I just listed. Most are not. As for refugium flow, it again depends on what you want in there...some macroalgae prefer high flow.

I was thinking to have Chaeto macro algae in my new refugium set-up, a 20 gallons tank. Should this be hi or low flow? Thanks:)

[SDguy]

I have my skimmer return flowing DIRECTLY onto my chaeto mound. About 400gph. Grows like crazy, and doesn't collect detritus. I know others keep their chaeto tumbling, like gracilia.

[84jeepjohn]

so for a 55 gal NON RR mixed tank I should be shooting for about 1 to 3K per hr turn over? if I was shooting for about 30 to 60X turn over?

[SDguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6879893#post6879893 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 84jeepjohn
so for a 55 gal NON RR mixed tank I should be shooting for about 1 to 3K per hr turn over? if I was shooting for about 30 to 60X turn over?

Sure, that math looks good to me. Just remember to strive for random turbulent flow, not high velocity. I use a perimeter manifold to achieve this.

[ARCREEF]

I have 125 RT and an 80G Sump tank, I'm draining (2) 1" lines and (1) 1" overflow line 10' down from my RT to to my basement sump tank. I'm pumping about 3000 GPH via an external dolphin pump from my sump to my RT thru a 2" line.

Seems to work fine for my setup.

[Alaskan Reefer]

125 gallon here

~800gph from return pump
~3200gpm from 2XTunze 6060

32X turnover -- just about the maximum I can fit and still keep a few softies