EcoTech Reef Link Schedule
 

Hi there,

My first post in here so hopefully it's in the right place etc.

I'm after some advice from folk with the EcoTech MP40 powerheads with a ReefLink.

I've had these on for 9 months and I've created my own schedule but I'm not entirely convinced it's getting the best results out of what are clearly very good powerheads.

My set up is as follows:

400 litres mixed reef, mainly SPS with some LPS (2x Goni's, 5x hammers).
4ft wide.
2x EcoTech MP40 Powerheads.
Nyos 3000 Skimmer.
Balling Method.
Dosing NO3POX4.

The reason I'm not entirely happy is I am constantly in the tank with a turkey baster and ramping the power heads up to try and battle detritus pretty much daily.

The schedule I have is as follows:

00:00 - 06:00 - Constant Speed - 20%
06:00 - 08:30 - Nutrient Transport - 60%
08:30 - 11:00 - Reefcrest - 70%
11:00 - 14:00 - Reefcrest - 60%
14:00 - 17:00 - Lagoon - 50%
17:00 - 00:00 - Constant Speed - 35%

What experiences have people had in here with their schedules? Any advice welcome!!

So I used to try all kinds of weird flows with my gyres, mostly alternating flow which was somthing like 12 seconds 1 way, 12 seconds the other, or some type of pulse...I can't recall where I heard it but someone was talking about Ocean currents, and how its not really 12 seconds, more like a few hours.

Today I have my Gyres set to 4 hours one way, 4 hours the other with a small ramp up and down, but otherwise it becomes a constant rate.

The main difference has been that debris tends to stay suspended in the tank and go round and round in the current that develops when the water has been flowing in a gyre like direction for a few hours (until it gets sucked down the overflow.) It took a few weeks for all the corals to adjust to this change in flow but boy some of my frogs have never extended more. The fish love getting to have a real current to fight for a few hours each way too.

I have mine carried between constant ant night, reef crest and 2.5 hours of nutrient transport mode. NT mode doesn't seem to stir up my tank and clean off my rocks as I'd like but my hammer coral seems to like the flow variation.