Best coral to go in front of MP10

pompeyjohn · 08/21/2012, 09:54 PM

Hi all,

I am building an 18 gallon SPS dominated tank. I have one MP10 centered at one end. Until I can get a second MP10 I have a strong laminar flow in front of the the powerhead. With such a small tank that makes placing corals difficult.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
John

OwenReefin · 08/21/2012, 10:18 PM

I would not get a second MP10 for that small of a tank, one is pretty dang solid. Find a good setting and just let it go, I think you should be fine with it and the return.

pompeyjohn · 08/21/2012, 11:13 PM

Interesting idea. I am having some good success with letting the auto-tune constantly cycle. That creates lots of different flow patterns. I'd still like to put something closer to the power-head.

kenc87 · 08/22/2012, 03:53 AM

I ran one mp10 on a biocube 29 and had it in reef crest mode at about half speed and I had no problems with coral placement and I had tons of Lps and sps throughout the tank

pompeyjohn · 08/22/2012, 06:51 PM

I am not looking for more flow, but more turbulent flow. Hence the second mp10.

tmz · 08/22/2012, 07:01 PM

Montipora capricornus seems to tolerate high laminar flow well. Ditto seriatopora, particulary caladium,ime.

philosophile · 08/22/2012, 07:22 PM

+1 on not getting another vortech. One is plenty for such a small tank. If you want more turbulence try setting it on either a really short wave (blue mode). When the wave bounces back from the other side it'll produce turbulence when it hits the slow moving water Greene wave pushes.

As for corals to stick in front of it... You could put a photosynthetic gongorian in front of it... Or most any SPS. leathers usually are pretty tolerant of heavy flow too.

Yedgy · 08/22/2012, 09:42 PM

+1 on the photosynthetic gorgonian and leather. I have a corky sea finger and a yellow Fiji leather almost directly in front of an MP10 and both simply love it.

MedRed · 08/22/2012, 09:54 PM

1 MP10 is enough for a tank your size. depending on your scape, you could set up a gyre. I have a green slimer in front of my mp10. Green slimer tends to stay more squat and branchy when placed in good strong flow.

pompeyjohn · 08/22/2012, 10:01 PM

Thanks all - lots of great ideas. I have made a list and I'll take it with me to my favorite LFS tomorrow.

Here you can see the rockscape. The frag rack has gone, and the mp10 is mounted about half way up the right side glass. I have it a little forward so that it creates a gyre effect around the liverock.

cherubfish pair · 08/22/2012, 10:09 PM

+1 not another MP10.

If you're looking for more turbulence, put a Koralia on the opposite side of the MP10. Put the Koralia on an on/off cycle and it will mix up whatever the MP10 is doing at the moment.

Dapg8gt · 08/22/2012, 10:12 PM

Plating monti does killer in front of my MP10.

Spirofucci · 08/23/2012, 05:56 AM

I say if you want the direction of the flow reversed to avoid the whirlpool effect, get a second MP10, that's one of the things they do best, IMO.

08/21/2012, 09:54 PM	#1
pompeyjohn Registered Member. Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 890	Best coral to go in front of MP10 Hi all, I am building an 18 gallon SPS dominated tank. I have one MP10 centered at one end. Until I can get a second MP10 I have a strong laminar flow in front of the the powerhead. With such a small tank that makes placing corals difficult. Any thoughts? Thanks, John

08/22/2012, 07:01 PM	#6
tmz ReefKeeping Mag staff Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: West Seneca NY Posts: 27,691	Montipora capricornus seems to tolerate high laminar flow well. Ditto seriatopora, particulary caladium,ime. __________________ Tom Current Tank Info: Tank of the Month , November 2011 : 600gal integrated system: 3 display tanks (120 g, 90g, 89g),several frag/grow out tanks, macroalgae refugia, cryptic zones. 40+ fish, seahorses, sps,lps,leathers, zoanthidae and non photosynthetic corals.

08/22/2012, 07:22 PM	#7
philosophile Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 1,149	+1 on not getting another vortech. One is plenty for such a small tank. If you want more turbulence try setting it on either a really short wave (blue mode). When the wave bounces back from the other side it'll produce turbulence when it hits the slow moving water Greene wave pushes. As for corals to stick in front of it... You could put a photosynthetic gongorian in front of it... Or most any SPS. leathers usually are pretty tolerant of heavy flow too. __________________ 90 gallon mixed reef XPS1000SSS skimmer, 2 radions gen 1, tunze osmolator w/ kalk dispenser, 70 lbs pukani, mp40w x2; 1 tomini, 1 clown 2 mandarins. Vinegar dosing, and micro bubble scrubbing.

08/22/2012, 09:42 PM	#8
Yedgy Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Phoenix, AZ, USA Posts: 390	+1 on the photosynthetic gorgonian and leather. I have a corky sea finger and a yellow Fiji leather almost directly in front of an MP10 and both simply love it. __________________ "Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known." - Carl Sagan

08/22/2012, 09:54 PM	#9
MedRed Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 2,035	1 MP10 is enough for a tank your size. depending on your scape, you could set up a gyre. I have a green slimer in front of my mp10. Green slimer tends to stay more squat and branchy when placed in good strong flow. __________________ 60 Gallon Current Solana XL 24x24x24 Cube: SPS/LPS/NPS/Softie/Invert Reef Candy Basslet Pair Showcase \| Minimalist Aquascape

08/21/2012, 10:18 PM	#2
OwenReefin Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 28	I would not get a second MP10 for that small of a tank, one is pretty dang solid. Find a good setting and just let it go, I think you should be fine with it and the return.

08/21/2012, 11:13 PM	#3
pompeyjohn Registered Member. Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 890	Interesting idea. I am having some good success with letting the auto-tune constantly cycle. That creates lots of different flow patterns. I'd still like to put something closer to the power-head.

08/22/2012, 03:53 AM	#4
kenc87 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Ypsilanti, MI Posts: 610	I ran one mp10 on a biocube 29 and had it in reef crest mode at about half speed and I had no problems with coral placement and I had tons of Lps and sps throughout the tank

08/22/2012, 06:51 PM	#5
pompeyjohn Registered Member. Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 890	I am not looking for more flow, but more turbulent flow. Hence the second mp10.

08/22/2012, 10:01 PM	#10
pompeyjohn Registered Member. Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 890	Thanks all - lots of great ideas. I have made a list and I'll take it with me to my favorite LFS tomorrow. Here you can see the rockscape. The frag rack has gone, and the mp10 is mounted about half way up the right side glass. I have it a little forward so that it creates a gyre effect around the liverock.

08/22/2012, 10:09 PM	#11
cherubfish pair Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Libby, Montana Posts: 7,061 Blog Entries: 1	+1 not another MP10. If you're looking for more turbulence, put a Koralia on the opposite side of the MP10. Put the Koralia on an on/off cycle and it will mix up whatever the MP10 is doing at the moment. __________________ pairo chero Thanks for looking at my build thread and subscribe to it if you already haven't yet! Current Tank Info: thirty rimless

08/22/2012, 10:12 PM	#12
Dapg8gt Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Pacifica Posts: 3,741	Plating monti does killer in front of my MP10. __________________ 15 years in the hobby yet still learning every day. 280g radium lit sps flat living in my garage rent free. Current Tank Info: 105g SPS dominant euro braced powered by 4 ecotech pumps and lit by an ATI powermodule controlled by a reef angel =).

08/23/2012, 05:56 AM	#13
Spirofucci Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Harlingen, Texas Posts: 389	I say if you want the direction of the flow reversed to avoid the whirlpool effect, get a second MP10, that's one of the things they do best, IMO.