How to achieve enough flow with softies and lps without killing them?

[Tom Toro]

I have a tank that's 8ft long by 2ft wide and tall. I have Soft corals, LPS and anemones in this tank. Everytime I try to up the flow, I damage the lps especially and inhibit the opening of all my other corals. I've tried bouncing itoff the glass, bottom , just move the water column at the top etc. and can't get enough flow to suspend the detritus. When I increase the flow or redirect it to get the detritus, I start the coral problem again.

Anybody with a softie tank have some answers for me?

Q:How do I increase the flow with out killing my corals?

I have 6 Koralia 4s, 1 Tunze 6125 and 4 maxijet mods 1200s.

[tazzy695]

sell all the power-heads and buy a wave box or a controllable power head on each side pushing against each other to create a wave like motion back and forth

[Fishgeek88]

What tazzy said, you can use a wazebox or a few vortechs to create a wave that suspends detritus but wont be too rough on the corals

[Sweetpea]

i have had a similar problem with my 4 ft long tank. i had 2 Koralia 4s on a wave-timer, but they beat the heck out of my LPS. i replaced them with the MaxiJet mods, but they were still too rough. One MJ failed and that seems to have helped, funny enough. One mod-maxijet on a wave-maker for a 4 ft tank - i want to replace the failed maxi, but when i do i think i'll downgrade the powerheads in an attempt to decrease the LPS stress. I did see a nice bloom in coral response with the wave timer, so i want to keep it.

[schminksbro]

2 Vortech MP40s would do the trick.

[Sir Patrick]

If you want to do it economically, get yourself 3 maxijet 1200's, along with the flow in the tank thats good for your existing coral. Plug them into your maxi jet wave timer that you already have. It will randomize the flow you have currently and will help with the detrius.


Even with the above advice though-

In a softie/lps tanks, I have always just incorporated detrius siphoning into my water change routine. I siphon detrius out, and add new, fresh water. Water change done!

Are you running probiotics on the softie/lps tank? If you are, the "detrius" could be "shedding" from your live rock, which will be very heavy to lift into suspension to the water column with flow. Figured I wouls ask, just in case. I tried to upgrade flow to help with detrius, that wasnt actualy rock shedding, which can be much heavier than your avarage detrius.

[Sweetpea]

Never thought of it that way! I used a turkey baster to blast "poo" out of my corals, thinking it was a flow problem... maybe it was a sign of health! :)

[Sir Patrick]

Yet again- I must edit a post....

[Tom Toro]

Thanks for all the help, Folks. I ended up buying 4 Tunze 6100's and a 7095 controller. It's still not as much flow as I'd like, but a big improvement and the lps aren't getting hammered. I removed all the other powerheads except the Tunze 6125 and it's a cleaner look too.

[Manoj's Reef]

I think in "Mixed Reef" flow and lighting is always a challenge. I have the similar challenge as yours but I think I have reached a point in my reef where there are three corners where my lps do good.

However I do have two spots where detris settles and I blow it away every weekend or every two weeks with my turkey baster. Not the best idea but it works lol.

[kgood1]

Thanks for all the help, Folks. I ended up buying 4 Tunze 6100's and a 7095 controller. It's still not as much flow as I'd like, but a big improvement and the lps aren't getting hammered. I removed all the other powerheads except the Tunze 6125 and it's a cleaner look too.

what are you doing with your koralia 4's?

[Tom Toro]

I think the baster is a great idea. I also stole an idea from a buddy of mine. I have 3/4" pvc about 24" long, I zip tied a Maxijet 400 to it, plug it in and blow all the detritus around so it can be picked up by the overflows. I'm able to reach the tough places. Same idea as your's only mines lazier.

[Tom Toro]

I'm going to keep 'em awhile in case I need more flow somewhere.


what are you doing with your koralia 4's?