Best Flow Patter for Round Reef Tank

[djohnson3]

Hey Guys,

I've got a 100 gallon round pool set up as a reef tank.
I'm wondering about recommended flow patters for a circular tank.
Right now I am using no powerheads* or wavemakers - but I am about to buy a huge lot of used ones.
I am wondering how best to set it up.

Right now all I have is an overflow going to a sump/refugium and the water return.
I have the return right next to the overflow in the opposite direction and just from that I ended up with a pretty powerful gyre or whirlpool effect.
But it as always the same - round and round - with no alteration.
I don't know if that is the best for reefs - I see a 'gyre' pump is on the market and some people use them to achieve a top-to-bottom type gyre, but that is different than the whirlpool effect I have going.

I noticed things would get caught in the center of the tank from the flow pattern, and with all of the water being moved at the top of the tank I was afraid there wasn't enough turn over from the top of the tank to the bottom and vice-versa.
I put a small powerhead in the bottom center of the tank and attached a small tube to it so it pumps water from the bottom to the surface of the tank.
I think it helped some.

What do you guys think?
With the round shape it doesn't take much energy to create a strong round cyclone, but should I be going for something more random?
Would just changing the direction of the whirlpool every so often be enough?
Should I install a few wavemakers in specific spots to change the flow?
What flow would you do?

Sorry for all of the questions - I am new to reefing and want the best for my corals but don't know where to go for specific advise.
I've attached a picture of the tank from a while ago - all of the contents have changed and moved, but the overflow, return, and central sump/return pipe are the same.
Thanks in advance for anything!

 

[Deadliestviper7]

Just set up the pumps, then place the corals in areas they prefer (for example high current corals in areas of high flow)

 

[Deadliestviper7]

Also a whirl pool effect can be pretty cool, wherever all the stuff collects is where you can put macroalgae

 

[twentyleagues]

Typically you want random flow. Try to put the wave makers and power heads in places to really randomize flow. Get a controller or timers to help randomize it more have it so one turns off while two more turn on. When I had reefs I had a hard time wraping my head around it. But in time figured it out. Have two heads directly opposing one another is a great way to help randomize flow. On mine I had a wavemaker and then a few powerheads eventually I went with mp40s. Round are a challenge I had two 300g Rubbermaids no corals, sharks and rays in one and angels and triggers in the other but flow to keep "stuff" off the bottom wasnt easy to achieve.

What Deadliestviper7 says about placement is good too. Make sure you are keeping more delicate corals out of direct shearing force of the water most like the random strong flow but not a high power jet on them. Before I got the mp40s I banked the flow off the side glass or off rock that didnt have corals on it or like I said aimed them directly at each other so the flows would collide like in front of the rocks or behind. I never had any detritus build up in the tank.