Flow Rate Priority: You or the Fish

[softturtle]

softturtle,
Is the return underwater?

The return from the pump? It is just above the surface. It is angled to return water along the wall. It is circular so it has a slow whirl-pool going.

 

[ewurm]

I turn my 55's 6 times per hour.

 

[Mentzer]

Not sure what prompted this...again

Just as a point of order... high turnover rates do not have to mean high current flow (to a point (volume vs flow)).

But as always FISH FIRST.

I agree completely. It is an excellent post nonetheless, and I see where rallysman is coming from too. I have had mental pictures of a washing machine type environment in some of the high output/small tank scenarios described. On my smaller snakehead tank (560 Litres) the rurnover is 8.8 times per hour, however the FLOW is not extreme. a) Two filters are used (FX5's) b)They have two return heads each and, most importantly of all, those return heads are fairly large diameter. All of these factors dilute that pump power. Conversely, try fitting a 7mm diameter spray bar on just an average pump/external, say 1000lph, and observe the return - it would be like a tiny power wash for your car.

 

[benckie]

i aim for 10 x lan hour low pressure i have large 2400 l/h canister filters on larger tanks with large pipe work and large water outlet holes so you can hardly feel any water coming out i often use these with uv lights and keep clean clear tanks no matter how many fish i have but i also use 1200 l/h canisters on 120 l tanks with small pipe work that put out hi pressure for fish that need it (or put alot of spray bars on for fish that dont need the curnet) i try and use low pressure the most with power heads it i need more flow

 

[Potts050]

Water naturally flows clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere. You notice this when you drain sinks, tubs and toilets especially.
If you force the water to flow c-cw around your tank in the northern hemisphere it will have a lower velocity than if you force it cw with the same pump. That is because you are working against natural forces (the coriolis force) rather than with them....

 

[Taz2478]

i have an ac110 on 10g. feeders dont last long but def nice and clean. also good for healing, like a hyperbolic chamber for fish lol

 

[Bud8Fan]

Water naturally flows clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere. You notice this when you drain sinks, tubs and toilets especially.
If you force the water to flow c-cw around your tank in the northern hemisphere it will have a lower velocity than if you force it cw with the same pump. That is because you are working against natural forces (the coriolis force) rather than with them....

The coriolis force does NOT effect small bodies of water such as bathtubs and sinks.

It's just an old myth.