What is a good turnover rate?
- Thread starter JRUnyon21
- Start date
A good round number is 4-6x for a cansiter, and 10-12x for HOB.. Idk much about sumps.. Idk maybe 2500 GPH for your setup? Make sure it's the turnover rate you want @ the height you need
The 4-6 rule of thumb works for just about any type of filter. The key is being able to get the debris off the bottom and into the filter. If you can do that with 100gph, great. If you need 2400gph, then so be it.
A lot of it can depend on how many outputs you will have and how the tank is setup.
The simplest way is to size the pump to what the drains/overflow will handle.
A lot of it can depend on how many outputs you will have and how the tank is setup.
The simplest way is to size the pump to what the drains/overflow will handle.
It would depend on what you keep in the tank and how much bio you have. the more fish the higher turnover rate. keeping rays or other fish which produce huge amounts of waste and need immaculate water quality; may need a turnover rate of 10X.
seangtat2kc;4802789; said:
Couldnt agree more. I turn my 90 about 7-8 times an hour, but my 60 which houses several really messy plecos turns about 15 times an hour. The angel and tetras in that same tank seem to really thrive as well. I believe in overfiltering but it's because of the species I've chosen..
Bio load doesn't really affect your turnover rate in the manner that you suggest. Minimal turnover will work. It is all about removing debris.
For me its not about the bioload at all. i base my turnover rates on species 02 requirements. Some species of loricariids will only thrive in an environment that has very high oxygen tension sometimes needing as much as 15-20x turnover, purely for the sake of o2......
but I agree, get rid of the debris in the system and you dont need enormous turnover rates for most species.....
but I agree, get rid of the debris in the system and you dont need enormous turnover rates for most species.....
Pharaoh;4802887; said:
Agreed. Bioload, turnover rate and flow rate are all entirely different things.
JRUnyon21;4801950; said:
I wouldn't use the bio balls if other more highly efficient media is available.
I normally stick to the 3-5 rule if the filter is going to be my main bio filter.
Good idea to split the filter load of the tank with another filter that can handle 3-5x turnover on it's own. The benefit of this is it increases the total tank turnover rate, and if one filter fails, you still have another that can take of the load of the tank while the other filter is out of action.
4x turnover rate (actual turnover rate, not just what the filter's pump is rated for) is plenty to keep your water parameters in check (ammonia and nitrite at 0) and that's all that's strictly speaking necessary for a healthy thriving aquarium.
With a bare bottom display I'd be more comfortable with 6x+, since there'll be very little beneficial bacteria in the tank, and your filter media is where all of the water needs to flow in order to get nitrified.
If you want enough flow to lift poop and debris off the bottom of the aquarium and into the filter then you'd probably want 8-12x turnover, and same again if you want to create a well oxygenated flowing river habitat for plecos, loaches or other fish with similar requirements or preferences.
Enough flow to blow the poop and debris into the filter is something I'm personally not in favour of. If it's in the filter it's being broken down and increasing the nitrate level of your water. If it's left to collect in drifts in the corners of the tank or at the base of plants and ornaments it's easy to siphon out the little bundles of nitrate before they pollute your water to their full extent.
With a bare bottom display I'd be more comfortable with 6x+, since there'll be very little beneficial bacteria in the tank, and your filter media is where all of the water needs to flow in order to get nitrified.
If you want enough flow to lift poop and debris off the bottom of the aquarium and into the filter then you'd probably want 8-12x turnover, and same again if you want to create a well oxygenated flowing river habitat for plecos, loaches or other fish with similar requirements or preferences.
Enough flow to blow the poop and debris into the filter is something I'm personally not in favour of. If it's in the filter it's being broken down and increasing the nitrate level of your water. If it's left to collect in drifts in the corners of the tank or at the base of plants and ornaments it's easy to siphon out the little bundles of nitrate before they pollute your water to their full extent.