When I first started this hobby, I couldn't find any basic guidelines on how to generate proper flow in my tank.. I read things like, "SPS like 40x turnover rate" or, "place one on each end a few inches from the surface", but nothing exact. Return nozzle placement and direction were not addressed either. I feel like I struggled with this more than I should have. I like my flow in my tank and I'd like to share, and encourage others to share as well.
First off I'm not a water movement expert and this is my experience. I have a center overflow and a single return on a 72 bowfront. I use a eheim compact+ 2000 (about 500 gph w/ 4' of head). I like my return to shoot straight across the back panel, breaking the water's surface and I have a powerhead directly under that mid way down in the tank also pointed across the back panel. then I have the other powerhead on the opposite side, offset center, and angled at the middle of the bow on the front panel. I have an LPS tank so flow doesn't have to be crazy in there. I use 2 jebao pp-8s and they create a swirl of water in the tank. There's a dead spot in the middle where no rock or coral is. detritus gathers there on my BB and it's easy to see and remove during a WC.
How do you have your flow set up?
First off I'm not a water movement expert and this is my experience. I have a center overflow and a single return on a 72 bowfront. I use a eheim compact+ 2000 (about 500 gph w/ 4' of head). I like my return to shoot straight across the back panel, breaking the water's surface and I have a powerhead directly under that mid way down in the tank also pointed across the back panel. then I have the other powerhead on the opposite side, offset center, and angled at the middle of the bow on the front panel. I have an LPS tank so flow doesn't have to be crazy in there. I use 2 jebao pp-8s and they create a swirl of water in the tank. There's a dead spot in the middle where no rock or coral is. detritus gathers there on my BB and it's easy to see and remove during a WC.
How do you have your flow set up?