How much water flow is enough - New to Planted Aquariums

pjb9166 · 04-22-2012, 06:18 PM

How much water flow is enough or to much. I know we dont want total earation because we woul
make Co2 injection worthless or would it? Do you want much for under water flow as well? Can someone touch on this please.

t-rex · 04-22-2012, 09:51 PM

5 -10 x volume of tank. So if you had a 55 gallon you would ideally want 550 gph flow. If it is heavily planted consider more, but use a spray bar

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997R using Tapatalk 2

pjb9166 · 04-23-2012, 02:33 AM

So its ok to have surface movement? Do you want your plants to have
Current on them or untouched by current. I guess those would be my questions
Ive done reefs before but never live plants

Michael · 04-23-2012, 05:24 AM

Surface movement is fine, but avoid splashing. Ideally, softer plants should sway gently in the current.

pjb9166 · 04-23-2012, 06:34 AM

So some ripples are ok. Just no airation like something
caused by a hang on back filter.

Diana K · 04-23-2012, 08:10 AM

HOB filters are OK, but keep the level of water in the tank up so the outlet sheets the water across the top.
Ripples are good, but if the fish are getting their surfboards out, that is overdoing things.

The water movement does not all have to come from the filter.
Often the major water flow is from the filter, but there may be some dead spots where a power head (Koralia style of old style) can be used, and some people use a power head or fountain pump to break up and distribute the CO2.

I usually start with 10x according to the manufacturer's info (as unreliable as that is) then add where I see dead spots. I think I do finally end up with something close to 10x.

In my river tank I had over 20x, but that is a specialty set up; that much water movement would surely blow off the CO2.

pjb9166 · 04-24-2012, 02:56 PM

Thank you so much for your help. Being new to this i was afraid
of shooting my self in the foot by having to much surface current.
As for now I guess im ok. Now i have to learn more about fertilizers.
I have sea chem florish, iron, and potassium. I will be picking up
the nitrate and phosphorous this weekend.

Thank You again for your help.
Paul B.

napper727 · 05-02-2012, 10:32 AM

More water surface the better - as long as, like the other member wrote, the fish don't have to use surfboards - because it provides more oxygen in the water column. Water surface agitation: the bubbles that bounce all over the water surface exchanges with the air oxygen above the water surface which turns into a gas exchange which when the bubbles burst at hundreds of times per minute creates the oxygen in the water column.

Also agitation or a flow in the water column is good for most freshwater fish for they prefer movement like in nature, streams/rivers where most freshwater fish originate from, it is in their instincts to have a current - like in my tank, in one corner, there is a bubble disk with 2 air stones which create hundreds of bubbles which create the movement in the water column plus the fish, most of the time, will literally go nose down against the upcoming bubbles as if the fish will swimming against a current, it's fascinating to watch plus I assume it is good exercise for them, for I'm sure the fish do not realize it is just air stones and a bubble disk, but in their heads or in their nature, it appears to them that the water is racing up against them and they are "traveling" against the current or stream/river.

So my advice is, either get a spray bar, water flow pump, hang over back (of the tank) so the outlets help produce the current and/or bubble disks or air stones (or a mixture of these devices) to create the much required water surface agitation and/or stream-like effect for the fish.

My only other advice is, there should be some dead spots in the tank, that is, where the water is absolutely still for some freshwater fish prefer no current. That way, you please all the fish in the tank.

The Trigger · 05-02-2012, 05:59 PM

Yeah about 10x tank volume per hour. Make sure that there are no dead spots of low flow either. If you see a dead spot, readjust your spraybar or outflow. If ur filter can't reach it, try adding a small powehead to get to the deaspots and avoid algae potential growth

pjb9166 · 05-02-2012, 06:28 PM

Thanks for the advice. I was afraid of having to much movement and gass out the Co2. But I think I'm fine. Drop checker showes green with a tint of yellow. I use Co2 chart and I'm around 34Pam.

Thanks
Paul B.