Can't get this FLOW thing right!

[crzyfshygy]

My 65gl had 2 powerheads in it plus the return. 1 powerhead was a maxi 1200, another a maxi 600 and the pump is a mag drive 500. The 1200 claims 295 gph. Thats 4.5x per hr, the 600 does 160gph..thats 2.4x per hr and the 500 pump which actually feels like 300....so around 4.5x. All together thats 11.4x per hr. What is the flow rate that should be in my reef tank?

People say 25x per hr. That is impossible because corals do not like that much flow no matter how many sources they come from. I had to remove the 600 because my LPS corals would not come out. I have rearranged the heads many different times and want to keep all the heads in there but there has to be a low flow side of the tank right? LPS corals need low flow. Zoos like low flow. How do you keep a high flowing tank with corals that need low flow. My flow rate in the tank now is about 7x. If the mag drive was really a 500gph like it says it would be 10x. My fish love all the flow and so do I but it seems I can not keep it

 

[shnabbles]

I have 4 maxi jet 1200's in my 55, plus another maxi jet 1200 running my skimmer.
I have all my maxi jets up mid to high level in the tank. My current is still low on the bottom of the tank.

 

[crzyfshygy]

Originally Posted by Shnabbles
I have 4 maxi jet 1200's in my 55, plus another maxi jet 1200 running my skimmer.
I have all my maxi jets up mid to high level in the tank. My current is still low on the bottom of the tank.
Do you have a picture to post. I figured out how to put the other powerhead in the tank....I had to keep it poiting upward. How are yours pointed?

 

[shnabbles]

ggrrr no no pics, im still deciding on a digital camera to get...
All 4 power heads ae 4 inches under the surface (low enough to where i can still do a water change with out turning the power heads off) and ill try and describe it the best i can.
The power head on the far left is on the back wall blowing at a 45 degree angle towards the front center of the glass.
I have 2 power heads in the middle of the back wall of the tank. They are both placed 45 degree angles blowing towards the front corners. In opposite directions.. so one blows from the back middle to the front right hand corner. And the other blows from the back wall to the left front hand corner.
The fourth power head in on the far right hand side on a 45 degree angle towards the front center of the tank.
2 middle power heads blow parallel to the bottom of the tank. The 2 outter power heads are slightly tilted toward the top of the water. This helps with gas exchange and doenst let anything really settle on the surface.
None of the power heads are tilted in the direction of the sand.
With the 4 maxi jet 1200s that gives me just over 21 times turnover per hour.