baffles are important. in my experience with a smaller tank the baffles are very important. not only do they reduce the micro bubbles that may enter your main tank, but it also creates oxyenation to your water...<i think i spelled that right...lol> you want a good turn over in your tank. my 55 has 21 times turn over. what you do to gather that is take all the numbers of any pump that you have.....gph. for example 2 of my powerheads are 145 gph, and 2 of them are 300 gph, and my return pump is 1200 gph, but at 4 ft has400 gph...<so that is the number to use> i have a 70 gph pump in the fuge....ect....you add all that up and divide it by the gallon size of your tank. just to make it clear, i have a <powerheads> 300 145 145 145, return 400 and my lil pump at 70...add all that up you get 1205. i would divide that by 55..<the size of my tank> and that will get you your turn over rate. the baffles in your tank on the other hand...<the main topic> are imprtant and will help a great deal with your tank...not only filtration, but as i said oxygen in the water and so forth. my fuge...has a set of baffles up front where the water enters the fuge from the main tank...this cahmber is for the skimmer , heater, ect...<the sump> after the baffles it goes to the Refugium chamber where i have a 4 inch sand bed, LR, and Cheatomorpha. then goes through the second set of baffles to the Return chamber back to my tank....Im not good at ecplaining things, but i hope this helps.
