![]() ![]() Water flow isn’t the only important factor in keeping a healthy reef. It’s important to have this information so you can choose the right pump and filter for your reef tank. Your result will be your tank’s turnover rate. Then you’ll want to multiply that result by 7.5, and then divide your GPH rate by the tank’s water volume. You can use an online water volume calculator to determine how much water is in your aquarium, then divide your results by 1,728 to convert it into cubic feet. It’s important that you only measure where the water touches the glass.ĭon’t bother factoring in the area covered by gravel or other substrate or the extra space at the top of the tank where there isn’t any water. You’ll want to measure your tank’s height, depth, and width in inches to determine how much water you can put in your aquarium. ![]() ![]() Once you have your GPH rate, you can move on to your tank’s turnover rate. How long does it take for the single gallon to become full?ĭivide your timed rate by 60 to lock down your gallon per minute rate, and then multiply that answer by 60.įor example, if your gallon fills up in 15 seconds, you should divide 60 by 15 to get 4, then multiply 4 by 60, which will give you 240 GPH. Next, you’ll want to turn off your tank’s pump and attach a clear plastic tube to the outflow nozzle, and put the other end of the tube into your single-gallon container. What you’ll need to do first is find an aquarium-safe gallon-size container. Let’s begin with determining your tank’s GPH. Your tank’s turnover rate is an important thing to know as this will help you determine your tank’s flow rate in GPH, or “Gallons Per Hour”. You can also use oscillating powerheads, which will rotate and create realistic flow patterns like those that fish would experience in the wild.įinally, you can use electronic wavemakers, which can be used in addition to either oscillating or regular powerheads to shut them off and turn them back on at random.Ĭalculating Your Reef’s Turnover and GPH Water Flow Rate Powerheads are best aimed at a specific area, rather than directly at coral or any other invertebrates (as direct flow will cause harm) to help reduce debris building up. Powerheads create laminar currents, which are steady, unidirectional currents, meaning the flow will only go in one direction. ![]() It works by splitting the water flow, leaving your filter and creating multiple, slightly more powerful currents for the water to flow through.Īnother option you have is to use a powerhead. You can use water flow diverters, which can be installed on your main filtration’s return. To recreate the natural currents in the ocean, begin with choosing the method you feel is best for your reef. The currents give the fish something to swim against and helps keep them healthy. The second is that the water’s flow delivers important things such as food and oxygen to all the sessile invertebrates in your tank, keeping them alive and allowing them to grow.įinally, water flow is good for the fish in your tank, as well. The currents carry away waste that would otherwise promote algae growth and damage. The first is that the water movement acts as a way to clean off the coral. You may be wondering why water movement in a reef tank is important anyway, and there are a few different reasons for this. Saltwater tanks should have a water turnover rate of six to ten times per hour. It may sound like a tiny detail, but in actuality, it’s far more important than you think. That’s why everyone who has a reef tank wants to take the best care of it as they can, and that means doing a hefty amount of research to answer all the questions you may have.įor instance, how much water flow a reef tank needs. In addition, we take into account the displacement from the rock, substrate & decor when figuring the total operating volume for any system.Reef tanks are borderline magical, and even more so when you fill and care for one yourself. We subtract the thickness of the glass, the difference from the top of the tank and the actual operating height of the water to come up with this more precise volume. We use the internal dimensions to come up with the volume in gallons, which makes the calculation even more accurate. The formula to find the number of gallons in a rectangle aquarium is pretty simple: Length x Width x Height (in inches) divided by 231. A cylinder would be ∏ x radius squared x height divided by 231. Length x Width x Height (in inches) divided by 231. So in order to help you in answering that question with accuracy…the formula to find the number of gallons for a rectangle aquarium is pretty simple. Many people either forget, never really knew or have a custom size which needs to be calculated. One of the most frequently asked questions in the aquarium world is “what size is your tank?”. ![]()
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