New river tank-how much flow is too much??

[Mike Lang]

As mentioned in other threads, on different topics, I'm planning a new 125G, 72x18x22 tank. I'll be using a river tank setup, but modified to my own tastes, based on a current loach tank I retrofitted for higher flow rates. In that 75G tank I mounted an AC500 HOB on one end and plumbed a Mag 500GPH into it for a total of about 1000GPH through the aqua clear. I also have a Rena XP-3 for another couple hundred GPH when you account for media. In total that's giving me somewhere around 1200GPH or 16-18x's per hr. That seemed like an awful lot to me....until I did it. I do have a strong outflow from the AC500 and a nice current end to end, but it doesn't really disturb the plants and the fish don't seem phased at all......I even have a male Betta in there and aside from avoiding the filter outflow, he seems to be quite comfortable:) On the new tank I'm planning a similar setup, with another (modified) AC500 HOB, only this time I'll be dumping 2400GPH into it from a Sequence Snapper pump mounted in the cabinet. Based on observations of my current setup and calculations I got from wholesalepumps.com it should handle that flow volume without pumping water all over the floor!! I'll also be using another Rena, for an additional couple hundred GPH.......and I'm considering putting a Mag 700GPH in the tank itself, pumping into a spray bar down low.....When you add all that up, we're looking at about 3600+GPH, or about 30x's. Does that sound rediculous to any of you folks with large river tanks setups?? I don't want to invest in pumps I don't need, nor do I want to plaster the fish against the far end of the tank!!...Sorry for the long thread:(

[Martin Thoene]

Mike, I have around 3000 gph in my 125 gallon Clown tank. I wouldn't even call it a "River-Tank" even though it has a manifold. What fsh are you actually keeping?

artin.

[Mike Lang]

Hello Martin, a pleasure Sir! I've read your articles and was immediately intriqued. The fish I'll be keeping in the proposed tank are for the most part already living in my previously described 75G. There are 5 clowns, 6 kubotai's, 6 flying foxes, 4 pimlodella pictus cats, an 18 yr old clown pleco, an 18 yr old synodontus eupterus, somewhere between 8 and 12 otto's...I can never seem to find more than 7-8 at a given time and a small L-114 pleco. Many of these fish are young and have growing to do, except the old catfish, so I think ultimately the 125 will be more comfortable for them. If you're running 3000gph then perhaps I'm not too far off with my plans. Your advice would be much appreciated sir.

[Martin Thoene]

Try this Mike......



http://www.loaches.com/articles/my-clown-loach-aquarium

Martin

[Doc]

Your tank never ceases to amaze me Martin.

Mike your setup as you describe it should be more than adequate for them.

[Keith Wolcott]

I have a 75 gallon tank that has been running for months with 3,000 gal/hour turnover. It is certainly not too much and each time I added more current, the loach activity level increased. It has a Rena XP3, an Eheim pro 3E and two Tunze Turbelles that put out over 1100 gal/hr each.

I just received two Tunze 6130 pumps for a large aquarium that is on order. As an experiment, I have put them both in the 75 gallon tank. They each pump 3,434 gal/hr. Thus, total, the turnover is now about 10,000 gal/hr. or about 150 times turnover per hour (about 66 gallons of actual water in the tank).

How do the fish like it? The SAEs and the giant danios went right for the high current and are playing in it continuously. The striatas were next after about 5 minutes. After 30 minutes the kubs were out playing in the current. After an hour, the sids were out playing. I think they really like it.

It is not too much current for the fish, but is too much current for my sand. Even though I have these pumps mounted in the top third of the tank, they are moving a lot of sand at the other end of the tank when the water hits the glass. I don't think that I will be able to run these all of the time.

[Mike Lang]

Keith, all I can say if WOW!! I live in a mountainous area with a lot of streams and the flow rate through them is very high, especially compared to my tank, or any tank I've ever heard of....until yours!! Holy bat-crap, 10,000GPH in a 75G...my head is spinning at the thought.....Clearly the determining factor is whether the fish seem to be happy with that kind of water movement and yours are, so I guess the only real limitation is money for pumps and how to keep everything else in the tank from being washed away. Very impressive experiment. Guess I can stop worrying about "too much current". My proposed 3600gph in a 125G would be paltry by comparison....Thank you Martin, your article is what got me into this loach, river tank thing to begin with, and many others as well I'm sure. I'm fairly new to this online forum stuff and it's great to be able to share ideas and bounce things off fellow hobbiests. For most of my 18 or so years in the hobby I was pretty much on my own, except for the books and mags I've read and whatever wisdom I could gleen from the LFS. People I know considered me the local "expert".......but clearly I've only scratched the surface of the hobby.....never too old to learn. Thanks for your input and help folks, much appreciated!!

[Keith Wolcott]

Mike- As you understand, this is just a temporary experiment. I really like having somewhere between 40 and 60 times turnover on a tank and the loaches really do seem to like it. Thus, I think that you are correct in that you do not have to worry about having too much flow as long as all of your fish come from fast moving streams. The flow and the higher oxygen levels, because of increased surface turbulence, seem to result in a more active and interesting tank. I also put lots of rocks and wood in so that there are also many places with lower flow.

Be sure to post pictures of your new tank when you get it up and running.

[Mike Lang]

Keith, yes I understand the situation isn't permanent. None the less it's interesting that it even works!! I think what I have in mind should work pretty well, although perhaps I will increase the in-tank pump driving the spray bar a little bit, maybe go a a 950gph for that, plus the 500gph from the AC500, plus the 2400gph from the snapper pump and whatever the canister adds, getting me up close to 4000gph total and about 30-35 turnovers pr hr. Lower than you're using, but it should be "enough" to make everybody happy. I'll also have plenty of decor for hiding places and to get them out of the current to rest between sprints. Thanks again...happy fish keeping!!