150 gal corner build *Long overdue update*

LoL! For sure.

 

Gyre Flow Experiment

With my PH's where they are and the Oceanstream wavemakers, the corals in the front corners of the tank were getting one directional flow. It wasn't constant or harsh flow, but any strong flow was only seen from one side. My duncan has been getting great growth, but only on the "downstream" side (8-10 new polyps at least). The "upstream" side of the coral hasn't added a single new polyp.

I recently got an Apex and have the PH's tied into it. I now have a lot more (and precise) options for wavemaking. I've decided to try Gyre Flow in my tank and will see if that makes the growth more even. I also dropped the PH's in the front of my tank from 1600 gph down to 500 gph JBJ's. I would prefer something closer to 1000, but JBJ only makes these two. My higher flow SPS are in the back of the tank with the 1600's and my LPS are in the front of the tank with the 500's. I'll go back to 1600 gph in the front if I start seeing to much detritus settling out in the front.

It's only been a couple days, but the torch and duncan seem to really like it. Great PE from both. The purple stylo seems to be the only one not quite as happy. Still nice and fuzzy, but it is getting more flow from both sides now. I would say it has slightly less PE, but not much less. Curious to see if the duncan gets new heads on the one side after this.

 

And then they grow out and you have to move them or adjust everything all over again.

It's a vicious cycle I tell ya.

 

I'm still in tank filling mode. I haven't got to that stage yet.

I'm still in the "happy hands" can't stop fussing with stuff stage. ;D

 

Looks like your caught between a powerhead and water flow. OK bad joke. At least you are learning this now as Corailline said when things grow you have to change your flow.

 

That's exactly where I'm at.

It'll be interesting to see if that's the case. I'm hoping that I may need to increase the gph to get bulk water movement, but not change the PH placement.

As I understand it, this works more on bulk water flow and getting all the tank water moving in one direction, then you reverse the direction and create a lot of random flow and turbulence, get it all moving in the opposite direction, and then reverse it again, etc. Coral growth will change the flow pattern around a given coral, but the bulk water movement should still occur.

My guess is you're probably right. Unfortunately, I won't know for another year at least before things fill out.

 

How many minutes do you think you will go in one direction before you switch to go in the other direction?

 

Right now it's 25 seconds

 

can you use saltwater from your dt when you setup a QT? i see it this way.. if your dt is contaminated (hopefully not) the qt fish with your dt water is just going to end up in there anyhow.... right?

 

If it's Ich, just set the QT up 4-5 days ahead of time using DT water only (no substrate). I think the free swimming form only lasts 2-3 days at which point they die. I don't know on some of the other parasites.

After that, your water changes need to be with freshly mixed saltwater.