55 gallon water flow question

So i have had my tank up for about 8 months and i have always been curious to how much flow is the norm. Also if i have enough flow for my stock. I have a 55 gallon tall with about 50 lbs of dry rock, 10 gallon refugium which is about half full so only adds another 5-6 gallons, 2-3 inch sand bed. Corals are 1 hammer coral with 2 heads and some new ones growing, candy cane coral with 2 heads, 2 frags of purple eater palys with about 5 heads each, small green favia, small Hollywood stunner chalice piece, and a green flowerpot coral. Livestock is a bta, ocellaris clown, bicolor blenny, scooter blenny, falco hawkfish, bangaii cardinal, and blue damsel. Cuc is a mexican turbo, sand sifting star, 4 turbo snails, 4 emerald crabs, and a few blue leg hermits. I just calculated my flow at 880 gph. I have a koralia 1 400 gph powerhead, koralia nano 250gph powerhead on the same side as my return, and return is at 240. It was around 540 but it is now powering my phosban reactor. I pumped it into a gallon bucket while timing itt hen did the math and it came out to 240. So total is about 880. Is this sufficient or should i buy a powerhead to replace the nano. Found a 800 gph powerhead on amazon really cheap for black friday so i was thinking about buying that. Whats everyones thoughts? Thanks in advance for the help!

 

I think you flow is definitely on the low side since you have corals. In my 55 I had ~500 GPH from the return pump and then 4 powerheads that were on wavemakers. (2) Koralia 1050s and (2) Koralia 750s. The way the wavemaker worked flow ranged from ~500 (just the pump) up to ~4100 when all 4 powerheads were running. No issues at all from that much flow.

I would actually say you should consider getting a WP25 (or even two) to replace your powerheads.

 

Ok. The powerheads i have came with the tank when i got it from someone on craigslist. I was wondering why he had a nano on it lol. I just got these palys which are actually red people eater, i wrote the wrong thing, they dont look like they are doing very well tho. I have them half way up and not much flow going to them but they look like they are slowly melting, a few heads are already gone, and i noticed today the green mouths are open. Could this be lack of flow or are they still acclimating. Got them last friday

 

Zoas don't need much flow. If anything, too much would likely harm them. They can be tricky too. You can have a colony doing great, then one day just start melting away.

 

Ordered a 1300 gph powerhead today and im gonna pair it against the koralia 1 and maybe keeping the nano in behind the rock for rear circulation back there. So i should be at bout 2100 gph. 1900 if i dont use the nano. Am i up to par? Would the lack of flow have been a contributor to my hair algae problem as well? Im in a battle with it which is going back and forth lol. Im fighting tho and not giving up!!

 

No, GHA is not affected by flow in my experience. Fueled by excess nitrates and phosphates. Get those in check and it should be reduced or eliminated.

 

Ok cool. Thanks fort he advice. Im starting to win the battle again. I have gfo running in my phosban reactor, i picked out a small tupperware of gha, started a 3 days of darkness yesterday, and i should be getting a ro/di for christmas so i dont have to worry is the lfs water is good lol. My new powerhead should be here thursday so im excited to set that up and hopefully i can get it in check so i can enjoy my tank again. Its been months that it has looked like crap now. I finally got leds to pop the corals and the gha just makes it look so bad.

 

Is there any benefit in having the wavemaker with the wp25? I bought a regular powerhead on a blackfriday blowout so it wasnt the wp25 but i was thinking of asking fir that for christmas from my mom lol. What are the benifits of having a wavemaker compared to having a regular powerhead? Is it good to have the change in current because thats how it is in nature? Does it affect coral growth in a more positive way?

 

Basically as you stated, it is the random flow that is big benefit. Regular powerheads just provide constant, linear flow. Ideally you want random, laminar flow. The Jebao WP25 does just that

 

the wavemaker is part of the powerhead. I was confused on that too, it's what runs the powerhead.