A crucial part of any thriving marine system is adequately circulated water.
Aiming for completely randomised water movement, simulated waves or reef crest type patterns is best, having enough flow is important for many reasons.
- Surface agitation to allow good oxygen exchange.
- Eliminating dead zones where fish waste can build up.
- Pushing water throughout the aquarium to allow the nitrifying bacteria to do their job.
- Helping to keep pH elevated.
- Bringing food to the corals.
- Washing waste off the corals.
- Making corals look more natural in the water movement.
Ideal water flow rates depend on a the size/shape of the tank and the type of corals you plan to keep.
Soft corals and LPS corals typically sit in what we'd call low/medium flow (roughly 10x the volume of your tank turned over each hour).
More demanding corals can call for more flow, but you can always add more flow pumps to suits the needs of the corals.
There are many types and brands of wave pumps available, try to choose quality if your budget allows it but some of the cheaper models do really well also.
Having a programable pump is a great way to give your aquarium some tailored water movement like waves which are visually pleasing and effective in the aquarium.
Buying a larger but controllable pump will allow you to dial it down in case you find it's too powerful, but give room for play when it's needed.
Information provided by:
MARINE AQUARIUM FANATICS AUSTRALIA
