Flow Rates

[riksworld]

Hi everyone,

just have a general question, what is the recommended turn over rate for a tropical tank and pump, some friends have said x1.5 is good enough and other have said x7, just want to settle this some argument

if any one can shed some light

thanks to anyone who replys

 

[Aquatic_Az]

It seems alot of people say 5x on here

 

[aaronnorth]

On planted tanks aim for a minimum for 10x turnover.

 

[OldMan47]

The turnover rate really depends a lot on what you want your filter to do. If you want to remove every scrap of particulate with the filter, very high turnover rates are needed. Those will run at 5x or more. If your only concern is the bio-filtration, a 1 or 2x turnover rate is plenty. In my case, I expect any overfeeding that I do to become a mess on my substrate so I only look for a 2x to 3x turnover rate. The gravel cleaner and my care with feeding take care of the rest. At 2x turnover, the slight levels of particles that are seen in an inadequately washed gravel will clean up fairly fast so I really don't feel a need for more. On the other hand, I do not accept any less than a nice large filter medium surface. I am not ready to substitute water changes for a functional bio-filter.