flow rate

Question
hi, please could you tell me how much of a flow rate should be in a 100l tank aprox?

Answer
Hi Ben. This question is a little tricky. The amount of water you want to be moving around is all going to depend on the animals you are keeping. A number of pumps should be used in order to move your aquarium water. Resistance from rocks and decorations can restrict the flow. Generally you want at least two pumps for a 90cm tank, three for a 120cm tank, four for a 150cm tank and five for a 180cm tank. There is also a difference between creating a surge, which is the movement of the water back and forth and turbulence which is more of a random type movement. The kind of flow you want is dependant upon the creatures you keep and personal preference. Good water movement has many benefits. A few are more oxygen entering the water, unwanted gases such as nitrogen and ammonia are removed much more rapidly where circulation is brisk at the waters surface, uniformity of temperature, no "dead" spots, prevention of detritus accumulation and many benefits to the health of most livestock. Water flow in a reef tank is even more important to corals so if you are doing a reef then use the maximum amount to have no dead spaces in your tank. You will most likely have to experiment with placement in order to provide the best results for what you are keeping.