Best filter pump flow rate?

[Yarkii]

Hi everyone!

I'm in the process of setting up my brand spanking new 220L Aqua One Regency aquarium. I'm five days into a fishless cycle. I've had some amazing advice from forum members so far on all sorts of set-up topics (OMG there's no much to learn!). Now I find myself with a few specific questions, and one of them is about the filter return pump flow rate.

This aquarium came with an Aqua One Moray 3600 pump, which has a flow rate of 3600L/hr. So the water is being pumped through the filter 16 times per hour. Actually, there's only about 190L water or less in there (after the substrate, driftwood, etc.), so it's being pumped around 19 - 20 times per hour.

It's noisy! The water is constantly glowing white from all the sand particles being lifted up. The little snails that accidentally found their way in with some driftwood or plants are barely hanging on for dear life. Moss is being slowly lifted from the driftwood it's attached to. I realise I'm a newby, but this seems ridiculous to me.

What flow rate is appropriate for a tank this size? And..... even if I do buy a less powerful one to use instead, while I'm cycling the tank is there any benefit to letting it go crazy like this?

Thank you for your help. I'll post my other questions separately.



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[Toney]

It realy depends a lot on what the fish like.

 

[Yarkii]

If all goes well with the cycle, and I can achieve the parameters I'm after, I'll be getting livebearers.

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[Yarkii]

I'm reading some articles (just online articles) that say cycling the entire volume "at least 4" or "at least 5" times per hour is the aim. Then there are some forums that say anything from 3 to 10 times per hour, with 11 times per hour considered very high.

So I'm thinking that mine at somewhere between 16 & 20 times per hour is twice as high/fast as the higher end other people are talking about.

The next model down from my pump (the Aqua One Moray 2300) has a maximum flow rate of 2200L/hr, which would cycle the entire volume of water 10 x per hour (maybe more, as there isn't really 220L of water, maybe less, as that's the maximum flow rate). So perhaps I should go for that one instead.... but maybe after the tank has cycled (if this faster flow rate is in any way beneficial for the cycle).

Would that be a good idea?

 

[Essjay]

According to google the Aqua One Moray 3600 is a power head, it isn't a filter. Do you have a filter in there as well? If you do, you don't need a power head in a tank the size of yours. All power heads are used for is providing extra water movement.

 

[Yarkii]

Now I'm really confused. I've got a sump filter, and this is the pump that pulls the water out of the last section of the sump and returns it back into the tank up above.

Here are some photos, but there's some extra driftwood in the way (I bought too much, so it's sitting in the sump until I figure out what to do with it).

These photos are of the sump filter. The first photo is of the first section of the sump. It has two types of filter media (I don't know if that wool should be lower, or if it's right that the water drips from it like that). The second photo is of the second & third sections of the sump. The second section has black wool. The Moray pump is in the third section on the RHS behind the x-shaped driftwood.

Ignore the curious kitten.

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[Yarkii]

The Moray pump is the only electrical thing connected, other than the heater & lights.

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[Essjay]

Ah, I didn't realise you had a sump. I know virtually nothing about sumps so I have no idea if the Moray is too strong or not

 

[Yarkii]

Ah, I didn't realise you had a sump. I know virtually nothing about sumps so I have no idea if the Moray is too strong or not

That's okay. I'm getting the impression that a sump is not the norm in the tropical fish world.

I'm in communication with Aqua One now, trying to work out if the pump is too strong. So far they've got entirely different statistics for the flow rate compared to the statistics in the book that came with the pump. They're saying the Moray 3600 pumps out 2200L/hr instead of 3600L/hr as it says in the product guide. But they supply the exact same pump with the 280L Regency as well...

Perhaps the anomaly in statistics is the reason why they supply this pump, which might be too strong for this tank.

I wish I could post a video that shows how fast everything is moving in there.

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[DutchMuch]

Sumps are quite normal (and are suggested) in the aquascaping world, that and canister filters. (#hydor)

 

[Yarkii]

Sumps are quite normal (and are suggested) in the aquascaping world, that and canister filters. (#hydor)

That's good to know.

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