Flow for Fluval Evo?

[lostrider]

Hey everyone.

 

I am running a Fluval Evo (13.5 gallon) and will only be doing soft corals in this set-up. I replaced the stock return pump with the Sicce 0.5 (185 gph) with a RFG dual hose.

 

I also put a Jebao SOW-3 wavemaker but now that I have more corals, I find my leathers are moving a lot and my clownfish may not be so happy. I can’t say the exact flow on it because I am running it on the lowest setting and it’s a bit confusing. 
 

Wondering what you guys recommend. Can I run this soft coral system with just the return pump and RFG? If not, is there a very tame wavemaker or powerhead you recommend?

 

Thanks! 🙂

[Lauraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

If you're sticking with just soft corals, the return pump will probably be enough flow.

[banasophia]

I would not just do the return pump, I think corals need more than that to approximate their natural environment. Can you post a video showing your flow?

 

I have used hygger minis and jebao ow 10s and jebao slw 10s in my tanks. 

[lostrider]

I actually just put a Sicce 1.0 (250 gph) into the aquarium and removed the wavemaker. I think this should be enough. Also has RFG hoses.

[banasophia]

I personally don’t think increasing the flow of the return pump is as good as keeping wavemakers. Increasing the flow rate of the pump is speeding up the flow rate through your filter media in the back and throughout the tank. I personally think it’s better to use what is close to the stock flow rate for the tank with the pump, and then adding wavemakers for the water motion within the display. Wavemakers are nice because you can change the flow pattern if needed. The good thing about having both is also that if one of the two things fails (pump or wavemaker), it buys you a little time to get a replacement in there. 
 

Also, I’ll tell you what just happened two weeks ago… I did my water changes on my three tanks and the next day I’m looking at my Biocube 16 thinking that’s weird, my sinularia are all wilted and flopped over, they should be looking better not worse than yesterday since I did a water change… did I contaminate the tank somehow? I tried to figure out what it was and it turned out I had forgotten to turn the wavemaker back on… as soon as I turned it back on they slowly perked back up and were fine by the following day. Sinularia are soft corals and don’t really need a lot of flow, but flow is still important.

 

I did keep a Nuvo 10 without a wavemaker for a while… just an increased flow rate pump, and for a while a random flow generator, because I didn’t want to worry about the bubble tip anemones going in a wavemaker… I think the corals weren’t as happy… I ended up breaking that tank down before a year was up.

 

All that being said, I haven’t run an Evo 13.5, my Evo is a 5 gallon… maybe others will chime in with their experience with the 13.5.