That's an area where there seems to be lots of really firm ideas but no consistent answer. I can't begin to fit a firm answer to fit all the different tanks that I have had/seen.
I have to fall back to looking at what works in each tank. The filter does two things for my tanks. It does mechanical cleaning to keep it looking clean. It does bio-filtering to keep the ammonia/nitrite converted. Beyond that I use cheaper, far more practical powerheads to get water movement where needed. Powerheads are easier to get where I want and muc less nuisance to clean.
A. Sounds like too much to me. Passing water through faster doesn't automatically mean it is doing a better job of bio-filtering. The high numbers may mean they are using filter flow to do what powerheads might. Goldfish may be messy but that is not a reason for me to make them stressed by too much flow just to keep debris moved out.
B. Not practical to assign a number. If you have a bad filter that holds little media does it work better than a good filter with lots of media? People sometimes assign numbers that may fit their tank without considering they may have totally different needs. People often use numbers to bypass their lack of understanding.
C. Same deal. Even if it is different fish, I still want bio and mechanical up to doing the job. A pleco might live in a hog wallow but i still have to look at it??? If a sponge does the job fine, if not I want something else. Numbers mean nothing.
D. I want enough current to move the CO2 well but not move the soil. Just can't find a number to work without knowing what is in the way or blocking flow. A tank of val make work different than a tank full of tiny grass or moss. Pick a number or ignore the numbers and fit it to what works?
I have to fall back to looking at what works in each tank. The filter does two things for my tanks. It does mechanical cleaning to keep it looking clean. It does bio-filtering to keep the ammonia/nitrite converted. Beyond that I use cheaper, far more practical powerheads to get water movement where needed. Powerheads are easier to get where I want and muc less nuisance to clean.
A. Sounds like too much to me. Passing water through faster doesn't automatically mean it is doing a better job of bio-filtering. The high numbers may mean they are using filter flow to do what powerheads might. Goldfish may be messy but that is not a reason for me to make them stressed by too much flow just to keep debris moved out.
B. Not practical to assign a number. If you have a bad filter that holds little media does it work better than a good filter with lots of media? People sometimes assign numbers that may fit their tank without considering they may have totally different needs. People often use numbers to bypass their lack of understanding.
C. Same deal. Even if it is different fish, I still want bio and mechanical up to doing the job. A pleco might live in a hog wallow but i still have to look at it??? If a sponge does the job fine, if not I want something else. Numbers mean nothing.
D. I want enough current to move the CO2 well but not move the soil. Just can't find a number to work without knowing what is in the way or blocking flow. A tank of val make work different than a tank full of tiny grass or moss. Pick a number or ignore the numbers and fit it to what works?
which is why I posted the flow rates.
