water flow

[pm64971]

Again i come looking for non-bias advice...

what is the best way to setup the water flow in an aquarium?

...Gee that doesn't sound like it's going to be opinion based (sarcasm)... might get a few conflicting answers...hmm what to do about that...

I'd also like to hear why you think that.
I'm don't know if the water should all be flowing to one end, then pumped back to the other, or simple swirled around in the tank.

Thanks in advance,
Phil

[BillyZ]

some of the responces will be opinion, others will be based on fact. As with all advice, you'll have to take all that are given and decide what works best for you and your tank. Every tank is unique.

Personaly, I like a turbulant flow. Using multiple PHs pointed in multiple opposing directions. Making sure there are no "dead zones" I think is very important.

[pm64971]

I hate to act like a kid, but why is it important? What does it do for the tank?

[reefrunner69]

Water flow oxygentates the water, carries oxygen rich water to all areas of the tank, carries CO2 rich water back to the surface for gas exchange. Water flow carries food to sessile inverts and wisks away detritus and algae etc...

I think of the waterflow in a tank as the circulation system in our bodies, if that helps any