changing to low flow at night time?

[Drake1]

I currently have very high flow in my tank but the vibration at night gets annoying so i was thinking of putting some of my koralia's on timers so i would have 16 hours high flow and 8 hours low flow. just curious if anyone else does this and how your sps like it
thanks jeff

 

[exzos]

I use night timer on my vortech, so why not

It could just be a problem, if some fishes/snails/other is hiding inside the koralia and it suddenly turns on..

 

[rdelong]

The photo cell on my Tunze controller takes the pumps to whatever minimum speed you have set for the pumps when the lights go out. Mine are set to 30%. The polyp extension at night is very good. Everybody seems happy.

 

[macreefster]

are there any advantages to lowering flow at night? i used to use the night mode on my vortechs, but stopped doing so as i am not sure if reduced flow is of any benefit..... and it might possibly be adverse to the tank?

 

[graveyardworm]

I have my CL on a timer so it goes off at night. I still have decent flow in the tank though with it off. I like it cause it causes the flow patterns to change.

 

[Rouselb]

I dont think there is a benefit to reducing flow. I did it for a year or so, no real changes in coral growth or fish behavior. I believe it may let the fish sleep easier, but nothing for corals.

 

[graveyardworm]

Yep I've done it both ways with no real noticeable change to the inhabitants, but my powerbill looks better.

 

[fijiblue]

If you want to mock the ocean and tides and save your power bill, turn your flow down twice in 24 hours for 6 hours at a time (6 high, 6 low, 6 high, 6 low)

 

[Logzor]

Where is the best place to put the sensor? I have my constellation sitting right on top of the tank.

The light spills into the overflow so I was thinking about just taping it to the glass on the overflow side. Would this be enough light to trip the sensor?

 

[rutz81]

This conversation came up a few months ago and a few people said that oxygen level are lowest at night time, so lowering your pumps/flow could negatively effect your corals if anything at all. I keep my Tunzes on 30%/100% 24/7/365....Very rarely I'll fool around with different speed settings for a few days.

 

[graveyardworm]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14422422#post14422422 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rutz81
This conversation came up a few months ago and a few people said that oxygen level are lowest at night time, so lowering your pumps/flow could negatively effect your corals if anything at all. I keep my Tunzes on 30%/100% 24/7/365....Very rarely I'll fool around with different speed settings for a few days.

Running a refugium on an opposing light cycle could help to combat this.

 

[gaetanocallista]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14422422#post14422422 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rutz81
This conversation came up a few months ago and a few people said that oxygen level are lowest at night time, so lowering your pumps/flow could negatively effect your corals if anything at all.

Probably it's right if you turn off all pumps, but if you reduce or lowering flow I think it is like as ocean night

 

[Rouselb]

There's not less flow at night! Why would you think that? Many corals expand at night to feed. Most require flow to bring food to them. So if anything, decrease flow during the day.

 

[gaetanocallista]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14423134#post14423134 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rouselb
There's not less flow at night! Why would you think that? Many corals expand at night to feed. Most require flow to bring food to them. So if anything, decrease flow during the day.

Probably you are right
However a lot of controllers have night programs.
Between tides water flow may be significantly reduced for one hour or two and less wind reduce a bit flow.
So, since Drake1 said: "I currently have very high flow in my tank but the vibration at night gets annoying..." reduce a little to sleep, but perhaps reduce a lot is not a good choice.

 

[shred5]

In my other tank I had my flow cut way back at night and I had my anemones spawn. Once I added a sump to it and had higher flow all the time they stopped...

Tides come in and go out once a day so those will not change day or night and only really change with the moon phase.. But what makes the difference is wave action which caused mainly by winds which are caused by the suns heating affect... There is always exceptions like storms etc. Also reefs can vary from one area to another exp: deeper reefs in the gulf stream.


Corals expand at night not because of flow but because there are less predetors to munch polyps and there is more plankton at night.

Dave

 

[fijiblue]

Shred - tides come in and out twice in 24 hours. Yes, the flow is much less at low tide then it is with high tide so there is some truth to that. As I said before, if you want to recreate the ocean, have six hours high flow, six low flow, six hours high flow, six hours low flow.

 

[Logzor]

Could an aquacontroller program something like that? I already have way too much flow in the tank and I think it would be interesting to hook up 2 x 6100's to a pattern like that.

 

[LISound]

Yes, in some tropical locations...the wave duration and height are less at night. Some of you can witness this on your next vacation. the waters are calmer at night due to trade winds, convective cooling, etc.
I'm no scientist, but I do know the wave action and water conditions in the carribean are lighter at night because the winds die down and the offshore breeze is light at night.

 

[YoitsArson]

That is just surface conditions that seem calmer at night but the current is just as strong during the day as it is at night. In the Caribbean the current is very strong because of the gulf stream. Water moves thru there very fast. Bottom line, if your pumps are bothering you at night go ahead and put them on a timer, natural sea conditions have about an hour and a half of slack tide were it is calm.

 

[shred5]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14426811#post14426811 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fijiblue
Shred - tides come in and out twice in 24 hours. Yes, the flow is much less at low tide then it is with high tide so there is some truth to that. As I said before, if you want to recreate the ocean, have six hours high flow, six low flow, six hours high flow, six hours low flow.

Thats not my point.. My point is the tides are either comming in or going out. So they are pretty much a constant... What is the difference and it is the wave action.

Dave.