experience with nocturnal-oriented reef tanks?
- Thread starter coolwaves
- Start date
nocturnal.
I'm speaking mainly of tanks that are stocked and equipped to be viewed at night. Such a tank could still be lit during the day (even with MH), and thus possibly house zooxanthellate creatures (including stony corals). This tank could include moonlights and/or low-frequency red lights for night lighting.
I do think azooxanthellate creatures would be more interesting in this type of set up , though.
I'm speaking mainly of tanks that are stocked and equipped to be viewed at night. Such a tank could still be lit during the day (even with MH), and thus possibly house zooxanthellate creatures (including stony corals). This tank could include moonlights and/or low-frequency red lights for night lighting.
I do think azooxanthellate creatures would be more interesting in this type of set up , though.
Even in daylight-oriented reef tanks, we tend to have a "night crew" that comes out when the lights turn off. Deliberately cultivating them could make for a neat display.
Money cowries are active at night. While some zooxanthellate corals close up and hunker down until morning, many (especially LPS) deflate their light-gathering tissues and extend their feeding tentacles after dark. Azooxanthellate corals, as mentioned above, may be open and extended. Pods and worms (bristle, peanut, spaghetti, etc.) tend to be more bold at night, and some fish take advantage of that fact to hunt them. Pajama cardinals, with their large eyes, are relatively active at night.
The red light idea could be very interesting. For best results, the room lights could also be dimmed or turned off for night viewing.
Money cowries are active at night. While some zooxanthellate corals close up and hunker down until morning, many (especially LPS) deflate their light-gathering tissues and extend their feeding tentacles after dark. Azooxanthellate corals, as mentioned above, may be open and extended. Pods and worms (bristle, peanut, spaghetti, etc.) tend to be more bold at night, and some fish take advantage of that fact to hunt them. Pajama cardinals, with their large eyes, are relatively active at night.
The red light idea could be very interesting. For best results, the room lights could also be dimmed or turned off for night viewing.
"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
I was just as the Denver Zoo over the weekend and they have opened up an Aye Aye display (apparently the only zoo display of them in the world). It was really cool, but you need to think about where you are going to set it up. If there are any normal lights on, it messes with the nocturnal animals to no end. Do you have a room that you can dedicate to actually being dark except for the red lighting during all of the tank's nighttime hours.
Other than that, I think it would make for a great display. Don't forget to include lights to excite the fluorescence in your corals!
Other than that, I think it would make for a great display. Don't forget to include lights to excite the fluorescence in your corals!
"Umm fish?"
Premium Member
Hey, it sounds cool to me. Good luck with it. I'd ask for pictures, but I think pictures will be hard. 
Pictures shouldn't be impossible, but getting good pictures might take more photography experience than a lighted tank. I'm thinking maybe a piece of red plastic taped over the flash, and setting the camera up for night photography (changing film, ISO and aperture settings, etc. on a film camera, twisting the dial to the picture of a crescent moon on a digital camera). A tripod or some other stable surface would probably help, because the lens will be open longer than usual.
It would be possible to get one photo at a time without a red filter over the flash, but you'd probably have to wait a while for everything to come out of hiding afterward. Even with the red filter, you might shock the inhabitants into hiding. Flash-less pictures would probably be hardest to take, but least likely to spook the inhabitants.
Note: I'm not a photographer. All of the above is guesswork.
It would be possible to get one photo at a time without a red filter over the flash, but you'd probably have to wait a while for everything to come out of hiding afterward. Even with the red filter, you might shock the inhabitants into hiding. Flash-less pictures would probably be hardest to take, but least likely to spook the inhabitants.
Note: I'm not a photographer. All of the above is guesswork.
