light vs FLOW

[fatrip]

hey guys i just wanted to talk about my lights vs my flow, in the coloration of my corals in MY tank. Well a few days ago i was cleaning my hydor #3 and it broke, so i needed to get another power head and fast...got a Sieo from Nate that pushs about 250gph more and in a straiter flow stream, which seems to have uped the flow in my tank emensly. but any who back to the subject at hand, after about 4 days of this running in my tank the corals on the bottom of my tank have colored up evern more than they where before. when i get my replacement parts for my korilia i am goin to kjeep the sieo in there for a short period of time to see if they coor up even more. it seems to be not only the ones on the bottom of my tank (where the PAR is in the 90's) but also through out the tank colors have been gradually getting brighter and mroe pronounced since the flow change. i will keep you up dated to what happens after i have the other hydor in there. just for reference i have about 500gph coming form the sump and 2 hydor #3's so a total of 2200gph. right now it is at 2450gph. after i get the other hydor back working it will be at 3550gph, which is aproxmimatly 65 times turn over.

 

[RyanM]

Proper flow is important I believe. Keeps the mucus they excreet
to a minumum alowing more oxegen to reach them. I read that someplace.

I have noticed that in the reef shows on tv, the corals dont seem to get blasted by flow tho. Im sure some do but take a look at the movement and not the coral them selves next time you watch a blue planet. You see them spawn and the eggs arent swiftly blown away by the curent. Instead they kinda just drift up and away slowly. Doesnt seem like tons of flow to me. Just thought id add that.

 

[fatrip]

it is a lot more current then you think especially on the edges of the reef, the great barrier reef acctually in on the edge of one of the fastest moving ocean currents on earth. the thing is with that flow it is at random on a reef becaus there is always a backward and foward motion so things that float in the water are being acted on by a foward and reverse motion. kinda like on a beach if you put a float in the water or even float in the water you dont move that far in the water because you are being pushed back and forth. but if you are stationary in the sand part way in the water the current feels much stronger because you arent moving with the water. im not sure if that makes sence to you but i can try to explain it better when i have more time to type.

 

[drbronx]

Very interesting observation. What kind of corals are coloring up (e.g.sps etc.)? Ryan is correct that helping the corals secrete their mucus layer can help in nutritional and dissolved gas absorbtion. The flow may also help circulate micronutrients nutrients throughout the tank. When diving, i have always been impressed by the amount of flow in the form of current, tidal surge etc. that reefs are exposed to. consequently you always see lots of suspended organic and inorganic matter moving through the reefs. Keep us updated on your findings. And stop playing with your hydor

 

[fatrip]

lol yes mostly SPS since my reef isnt really mixed it is more 98% SPS...lol...but the color on my frogspawn is also brightening up aswell as the tips on my ugly hammer...lol...i was only cleaning them...lol...

 

[drbronx]

Very interesting observation. What kind of corals are coloring up (e.g.sps etc.)? Ryan is correct that helping the corals secrete their mucus layer can help in nutritional and dissolved gas absorbtion. The flow may also help circulate micronutrients nutrients throughout the tank. When diving, i have always been impressed by the amount of flow in the form of current, tidal surge etc. that reefs are exposed to. consequently you always see lots of suspended organic and inorganic matter moving through the reefs. Keep us updated on your findings. And stop playing with your hydor

 

[fatrip]

lol...having fun posting jerry??

 

[RyanM]

I forgot to say that I also broke both hydor's cleaning them. They work well when kept clean but if you dont keep them clean they are a mess. I took both of mine out to clean and shattered both shafts then snapped off the swivel. The swivel was my fault but still I was like ***. I had 2 nice power heads one minute then a pile of busted parts the next. Live and learn. From now on Ill keep them clean.

 

[fatrip]

what are they?? #4's??? if so and you arnt fixing them i;ll buy them from you for parts......let me know thanks

 

[RyanM]

Mine came with replacement metal shafts that I have in there now. The 1 I broke the swivel on I siliconed right to the magnet. It doesnt swivel anymore but still works. I dont like the metal shafts but as long as they dont rust Ill keep useing them. I also had 1 of the propelers break a blade off and had to glue it back. They are really cheeply made. I hope they have fixed the issues in the new models. Mine are 3's and like I said I cobled them back together and they are working so far. Time will tell.

 

[nwrogers]

I think good flow is one of the most important things for SPS coloration. Since I have increased my flow I have noticed my corals coloring up even nicer.

 

[drbronx]

Nate's tank definitely provides testimony to the accuracy of this statement. He has tons of flow (2 pedunctors from his returns, 2 maxi jet mods and at least one Seio 1400). Did I get that right Nate? His sps coloration is unsurpassed not to mention polyp extension. He doesn't use any Prodibio or other expensive additives. Folks usually ascribe coral coloration to their lighting. I believe flow is at least if not more important than lighting in assuring coral health and coloration (though those may not necessarily be correlated but that's a whole separate topic).