"Storm/Lightning Event" Input needed

[BigAl2007]

First of all let me clarify the title... I'm talking about a "Storm/Lightning" effect initiated by a controller on the tanks lighting. This could be from a dedicated controller (ie GHL ProfiLux) or initiated from a specific controller built into the light unit (AI, Radion etc).

With the above information in mind I'd like to know...

Has anyone had "First Hand" experience with a Simulated Lightning Event causing stress in your tank? I've been running a "Storm Event" in one of my tanks now for years and never had the first sign of stress or even excitement in my tanks during any of these events. Keep in mind that I have a "scheduled" storm every night at 11pm and then my GHL ProfiLux3 initiates a random storm anywhere from 3 hours from last storm to 96 hours from last storm. So my tank has seen a "few" storms here and there. Right now I'm only running a single "GHL Simu-L" because the current system is an RSM130d (34g) system but the tank before was a 90g with a simu-L and a simu-Spot both managing "Lightning" duty in the tank.

It seems that every now and again I have someone to "warn" me about fish stress related to a "Simulated Storm" even some very trusted people have expressed a concern about it and even mention "Fish Jumping" due to this. In the years I've been running this I've witnessed absolutely no ill effects from the storm simulation. I figured that lightning storms are a very natural part of sea life and that it wouldn't really "upset" sea life to see a storm taking place over head.

With this being said I have never ran a "Storm Simulation" from a Light Controller (Radion, AI etc) so I don't know how they initiate the storm but the ProfiLux mimics the storm approaching by slowly dimming the lights and slowly ramping up the lightning for the first portion of the storm. Then for the middle the main lights and any moon lights are completely off with the lightning at it's most intense setting. For the last & third section the main and other lights slowly ramp back up and the lightning slowly subsides. This all mimics the storm slowly approaching, storm FULL ON, and the storm slowly moving away.

So I'd like to hear from the group from people who are running a "Storm", who have ran one and what your thoughts/feelings are about simulated Storm Events and the effects on our tanks. I do realize that it doesn't do anything for the livestock (cause spawning, promote mating etc) but at least for me Lightning in the tank is freaking SWEET!

So let's hear what you've got to say

Allen

 

[mwminer]

Why would you want to run a Storm program other than the light effects are cool to us? I know that when we have a real storm outside my fish are kind of freaked out. My tank is by a window where they actually get some sunlight at times of the day, but when we have a thunder storm they are not happy. I realize that in the wild they are used to this but in captivity they seem to want to hide and are not very happy.

 

[BigAl2007]

The only reason I run a "Storm Event" is because it's cool to me. I mean honestly isn't that the reason we have tanks to begin with? It's for personal enjoyment and satisfaction. Yes this covers many different levels of enjoyment but in plain and basic terms the root cause for our tanks is our enjoyment yes?

What do you mean they aren't happy? Do you think it's the rumble/rattle/shake of the thunder? Take note that in the aquarium the lightning is only flashes of LED light (low watt LED at that) and there's no thunder. I honestly have seen no "nervousness" or anything else from my "Tank Lightning".

 

[rtparty]

ALL respectable public aquariums do not allow flash photography. Why? It is bad for the fish. I can't remember the part of the eye that fish are missing (maybe it is the iris?) but flashing light isn't good for them.

Will we see the effects in our tanks? I have no idea but I do know that the majority of "jumping" happens when lights shut off for the night or turn on in the morning.

If a storm happens out on the open ocean, the fish have plenty of places to hide and I would bet the strobing is nothing like a simulated storm over our tanks.

For me, I will never run these simulated storms. They aren't cool to me and I have read too many negatives about them from industry leaders.

 

[BigAl2007]

ALL respectable public aquariums do not allow flash photography. Why? It is bad for the fish. I can't remember the part of the eye that fish are missing (maybe it is the iris?) but flashing light isn't good for them.

I can understand that but at the same time we're at eye level and the flash device is being aimed directly into the fish's eye which is a bit different than lightning from above. Granted it's still a flash I can see there is a significant difference between the two.

Will we see the effects in our tanks? I have no idea but I do know that the majority of "jumping" happens when lights shut off for the night or turn on in the morning.

One reason for this is because this is when fish are most prone to hunter attack by predators. Often times "Jumpers" are merely trying to flee from a predator or an assumed predator and think they are just getting out of harms way. I'm not sure how relevant that is to the current conversation but I do genuinely appreciate the input.

For me, I will never run these simulated storms. They aren't cool to me and I have read too many negatives about them from industry leaders.

I respect your opinion but many of us see it as very cool.

I'd love to see some of the industry leaders articles, tests and such. I'm all about learning more so I can grow in the hobby and in general. It's one thing to type on a forum how you "feel/think" it's harmful but I'd like to see some real data or something more than (and this isn't targeted at you in the least rtparty) "I read on a forum that it's not good for the fish".

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

My concern would be certain types of fish jumping out, as mentioned above.

Some of my fish respond with a sudden movement with sudden lighting changes, presumably because it is an instinctive way to avoid the mouth of the big fish that just blocked out the sun and is about to eat you.

Some fish are far more prone to jumping than others, but I've lost several to jumping, even with an enclosed hood and protective barriers to prevent it.

 

[BigAl2007]

Wow! I'm shocked and honored you stopped by this thread Randy. Thank you for your input. Fortunately this tank is completely enclosed (RSM130D) literally with no holes larger than a pencil and a select few fish all of which are much to large.

I appreciate your respected feedback.

Allen

 

[BeanAnimal]

BigAl...

How exactly do you know that your simulated storms don't "stress" your fish? Casual observation by myself and countless outhers would indicate that most often, sudden changes in lighting do cause a reaction in the livestock. Is it a stressor, or beneficial stimulus? Who knows, but in most instances, sudden environmental changes in a living creatures environment cause stress. By most accounts, (both casually observed and scientificaly studdied) "thunder and lightning", earthquake, explosion, and other significant environmental changes (some that we humans can't even feel) stress animals. I know during such events (natural or even dolby digital) my dog shakes and quivers and every dog I have ever owned has. Deer, squirels, birds, elephants, tigers, lions, and every other wild animal seeks deep shelter and becomes highly alert during such events. This is a stress response.

I find it almost silly to think that flicking a light on and off does not trigger the flight or similar stress response in fish when it does just that in almost every other studied or observed species on the planet.

Secondly, we all certainly have our own tastes and definition of "cool" and you have a right to yours, but I struggle to grasp how flashing lights (and or creating thunder) over an aquarium is "cool" or would be "cool" after the first time, at least to an adult. Put in context with the very probable chance that such events do cause some level of stress, I even further fail to grasp the cool factor.

 

[BigAl2007]

BeanAnimal,

I appreciate your heavily pointed input and will answer in-kind.

How is because I sit hours on end day after day observing my wet friends. When the "Storm" event begins they settle into an evening/night action with subtle moves just like they do when the lights power down for the night. This scenario can be repeated and observed day after day.

Keep in mind I'm talking JUST about a simulated Lightning event (not one time did I say I have simulated thunder at all). Also keep in mind that I went into detail to explain it's not a matter of my main lights flashing suddenly ON/Off but a system of the MAIN lights dimming and the GHL Simu-Stick (low watt led strip) handling the subtle flashes of the Lightning slowing increasing in frequency and intensity before reversing and slowly diminishing before resuming whatever light state the tank was in before the "Storm". Find it "almost silly" if you wish but fact of the matter is this does not excite/startle the tank regardless of how you feel or how you "put it into context" .

Struggle as you wish to "grasp" the concept of the coolness that's simply your opinion and like certain body parts we all have one. I would imagine that if this were causing some degree of stress in the tank somewhere along the line I would have seen this or at least some results of it. My fish are all healthy, stocky with a robust appetite and 2/3's of my fish are older than 3 years old so it's probably not a matter of the results not being visible yet.

So BeanAnimal I appreciate your input but until you've dug a little deeper into this concept or you've experimented with it over your tank I'd appreciate you trying to not be so judgmental over others who don't follow your particular thought process.