Water flow at night and at feeding

[salty joe]

I've heard of people slowing their pumps down at night, presumably so fish can sleep. In the wild, wind and surface waves might decline at night but tides and surge keep rolling all night long. If the fish has a place to tuck itself into, it seems like the pumps should keep going the same as day, especially given most corals nocturnal feeding response.

As far as slowing pumps at feeding, it only makes sense to me to temporarily slow down the return and skimmer pumps. I think I'd like the food bouncing all over the tank-just not going through the filter or skimmer.

Am I off base here?

 

[mikecc67548]

What about these controllers that allow you to set location for your lights. Do you set it for where you are at or do you set it for where the corals come from?

 

[salty joe]

I'm just curious how others are handling water flow and why.

 

[HumbleFish]

I shut off all my pumps at night when I target feed by LPS corals. Maybe for an hour or so.

 

[racefan]

I slow my Vortec down to the lowest speed for 5 minutes for feeding and night mode is set to 50% for an 8hr time span.

 

[bugs713]

I only turn off MP40's and CL for 5 minutes at feeding time, the rest of the time, day/night all are at full power. I don't believe there is a "Night Mode" in the ocean, but then again, my reefs are only a simulation of the real thing, so can't say I am trying to emulate the real thing... What?!

 

[Twin Reefs]

I don't adjust my pumps at all....either at night or during feeding time.

 

[Twin Reefs]

I'm planning to get a controller for my next setup....I wonder if I should try to adjust the pumps for night mode or feeding time......hmmmm.

 

[ramseynb]

I never understood the night mode thing. I use Vortech pumps but have never used that feature. It seems to me that at night you'd want more flow if anything. Since any macro or micro algae are going to be respirating, oxygen levels lower. Of course, if you're running a fuge on a reverse light cycle, this changes things. I'm still not sure if it actually serves any useful purpose though.

 

[salty joe]

I shut off all my pumps at night when I target feed by LPS corals. Maybe for an hour or so.

If the water would strip the food away, that makes sense to me. But even in a current wouldn't an LPS quickly latch onto food?

I slow my Vortec down to the lowest speed for 5 minutes for feeding and night mode is set to 50% for an 8hr time span.

How come?

I only turn off MP40's and CL for 5 minutes at feeding time, the rest of the time, day/night all are at full power. I don't believe there is a "Night Mode" in the ocean, but then again, my reefs are only a simulation of the real thing, so can't say I am trying to emulate the real thing... What?!

LOL I have seen a lot of reefers go off on trying to mimic the sea. I enjoy trying to mimic the sea. Just because I'll never get all the way there, does not mean I can't get closer. The closer we mimic the sea, the more creatures we can keep. I love this hobby, it's moving fast.

I can see why you'd turn off the CL at feeding, but why turn down your MP40s? Wouldn't it be good to have the food bouncing all over the tank?

 

[Ron Reefman]

I have 2200gph from sump return water, 2400gph from a CL and now 2400gph from a Jebao WP40 controllable wavemaker powerhead. I shut the CL off at night and the WP40 goes into night mode.

Why? Have you ever been out on the ocean at night? Or even better, snorkeling or scuba diving in the ocean at night? I'm not saying this is a 100% thing, maybe not even a 50% thing, but the wave action really does go down on most ordinary weather days. How many times do you go to the beach and see the ocean flat calm during the mid day? Almost never. How many times do you go to the beach and find the ocean is dead calm at dusk and at dawn... let alone overnight? Probably more than 50% of the time. It's the heat from the sun that creates most of our weather and the wind. It's the wind that creates most of the waves and the waves create some good size percentage of the water movement on shallow reefs (less than 20-30'). Watch a real reef video. Do soft corals blow over from a steady current, or do they rock back and forth due to the effect of the waves passing over them?

Besides, turning pumps off or down means I get to save on my electric bill. :lolspin:

 

[HumbleFish]

If the water would strip the food away, that makes sense to me. But even in a current wouldn't an LPS quickly latch onto food?

Just makes it easier for their sweepers to grab the food. I turn off all the pumps and shoot cyclops (or slivers of raw shrimp) all around them. Also, I don't have to worry about my filter socks straining out the food with my sump pump turned off.

 

[ptreef]

I only cut the return pump about 90% via BV for about 30 mins during feeding to keep food from going "down the drain!"

 

[bugs713]

Another thought in favor of no "Night mode" would be the fact that our tanks are not the real thing, so they need all the extra help they can get. Having full flow 24/7 will further help maintain the gas exchange in our artificial environment!

 

[salty joe]

I have 2200gph from sump return water, 2400gph from a CL and now 2400gph from a Jebao WP40 controllable wavemaker powerhead. I shut the CL off at night and the WP40 goes into night mode.

Why? Have you ever been out on the ocean at night? Or even better, snorkeling or scuba diving in the ocean at night? I'm not saying this is a 100% thing, maybe not even a 50% thing, but the wave action really does go down on most ordinary weather days. How many times do you go to the beach and see the ocean flat calm during the mid day? Almost never. How many times do you go to the beach and find the ocean is dead calm at dusk and at dawn... let alone overnight? Probably more than 50% of the time. It's the heat from the sun that creates most of our weather and the wind. It's the wind that creates most of the waves and the waves create some good size percentage of the water movement on shallow reefs (less than 20-30'). Watch a real reef video. Do soft corals blow over from a steady current, or do they rock back and forth due to the effect of the waves passing over them?

Besides, turning pumps off or down means I get to save on my electric bill. :lolspin:

While I did realize that wind driven waves recede at night, I was under the impression that the tide was responsible for the majority of water movement, IDK. It's also my impression that things sway back and forth due to the tide. Again, IDK. I can't imagine suface waves having a huge impact much deeper than 10 feet unless we're talking a storm. But IDK LOL.
Saving on the electric bill is something I do know. I'm the guy who turns all the lights around my place off. I'm with you on the electric bill thing!

 

[SantaMonica]

our tanks are not the real thing, so they need all the extra help they can get

I probably favor this statement. Since tanks have a minute percentage of the food particles of a reef, it makes sense to keep the particles circulating (and not settling) as much as possible, especially at night when most corals feed, provided it's not keeping any fish awake

 

[Ron Reefman]

While I did realize that wind driven waves recede at night, I was under the impression that the tide was responsible for the majority of water movement, IDK. It's also my impression that things sway back and forth due to the tide. Again, IDK. I can't imagine suface waves having a huge impact much deeper than 10 feet unless we're talking a storm. But IDK LOL.
Saving on the electric bill is something I do know. I'm the guy who turns all the lights around my place off. I'm with you on the electric bill thing!

Even tide goes completely slack (as in no movement) twice a day. And twice a month, tides are much less flow (at the 1 quarter and 3 quarter moon) than at the full moon and new moon. So consider a calm weather, flat water, 1/4 moon at slack tide... there is almost no movement of water on the reef. It's not an every day thing, but probably 50% of the time and maybe more. And at peak flow (twice a day), tides can have some serious flow near islands and land mass, but if you are out snorkeling a reef away from dry land, that flow isn't as strong. Tidal flow around an island is very intensified, in open water it's much less intense.

Tides typically flow in or out over 6 hour time spans (2 ins and 2 outs per day) and will cause a long term back and forth flow. All of the short term rocking back and forth (over several seconds) is all wave action. And wave action can reach down a considerable depth (the bigger the waves, the deeper the reach). I think a comfortable day of 2' rollers at a reef can reach 15-20' down in terms of moving water back and forth.

I probably favor this statement. Since tanks have a minute percentage of the food particles of a reef, it makes sense to keep the particles circulating (and not settling) as much as possible, especially at night when most corals feed, provided it's not keeping any fish awake

I'd say how much total flow, or how many times you 'turn over' the water in the DT has some play here. When I was turning my 180 at 20X per hour and had smaller corals I left pumps running all the time too. But now I'm turning it over 45-50 times per hour and have big coral colonies and very little LR exposed. So slowing down the flow at night does let things settle, but it lands on corals and the cleaning crew is out working the area. Most of my CUC don't come out during the daytime. And at night I'm still turning the tank 20-25 times.

 

[sirreal63]

If we were even capable of duplicating the flow on the reef at night we would be golden, however we cannot so it makes no sense to slow the flow in our tanks at night.

 

[salty joe]

I only cut the return pump about 90% via BV for about 30 mins during feeding to keep food from going "down the drain!"

This sums up my opinion, but there is more than one way to skin a cat.
Thanks all of you experienced reefers for sharing your methods.

 

[barjam]

Even tide goes completely slack (as in no movement) twice a day. And twice a month, tides are much less flow (at the 1 quarter and 3 quarter moon) than at the full moon and new moon. So consider a calm weather, flat water, 1/4 moon at slack tide... there is almost no movement of water on the reef. It's not an every day thing, but probably 50% of the time and maybe more. And at peak flow (twice a day), tides can have some serious flow near islands and land mass, but if you are out snorkeling a reef away from dry land, that flow isn't as strong. Tidal flow around an island is very intensified, in open water it's much less intense.

Tides typically flow in or out over 6 hour time spans (2 ins and 2 outs per day) and will cause a long term back and forth flow. All of the short term rocking back and forth (over several seconds) is all wave action. And wave action can reach down a considerable depth (the bigger the waves, the deeper the reach). I think a comfortable day of 2' rollers at a reef can reach 15-20' down in terms of moving water back and forth.



I'd say how much total flow, or how many times you 'turn over' the water in the DT has some play here. When I was turning my 180 at 20X per hour and had smaller corals I left pumps running all the time too. But now I'm turning it over 45-50 times per hour and have big coral colonies and very little LR exposed. So slowing down the flow at night does let things settle, but it lands on corals and the cleaning crew is out working the area. Most of my CUC don't come out during the daytime. And at night I'm still turning the tank 20-25 times.

The absolute calmest places I have ever been diving had far more flow than my 70x sps tank. It isn't even in the same ballpark. Many times it isn't chaotic flow but general current.