lower flow at night?

I was wondering how many people lower the flow in their tank at night?

I turn off my powerheads and just let the return pump run during feedings but leave everything on at night.

I know some controllers reduce the flow from powerheads at night and during feeding and wondered if their are any benefits to it and how many people do it.

 

I ran my MP10 at half flow at night for about 3 months. I have had it running full flow at night for about another 3 months now and can see a visible pick up in coral growth. Stony corals add to their skeletons and let out waste at night. Without their normal flow they may have a harder time getting rid of waste, and it's possible that it hinders skeleton production.

With that said, you could put a couple of power heads on a timer to shut off at night.

 

The moon still rotates around the earth at night. Also when the lights are out, gas's generated is highly slowed down. So water movement is the only way to keep gas exchange going.

 

I don't see the need to slow things down at night. Most coral are naturally nocturnal to avoid lots of predators in the wild and also because that's when lots of food sources are present on the reefs, so they do a lot of their biological processes at night and I think could use the water movement. Unless you don't have enough good sleeping spots for your fish and they get tossed around the tank at night I would consider keeping them on, or at most slightly reducing the in-tank flow.

JMO

 

When you think about the high tide coming in at/ around night, there is actually MORE water movement, I would think. Just because the sun goes down, doesn't meant the water stops or slows. I don't adjust at night, let it run the same all day.

 

Tidal currents vary by many factors moon phase,wind etc. if you really want to recreate nature mix it up a little.

 

Try a semidiurnal tide set up. 2H/2L per 24 hrs, so slack tide every 6 hrs for 15 mins. 7.5 mins on both sides of the 6 hr mark. Thats what the fl keys reef gets.

 

If I could afford a wavemaker, I would be doing just that!! One day....