Powerhead "Night Mode"
 

I'm just curious what peoples thoughts are about using the night mode for your powerheads/wavemaker. Wouldn't you want to continue with maximum circulation when PE is generally at its greatest?

It's probably easier for the polyps to grab a hold of food if it isn't being blasted around at a million miles an hour.

I use night mode on my vortech because 3200gph is a lot of flow 24/7. In night mode it drops to half that.
I agree with fkshiu about the polyps being able to grab food. Also, the ocean is usually calmer at night.

Noob question for ya. What is PE?

Polyp Extension:)

Au contraire
 

That is a very relative statement. A calm ocean at night is most likely more turbulent than any highest setting that you can set on your wavemaker during the day in your tank. Having said that, your corals and fish respire exponentially at night, meaning that you need MORE oxygen, and not less. By lowering your pumps, you are lessening the surface agitation and reducing gas exchange. Lower gas exchange, lower oxygen levels in the 4-5am parts of the day. Basically, you will be depriving your tank from breathing.

Night mode is one of those features that never made any sense to a lot of experts, for now obvious reasons. You guys should consider NOT lowering your pumps settings at night.

Interesting... what your saying seems to make sense. I vote no night mode

I have zero direct knowledge about this and while I agree that the calm ocean night is probably more turbulent then our day's I would think that it's the change that's important.

Also, as far as gas exchange goes I would be willing to bet that the skimmer and/or drop into the sump provides the vast majority of gas exchange in the average reef system. JMHO

Also good points... I wonder if the change is important?? i know some people shut the pumps off to feed.

I don't have a skimmer :( and there isn't a drop to my sump but I guess some exchange would still take place as it goes into the overflow

I don't even have a night mode on my pumps... but the theory interests me :D

+1

The surface agitation provided by the zillions of tiny bubbles in a skimmer probably greatly exceeds any rippling at the surface of a tank.