Tunze users...do you use the photocell?

[SeanT]

If so, do you think your corals/fish are happier with it?
If not, why not?
I have had one for awhile and never used it.

Thanks,
Sean

[orion76]

I don't use it, reason being why would I want to reduce flow in my tank, I'm always looking for ways to increase it, I don't need a feature to reduce it :) Also since corals feed at night this is exactly the time I want POM to be suspended.

I don't think the fish care because they're hiding in some nook or cranny anyway at night.

The only benefit I can think of is if you have a shallow tank with too many 6200's the feeding tentacles of your corals will have a chance to come out at night without being blown all over the place.

[prodman]

I stopped using mine recently for all the reasons orion76 stated. I notice less detritius build up wich is one instant bonous.

[turtlespd]

I use the photocell because it seems the fish comes out to play at night . I can see the fish hunt at night for pods and do what ever fish do. Also for my lps the low flow allows them to get all their polyps out instead of half way at night. The sps seem to not care with more or less flow since i alread have really high flow using a photocell doesnt do much. I have it set to go from 50% to30% at night.

[orion76]

Hi turtle, do you use a moonlight at night?

[Creetin]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6684126#post6684126 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by turtlespd
I use the photocell because it seems the fish comes out to play at night . I can see the fish hunt at night for pods and do what ever fish do. Also for my lps the low flow allows them to get all their polyps out instead of half way at night. The sps seem to not care with more or less flow since i alread have really high flow using a photocell doesnt do much. I have it set to go from 50% to30% at night.

Same for me, The moonlight is a bonus as well. Pretty bright for one LED. Mines on the new multicontroller so it has the different moon cycles.
The full moon is sweet, My 190 gets a nice shimmer, and i can see my emperor angels hunting for critters. My achilles moves around with the manderin but not as much as the emp angels.
I think the crustations use it the most to hunt. The peppermints,cleaner shrimp, and lobster are always out at night.

[poknsnok]

i used the photocell but dont use the moonlight anymore. PITA when you reset the pumps or turn off to clean. it auto resets to full moon and you loose that natural cycle

[rutz81]

I have been using mine.... Reading this makes me contemplate trying without it. It makes sense because in the moring I do get some detritus blowing around. Guess it just wouldnt be there if there were on there full power all night.

Question: In the ocean, don't the reefs where SPS(acros/monti's, mille's, etc.)grow, have a calmer part of their day?? Or is it turbulent waters at all times??

[orion76]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6684868#post6684868 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rutz81
Question: In the ocean, don't the reefs where SPS(acros/monti's, mille's, etc.)grow, have a calmer part of their day?? Or is it turbulent waters at all times??

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I believe currents in shallow waters are mostly wind driven and there is less wind at night when the sun doesn't shine.

Currents will still be more turbulent at night in the ocean than in the best home aquarium and attempting to recreate nature in this way has little merit IMHO.

[Ramble On Rose]

I never used it and never will.

[poknsnok]

curents do subside at night. Im from s.florida and did a lot of fishing and diving and I always noticed relatively slack current and tides and, yes.. a lot of that is due to sea breezes and winds subsiding at night.

[Highlander]

I disconnected mine about two months ago, and also noticed an immediate decrease in settled detritus. It won't be going back on.

[Armando]

I use it because I have extremely high flow in my tank. Gotta give'em fishes some peace at night :D

[imbuggin]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6684978#post6684978 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by orion76
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I believe currents in shallow waters are mostly wind driven and there is less wind at night when the sun doesn't shine.

Currents will still be more turbulent at night in the ocean than in the best home aquarium and attempting to recreate nature in this way has little merit IMHO.

currents are less at night, this is also very dependent on the tide which is correlated to the moon cycles not wind. Your above statement about currents still be more turbulent at night in the ocean than in the best home aquarium is not correct.

If you do scuba dive, have you ever been on a night dive? Sleeping fish, less current, closed corals..ect

[REEF-DADDY]

Nope, I get detrius build up when I turn off my wavebox.

[orion76]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6686176#post6686176 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by imbuggin
Your above statement about currents still be more turbulent at night in the ocean than in the best home aquarium is not correct.
Not more turbulent in terms of force, just more turbulent in terms of randomness, eventhough you don't feel it like when you stick your hand in front of a powerhead it's always there and passes in much greater volumes than would ever be possible in a tank, day or night :)

Ever notice how when you can only see 9 feet when diving a reef because of suspended matter no detritus settles inside the valleys of scrolling turbinaria's and similar corals eventhough you can't feel any current at all? :)

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6686176#post6686176 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by imbuggin
If you do scuba dive, have you ever been on a night dive? Sleeping fish, less current, closed corals..ect

I dive usually once or twice a month. At night there usually is less current, sometimes there is more because during the monsoon season many rain storms seem to come in the early evening. Also less fish but some fish that you don't see during the day like moray eels swimming freely. More crustaceans like shrimp, crabs and lobsters and lot's of other creepy crawlies that you don't see during the day, great fun :D LPS tend to be opened and SPS tend to have their polyps out etc ;)

[imbuggin]

[i]

Ever notice how when you can only see 9 feet when diving a reef because of suspended matter no detritus settles inside the valleys of scrolling turbinaria's and similar corals eventhough you can't feel any current at all? :)

[/B]

Actually, no very rarely do I. Not in 100+ dives in fiji. The only time was grand cayman diving the first 5 days after the hurricane. :rollface: If I could only see 9 feet of the reef I don't think I would bother diving.

Weather does play a huge part no question. But with the absense of a storm the current is rarely stronger at night. There will always be execption.

one last thought I was actually surprised to see so many acro's in fiji that had rtn'd and revoverd. I would see this huge coral half rtn'd half alive and I would want to frag them. You would see many that part died and than regrew over the dead part. Many with detritis on them. I was also surprised to see bleeching acros, & very colorful acros at 120+ feet. So it happens in nature also they just have more water volume to deal with it1:D

[turtlespd]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6684403#post6684403 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by orion76
Hi turtle, do you use a moonlight at night?

Yes, i definiatly use a moon light hooked up to my AC and its awsome. I love the fact i wake up at night to get a cup of water and can see my fish and corals do what ever they do all night but the fish arent sleeping from what i see.

Paul

[Ti]

I use it, gotta keep it varied

[spslover123]

Hmmm I could have sworn I heard that night/day have no bearing on underwater currents, only the surface chop due to wind. I could be wrong though. Anyways I dont use the photocell

[ReeferAl]

I don't use the photocell for 2 reasons. First, aquaria tend to have lower oxygen levels at night due to lack of photosynthesis so I want to keep the flow going to improve O2 exchange. Second, when I have the Streams periodically stopping I find that they are more likely to not start again than the likelihood that they will just stop on their own.

That latter reason is also why I quit using the waveboxes on a tidal schedule- they would sometimes not start again and then need premature cleaning to get them going (like after only 1 month).

Allen

[turtlespd]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6698039#post6698039 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReeferAl
I don't use the photocell for 2 reasons. First, aquaria tend to have lower oxygen levels at night due to lack of photosynthesis so I want to keep the flow going to improve O2 exchange. Second, when I have the Streams periodically stopping I find that they are more likely to not start again than the likelihood that they will just stop on their own.

That latter reason is also why I quit using the waveboxes on a tidal schedule- they would sometimes not start again and then need premature cleaning to get them going (like after only 1 month).

Allen

How do you make a tunze stop with a controller? I set mines at the lowest setting and it seems to still be spining. Maybe its my setting, Ill have to check it tonight.

[SeanT]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6698039#post6698039 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReeferAl
I don't use the photocell for 2 reasons. First, aquaria tend to have lower oxygen levels at night due to lack of photosynthesis so I want to keep the flow going to improve O2 exchange.
Allen,
That is excellent thinking.
Totally slipped by me.
Thanks a lot,
Sean

[twon8]

on the 7095 there are three modes, one or more of which turns off one channel of the pumps.

[orion76]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6698039#post6698039 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReeferAl
I don't use the photocell for 2 reasons. First, aquaria tend to have lower oxygen levels at night due to lack of photosynthesis so I want to keep the flow going to improve O2 exchange.

GREAT point :thumbsup:

[orion76]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6687438#post6687438 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by imbuggin
Weather does play a huge part no question. But with the absense of a storm the current is rarely stronger at night. There will always be execption.

Perhaps we misunderstood each other earlier, I WAS saying there is LESS current on the reef on a typical night because there is less wind on a typical night, and in shallower waters where corals grow a lot of the currents are wind driven :) but then added my opinion that imitating this phenomenon in our aquarium has more drawbacks than benefits :)

[Ti]

anyone know what happened to seanT?

[ReeferAl]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6699338#post6699338 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by turtlespd
How do you make a tunze stop with a controller? I set mines at the lowest setting and it seems to still be spining. Maybe its my setting, Ill have to check it tonight.

Like twon8 said. On the interval setting, for tide simulation, the Streams stop for 6 hrs and then go back on for 6 hrs. Except for me thay wouldn't always go back on.

Allen

[mikeguerrero]

My reefkeeper, during the night doubles the cycle instead, so instead of swithcing every 10 minutues different pumps, it increases the given pumps to 20 minutes before turning it off and firing up the next.

What you get is a much more calmer reef at night but without the loss of streams. Deitrus doesn't get a chance to settle; the RK also has a mode to shut off the pumps all together during the night, but I choose the other mode times 2.

Mike G

[Armando]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6700193#post6700193 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ti
anyone know what happened to seanT?
anyone?

[twon8]

i believe there was a heated discussion over rock cooking, and a number of posters with thousands of posts were moved on.

[Kitzo]

Yeah, he's at TRT now I believe.
They have a BB forum there.
He will love it. :D

[Lunchbucket]

anyone that doesn't use their photocell...could i take it off you hands? i actually need two. please email or pm me!

Sean moved on?? what the heck!! what is RC coming to??? is this the apocalipse?

Lunchbucket

[Kitzo]

I may have a photo cell laying around somewhere.
I will need to dig through a box to double check.

[MSHUR]

lunch,
i have one,if u need it

mike

[jackson6745]

I agree with Reefer Al.

Lunch....out with the old in with the new....which really sucks!!!!!
I guess 11,000+ post and countless advice doesn't count for much these days :(

[F35-Joint Strike Fighter]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6700193#post6700193 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ti
anyone know what happened to seanT?

Ouch! I haven't finished studying his acro treatment.

[Lunchbucket]

kitzo - let me know if you have one!!!

MSHUR - SWEET!! i'm pm'ing you

anyone else have one. i need two.

jackson - out w/ the old...man he was a HUGE asset to RC. yeah i guess i better watch my back now that i am approaching 11,000 posts.

Lunchbucket