turning off closed loop at night

[cmsurfr22]

i was thinking of turning my closed loop system off at night? is this a good idea/bad idea/doesn't really matter idea?

 

[Carlo]

Why?

If you really want to do it I'd pick up an Oxygen test kit and do a couple of O2 checks late at night when the close loop isn't running to make sure you still have good O2 in the tank.

Carlo

 

[Phyl]

I'm sure your fish would appreciate it greatly. As long as your sump gets decent turnover/airation, I don't see a problem with turning the closed loop off. As many people don't even run them, I'm sure your system will be fine at night without it.

 

[Carlo]

When I said "why" I was thinking that maybe there was also powerheads in the tank for water movement. I myself would probably choose to turn off the powerheads and keep the closed loop running given a choice.

But I still can't wonder why you would want to turn anything off? Is it a noise issue or something else?

Carlo

 

[Phyl]

It is fairly common for people with high flow tanks to reduce the flow at night. Many people I know turn off their tunzes/vortechs at night for that reason.

 

[Carlo]

I understand turning off the powerheads to create a more pieceful environment at night for your livestock. I don't understand turning off the closed loop however.

With that said, if the closed loop isn't tied to the filtration system and is being used just for circulation then I don't see a problem with this as it's the same thing as turning off the powerheads at night. I should have commented on that earlier!

These days "closed loop" means more or takes on different forms then the "traditional" meaning of closed loop.

Carlo

 

[Phyl]

These days "closed loop" means more or takes on different forms then the "traditional" meaning of closed loop.

?Really?

 

[cmsurfr22]

yeah my closed loop system is not tied into my filtration and is just used for water circulation. the main reason i am interested in turning off my closed loop is to make a more peaceful environment for the livestock as well as to cut back no energy usage. if its not needed then why pay for it! ;D

 

[eholceker]

kind of like a tide effect. I like the idea. very funny though that the most violent conditions that I have encountered while diving have been at night. Maybe you should do 6 on and 6 off?

 

[kheflw]

I think the only reason I wouldnt do it, is the constant on/off of the pump. My Dolphin pump runs for months at a time without ever being shut off. Not that it would break if I did, but you never know, I'm just superstitious that way.
I lot of the multicontrollers have feeding cycles and sleep cycles that lower the flow of the tank.

 

[cmsurfr22]

i don't think turning on/off a pump once a day is going to shorten it's lifespan. in fact i would think it would make it last longer because it's not being run as much. not to mention even if it did take a little off the lifespan of the pump i would save that much money in energy bills over the life of the pump. $60 a year vs. $120 a year in energy just to run that pump. after 4 years the amount i will have saved will be enough to buy a new one. so as long as my sequence reeflo dart lasts 4 years of an on/off once a day cycle i'll be happy ;D

 

[arvin]

I have been wanting to know if it is okay to switch off all the pump(s) during the night. I have read at least three tank of the month articles in RC where the owners say that they switch off completely so as to give the fish and corals some quiet time during the night.

 

[cmsurfr22]

i don't think you should switch off everything including your filtration. i think there still should be some flow throughout your tank at night. but i don't think it needs to be full throttle 24/7. after turning off my closed loop system i'll be cutting my flow by 75% but that's just throughout the display. the flow through the sump and skimmer will still be the same.

 

[arvin]

Maybe what I read I interpreted it wrong.