Do You Power Off Return Pump and/or Skimmer Durring Feeding?

[BODI]

I know my in-tank wavemaker pumps have a "feeding mode", but I am curious if should also be shutting my sump return pump off during feeding?

 

[footballdude2k3]

I only turn off my powerheads to clean them. The only reason people would turn them off is for target feeding, and in that case, it just depends on what you can deal with.

 

[MounteeFrag]

I turn off all pumps and skimmer. Fish eat the food that hit the water and doesn't just blow all over the tank. Easy to do with my Apex controller.

 

[jayhawk]

I turn off my MP10's and return for target feeding coral. I turn off my MP10's for feeding the fish. My Mandarin is slow so it helps having low flow so he can eat. Having a controller helps with shutting off the return. Doing it manually is a pain.

 

[3Twinklets]

I did this once and forgot to turn them back on. Lost a lot of fish and I will never do it again.

I turn off all pumps and skimmer. Fish eat the food that hit the water and doesn't just blow all over the tank. Easy to do with my Apex controller.

 

[HumanMachine]

I turn off my pumps in tank but my return pump keeps going.

 

[saltyhog]

I have 4 feed modes on my Apex. On is 10 minutes and only turns off the power heads. One lasts 30 minutes and turns off the power heads, return, skimmer and ATO. It turns the return and power heads first then 5 minutes later turns on the skimmer and ATO. I use it for water changes. The other one I use is 50 minutes and does the same as the second one. I use it to feed corals and occasionally to take some top down photos.

 

[ChrisQ0904]

I just turn off my power heads because I have my return cut back a good amount do that it doesn't blast water around. I also have my return pointed towards the back if that makes a difference. I don't like turning my return off because as mentioned above I also forgot to turn it back on.

 

[aslmx]

Jebaos have a feed mode that will restart the pumps. Nice feature

 

[Finnaddict]

Usually only cut off my PH's during feeding of the corals. Other than that it all stays on 24/7. I use one of those DJ power strips with the toggle switches for easy off and on.

 

[Reefing Madness]

I turn nothing off when feeding, the fish get to moving about the tank quickly when feeding commences, its cool to watch em, they get some good excersize with this.

 

[hawkinsrgk]

I do not turn anything off when feeding.

 

[vic67]

I put my MP10s into the feeding mode and turn off the return pump. Sometimes I do forget to turn the return back on but the MP10s kick into normal mode after ten minutes.

 

[BODI]

Thanks for all the input!

 

[skrivan]

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/reef-aquarium-discussion/170850-do-you-power-off-return-pump-skimmer-durring-feeding.html#post1985213

If you turn the return pump off for feeding, doesn't a lot of water get drained into the sump.? I'm still building my aquarium but I am curious on this topic. Thanks

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

I just turn off my power heads. I would forget to turn everything back on.

 

[ChrisQ0904]

If you turn the return pump off for feeding, doesn't a lot of water get drained into the sump.? I'm still building my aquarium but I am curious on this topic. Thanks

Yes it does but that is why you need to make sure that if the pump shuts off you have enough space in your sump to contain the water without overflowing. You may want to try this out before you get rock or sand in your tank. Power failures happen to everyone, during that time you want to make sure that you will be safe. When I started mine I filled with tap water to leak test/power outage test. Then I drained and filled with salt.

 

[SantaMonica]

My goal is to never have to turn anything off, or do anything else for that matter. I'm not target feeding now (that's another goal: to never need to target), so I just throw food in and let it go.

My relatively new process is to chop up about 18 square inches of nori and dump it on the surface. It does not sink; it stays on the surface and goes around in circles with the flow. And it takes the fish about 6 hours to eat it all. So they get to munch continuous for 6 hours.

 

[Reefkeepr1986]

My return pump gets turned off so that I can target feed and my MP10s get lowered down to a minimum so that the food I'm feeding can act as if it's alive and my fish and inverts have to literally catch the floating Mysis and or Grounded Krill. I only turn off my Mp's if I'm feeding my Corals plankton!!

 

[psirex]

I don't turn any of them off, keeps food suspened\from falling to the sand........