Poll: Pumps on or off during feeding time?

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I haven't been turning them off but I like to do that. I have found that "certain" pumps when turned off and on frequently don't like to start correctly every time. That being said I would like to create a setting where all the pumps dial down to a very low setting where there is slight water movement in the tank.

 

[vlangel]

I actually turn off the powerheads and let the return pump run because my sump is in the basement. Anyway my PHs put most of the flow in my tank.

 

[Daltrey]

That's one of the things I like about ecotech. You can hit feed mode and everything just slows down. No worrying about wear and tear or food going straight down the drain.

I plan on installing a physical button connected to apex via a breakout box on my new build. Then just walk up to the tank and press a button. After 15 minutes everything will automatically ramp back up.

 

[Moo76]

I turn the return pump off and leave the rest running to circulate the food to all of the critters.
Return off to keep the food out of the sump - makes sense to me.

 

[nvert]

I keep my return pump on so some food makes it way down to the live rock in my sump, turn the circ pumps down to 10% for 3o mins, and the skimmer off for 60 mins. Lots of more life in my LR chamber in the sump since I started doing this.

 

[n21benson]

Return stays on, wave pumps off on feed mode in my system when I feed.

Same here.

 

[Bob4708]

I put the return pump in feed mode so it slows down to just a trickle. The Ph's are put in feed mode (off) while I feed my fish black worms, when they're done eating the black worms and I switch to a mixture of fish and coral food I turn them back on again so the food gets circulated around the tank.

What kind of return pump do you use? I am looking for one that won’t shut off completely.

 

[Da Ghost]

Mine is a touch more complicate then just off during feeding. I turn everything off via feedA, then after 7 mins the two lower powerheads turn on, then after an additional the 5mins the the upper powerheads turn on, then after an additional 7 mins the main pump turns back. After an additional 15-20 mins the skimmer turns back on. This set up allows my nassarius snails time to get food before it is swept away. It allows the less aggressive fish to catch some food as it falls and turning the pumps on the anthers and tangs have a field day and eat like pigs.

 

[jeffrey holloway]

I guess I have a different approach. I want as much flow as possible moving around in my system. I over feed my tanks, This allows all life to get something to eat. And if a fish or two don't get its fill, watch what happen when the next feeding come. My fish knows that if u snooze u lose and down the overflow it will go.

 

[Buffalou]

Running, ocean doesn’t stop at feeding

 

[Buffalou]

Running, ocean doesn’t stop when feeding

 

[JoeIII]

I usually turn my controllable return pump off to help prevent the food going down the overflow before the inhabitants can eat it.

 

[jeffrey holloway]

I see it like u Buffalou. I live a 1/2 blk from the ocean. There is not a local fisherman on this coast that goes fishing when the tide is out and water is calm. The strong currents from the tide movement stir up all kinds of nutrients which causes feeding frenzies from the micro organisms all the up the food chain. So when lights are on, u can say my fish are having a blast.

 

[DSC reef]

I turn the return pump off and leave the rest running to circulate the food to all of the critters.
Return off to keep the food out of the sump - makes sense to me.

Same here. I turn the knob on the return pump to idle and the powerheads stay on to circulate the food. I can't compare my tank to the ocean and there's a sock in the sump. I'd rather the food feed the tank then go directly to the sump.

 

[Sleepydoc]

I leave my power heads on but I turn my return pump down to a ‘static’ setting so it’s running just fast enough to keeep water from back-siphoning into the sump but no water is going over the overflow. I figure there’s no point in adding food to feed the sump!

 

[d2mini]

Everything keeps running in my tank.
Unless I'm feeding coral food, then I'll put the skimmer into maintenance mode. It comes back on a couple hours later.

 

[Whysohigh]

I have a floating feeding ring from two little fishes with an automatic food dispenser mounted above it.

 

[Forsaken77]

I hit the feed mode on my return and it stays off for a half hour. I also hit the feed mode on the gyre for 10 mins.. So I feed the fish so the food doesn't wind up in the filter, but anything that hits the floor gets swept up again by the gyre. So the fish have 10 mins of no water movement, then the gyre circulates for 20 mins until the return kicks back on. By that time most of the food is gone.

 

[mfinn]

Up to now I've left all the pumps running when feeding, but recently tried to figure a cheap fail proof way to shut off my return pump and maybe feed a little lighter.
But any controller I use would have to have a 0-10v feature, then I would have to buy a module from royal exclusiv that lists at $187. So just wanting the one feature is too much.

 

[Richards_reef]

I keep everything running as normal unless I'm spot feeding corals. When I spot feed all pumps are turned off.