Importance of Current part 2

scubasteve

scubasteve

Member
I posted a thread a while back about the importance of current in your tank. Many people seem to be fixated on lighting, and don't seem to pay as much attention to current (not just water flow in gallons per hour, but the actual flow of the water through the tank). I just wanted to post one more example of how corals react to changes in water current. I think the pictures demonstrate a pretty drastic difference in how the coral behaves in different current conditions.
This first pic shows how my mushrooms normally look, with low to medium current. Notice the stalks are not extened.
 
scubasteve

scubasteve

Member
Here is a close up shot. Notice how the mushrooms have extended and the shape of the plate or heads have changed shape also.
 
scubasteve

scubasteve

Member
Don't understimate the importance of flow in your tank, and whenever possible, make the flow variable. Variable pressure (surge) and direction can be very important. If anyone else has examples of things like this i'd be inerested in seeing the effects on different corals you have.

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Please respect the natural environment that makes this hobby possible. Be responsible and be informed. Support aquacultured/tank raised species.
 
scubasteve

scubasteve

Member
No, i am not saying the health has improved with no flow. I'm simply demonstrating the dramatic impact current and flow can have on corals. The point im trying to drive home is this: research your corals, know their optimal parameters, observe them in your tank, and tweak things like current to see how they respond. In this case, i know shrooms like low to moderate current. With the physical change i observe with the change in current i would have to ask myself the following: Does the change indicate improved or degraded conditions for the coral in question? To find the answer i would have to closely observe the coral in both conditions for a lenght of time. Personally i think the outstretched mushrooms are more pleasing to look at, but that isn't necessarily an indication of improved condtions or health that i know of. They could be extended simply because there is no danger of current pulling them from the rock, or it could be a mechanism to help in feeding in low current conditions. I would (and am) have to go out and do some research and try and correlate that research with what i am observing in my tank.
 
baddlord77

baddlord77

Member
I understand.......being that i am new to saltwater....i was just curious because w/out current the shrooms look very good indeed.....but as u said, there are reasons and they may not all be positive and or negative towards these critters......i would like to know if u find out if they do benefit w/less current than with, because they look great...........:jumping:
 
T

tizzo

Guest
This is an ironic topic... You say they are more pleasing IYO, with the stalks outstretched. I would think the opposite. I would assume the 'shrooms are reaching for something...had you not pointed out that your current was stopped, I woulda immediately thought light. But knowing about your flow situation, I would think that they are stretching to find what they need.
Another critter that doesn't seem to get enough current recommendation is the anemone. So many people complain their anemone got caught in the PH (I've complained of it myself), it never dawned on us that it was looking for a stronger current. Only when my anemone placed itself smack dab in front of a PH, did I realize what he was looking for. If I turn the direction of the flow, he stretches out to maintain contact.
Water flow... your right, we, as hobbiests should definately pay more attention to those details.:yes:
 
montidanae

montidanae

Member
everything in your tank is creating small amoutns of ammonia by it, even your corals, you need powerheads and current to move that ammonia away from the coral to filtration like bacteria and skimemers.
i love flow!
nice pictures btw!
 
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