Torch, Hammer, & Xenia closing up at night

[jayxem]

At work and haven't been able to post a lot since new job. So in other words haven't used search yet. Hope someone could just chime in on this.

 

At night once all the lights are off on my BC 14G my Torch, Hammer, and Xenia close up. Not sure if this is completely normal. Noticed it last night and sort of worried me. Woke up and everything was normal but the lights had already turned on by this time.

[Scott Riemer]

Normal.

[jayxem]

Normal.

 

Wow thanks for quick response!

[Scott Riemer]

Wow thanks for quick response!

No problem.

[BillWeimer]

I was intrigued by this post, as simple as most of us may think it is, and I too wondered why corals 'contracted' at night. Through some very quick searching I found this link, which I thought was excellent.

 

http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/coralcare/a/aa022103.htm

 

This article stresses that coral are very adaptable animals. When we, the aquarist, put a coral into a tank we ask it to conform to our schedule. We feed during the day because that is when we are up, and in turn they contract when there isn't any food available, or lesser quantities available.

 

However, in the natural reef, because of the dependency of microorganisms which supply the vast majority of food for corals is most active at night, the corals are actually still open at night!

 

Somebody else please chime in, perhaps with some views in regards to ecology and/or chemically. This article indicated that corals do a lot of feeding when food is available (obviously) but now I have more questions than answers. The main one... do corals grow (calcify) in dormint time or active, feeding times?

[Smurf]

LOL. Are you serious?

[Mallett]

I was intrigued by this post, as simple as most of us may think it is, and I too wondered why corals 'contracted' at night. Through some very quick searching I found this link, which I thought was excellent.

 

http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/coralcare/a/aa022103.htm

 

This article stresses that coral are very adaptable animals. When we, the aquarist, put a coral into a tank we ask it to conform to our schedule. We feed during the day because that is when we are up, and in turn they contract when there isn't any food available, or lesser quantities available.

 

However, in the natural reef, because of the dependency of microorganisms which supply the vast majority of food for corals is most active at night, the corals are actually still open at night!

 

Somebody else please chime in, perhaps with some views in regards to ecology and/or chemically. This article indicated that corals do a lot of feeding when food is available (obviously) but now I have more questions than answers. The main one... do corals grow (calcify) in dormint time or active, feeding times?

 

Wow, makes sense actually. I figured it was typical for my hammer to retract at night..chalk it up to sleeping haha. Always good to understand a little better why things work they way they do. Thanks for sharing that info!

 

 

LOL. Are you serious?

 

Wow, look at me post pad some more!! I suppose you knew everything from the start. Congrats.

Edited April 25, 2008 by Mallett

[BillWeimer]

LOL. Are you serious?

 

You're the reason people don't post questions that they think might be remedial. In case you didn't realize, the post was made in the 'Beginners Discussion'. If you aren't here for one of two reasons, the first being to ask questions, and the second to answer them, then don't browse this forum.

 

Next time, show a little more restraint, and simply don't post.

[Reef Chicks]

I set my timers the other way around - they are on from 4pm to 12am. That way I can enjoy my tank and the lights are off during the day, when it is hotter. The tank stays cooler that way.

 

Jay - the pics will be coming tonight. I had misplaced the camera (actually my 2 year old relocated it for me) but I found it. I'll take some tonight when the lights go out.

 

You're the reason people don't post questions that they think might be remedial. In case you didn't realize, the post was made in the 'Beginners Discussion'. If you aren't here for one of two reasons, the first being to ask questions, and the second to answer them, then don't browse this forum.

 

Next time, show a little more restraint, and simply don't post.

 

Bill, I dont think Smurf was trying to be condescending. I think he was amuzed at the fact that someone gave a higher thinking, thought-provoking response to Jay's question. He IS a high school kid after all.

[Scott Riemer]

Umm, photosynthetic corals expand during the "day" (light cycle) because they need light (the basic definition of photosynthetic). They retract during the "night" (no lights) for protection plus there is no light for them to create zooxanthellae which supplies a huge percentage of their nutrition..

[vq3five]

Umm, photosynthetic corals expand during the "day" (light cycle) because they need light (the basic definition of photosynthetic). They retract during the "night" (no lights) for protection plus there is no light for them to create zooxanthellae which supplies a huge percentage of their nutrition..

 

 

I have experienced the same (coral tenticles retracting at night), but when watching "Planet Earth - Shallow Seas" it actually states that because photosynthetic coral get most of their nutrition from Zooanthellae that at night they need to expand more tenticles to get the nutrients because there is little to no light. Again this is comparing an actual coral reef to a 24 gal Aquapod but I just wanted to add that point.

[Nathan69]

Also the moon light might give just enough light for the tentacles to come out