Caution when you restart your pump

[CJ]

I don't know how many lives fish have but my blenny used up one of them last night, LOL.

All my pumps were off while doing a water change because the level drops too low. This was an emergency change because my anemone had spawned heavily and only the night light was on when I turned the pumps back on. It was by shear luck that I noticed a little bump inside the Vortech. It was my lawnmower blenny who had decided it was a really nice little nest for the night. It took quite a bit to dislodge it because it really liked its new found little cave and didn't want to come out.

The reason I am posting this is two fold. One, as a warning to check pumps before restarting them and two, because I am wondering if some of the deaths mentioned in earlier threads may be due to something like that rather than fish being sucked in as was surmised.

 

[rmougey]

My P. springeri loves to swim into the intake of the Vortech when I turn it off for water changes. Given that he's small, slender and black, I always double check before I fire the pump back up.

I had a similar problem with my blenny, though he liked to perch inside the return lines to the tank. He just got an E ticket ride when the system fired back up!!

-Rob

 

[CJ]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11418173#post11418173 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rmougey


I had a similar problem with my blenny, though he liked to perch inside the return lines to the tank. He just got an E ticket ride when the system fired back up!!

-Rob

That's funny, , may be he enjoyed the ride :rollface:

I was at a friend's yesterday and he showed me his new pump, a Korelia. It has a grate in the front to prevent fish from getting in. I think it's a great idea. It is removable for those who don't want or need it.

Anything like this in the works, Tim?

 

[ycrazyy]

There are foam guards now to put over the pump to prevent the fish from getting inside

 

[CJ]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11426257#post11426257 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ycrazyy
There are foam guards now to put over the pump to prevent the fish from getting inside

The foam guards are to prevent fish from getting sucked to the side of the pump's wet side. I have the foam guard. My blenny got into the pump from the front, the output side.

 

[mpdharley]

One other thing to note about the foam guards. They do reduce the pumps output and you do need to clean them routinely. For now, I'm running without them. My fish swim all around the pumps without any issues.

 

[CJ]

yes, they're a pain and no doubt a nitrate factory if not cleaned regularly. As long as it doesn't hurt the pump I don't care about the reduced output as I wouldn't run the pump at full power anyway. Before I used the cover I didn't have an issue with my fish either, I just feel more comfortable having it on particularly with a blenny who likes to perch on everything. Although, I still think that at half or two third power a healthy fish should be fine. Are you running at full power without the cover?

 

[mpdharley]

They are set for full power (without the cover), but I have all three of them in Reef Crest mode, with two units sync'd and one anti-sync

 

[FishhyRen]

Mike- was thinking about getting one or two of these...
I have a tunze stream right now, I'd like the smaller footprint of the VorTech, but I have two concerns...
These don't have a photocell to slow down at night...
Are you putting them on a timer or just letting them go all night at full steam?

The second concern is heat, I felt the one they used to have on the frag tank at bioreef and that thing was SCALDING hot!
How hot does yours run?

 

[mpdharley]

I let them run at full steam, but in reef crest mode, they aren't at 100% all the time. In fact, most of the time they aren't.

As for heat, it depends on where you touch. The dry side is meant to be a heat sink, drawing the heat away from the tank towards the back of the dry side. So, the back end does get hot (I can keep my hand on it for a few seconds), but the sides aren't as bad.