Powerhead Fatalities

[Mr. T]

I'm running 3 aquaclear powerheads with the stock plastic cone intake. They have already eaten a blue tang and a perc. What's the best way to stop these monsters from sucking in seemingly healthy fish?

 

[ghostrida3]

the grey filter foam stuff u see on prefilters. i had 3 rosebubble anemones bite the dust like that until i figured out what was killing them.

 

[beausbriggs]

I'm sorry to hear that happened to you.

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

I doubt they were healthy if they were done in by a small p.h.

 

[Mr. T]

It was the second largest in the aquaclear line that sucked up the tang.

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Still too small...a healthy fish could withsatnd a 3000gph+ tunze or vortech....

 

[beausbriggs]

Could any other factors, other than being unhealthy resulted in that outcome? I know my Tang likes to play in the stream. It it also possible that another fish could have chased them into the ph?

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9660619#post9660619 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by E-A-G-L-E-S
Still too small...a healthy fish could withsatnd a 3000gph+ tunze or vortech....

A 600gph powerhead produces a lot more suction than a vortech/tunze.

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

That may be....never used a p.h. that was more than 300gph(maxi1200) other than tunze or vortech.

Rich....why would this aquaclear be like that? And they make an aquaclear p.h. that pushes 600gph, wow.

 

[beausbriggs]

The aqua clear powerheads in question push 250 - 350 gph.

 

[beausbriggs]

but the aquaclear 110 does put out around 900 gph.

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_powerheads_pumps_hagen_aquaclear.asp?CartId=

 

[Thunderpants]

The beauty of return lines instead of powerheads.

You can put some kind of screen over the intake but then you deal with a loss in gph and you'll have to clean it occasionally.

 

[beausbriggs]

What can be used to make screens?

 

[Thunderpants]

http://www.internetmesh.net/plastic_mesh.htm

You can get the same stuff at a crafts store. Its plastic mesh thats white and i think its called needlepoint mesh.

 

[gh0st]

I believe AquaClear also makes a PowerHead Filter Cartridge attachment, slap one of those on, and your problems are solved.

The downside is it triples to quadruples the size of the pump, and you have to change and clean the cartridge.

 

[beausbriggs]

I got one of those for one of my ph's... works great, but like you said, its HUGE! Can't fit it on the other two, so I'm going to go with a screen of some kind. Someone recommended that I use "panty hose" to make an easy screen over the stock plastic cone intake. Any thoughts on that idea?

 

[Thunderpants]

What size tank is it? Ive seen a hob closed loop that uses 2 maxijets outside the tank.

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=113671

 

[MTB]

This is what I did.
I have several AC70 ph. I bought a couple of those filter cartridges and realized how huge they are. So I took the white part that the sleeve fits over. It comes apart into 2 pcs. I took one peice and epoxied it to the cone that comes with the power head.
I don't use those filter socks any way as they clog relativaly quickly. To me the socks are a waste of time and money.
Hope this helps.

 

[Mr. T]

65g