Suggestions to keep Tunze's from killing Tangs

[Shablin]

Ok Ive now lost four tangs to my Tunze's; They swim near them and get sucked onto the side. When I find them and release them they swim off and die (blue eye Kole, Sailfin, Yellow, Powder Blue). All of these were very healthy prior. Ive turned down the power, cut difference int the pulsations and moved the protective covers. Now Im moving the pumps to a less frequented area - to the back, but I have to rearrange lower flow corals out of the blast zone. Any other ideas? I dont want to lose my baby Hippo Tang!

 

[GrimReefer82]

Is there a way you can put filter pads around them or make a small enclosure over them with eggcrate?

What size tank do you have?

 

[GrimReefer82]

Sorry double post.

 

[James77]

Healthy fish should be able to get away from a Tunze with no problem at all. For years I have had tangs and other fish of all sorts swim right next to the Tunzes, running at full blast, and peck algae off them.

What Tunzes are you running? How far apart did the deaths occur?

 

[greenmonkey51]

I really doubt that a healthy tang is going to get sucked into a tunze. You may want to look more into you husbandry than equipment.

 

[Shablin]

I have a 6200 & 6100, one at each end to the front; These were very healthy fish I had for atleast 4 months each; The Kole that just died was with me for about 6 months; none of the fish were ill prior and all were still alive after getting too close. Ive not had this problem with any other fish in my tank.

I dont know about wrapping anything around them but that would probably help; Id hate to lose the flow though...

 

[Znut Reefer]

Thats strange with the fish and the tunzes. I have 8 Tunzes on my tank and always have had tangs in my tank. I''ve never had any fish to get stuck to my Tunzes. I'm running 6100's and 6200's.

 

[James77]

Did the fish all die within a short period? What are your water parameters? Any big changes you've made to the tank recently?

I have not heard of one person having a healthy fish killed by a Tunze, let alone 4 fish. Thousands of people on this message board- if this was common, you would hear about it.

I'm not trying to knock you or anything. I just really doubt the Tunzes are to blame- something else has to be at the very least weakening them to where they would be sucked into them. Put your hand next to the intake- it is a pretty weak suction.

 

[Shablin]

Its pretty good suction on my pumps; enough to hold a fish like a broad tang. again these fish were healthy prior to getting sucked with no sign of disease; all eating well, and very active. The other fish in the tank Ive had for months-years. Water params are all very good. It seems that the tangs are getting stuck I guess because of their size and shape. The only thing I can see as a problem is the location near the front of the tank where the fish come & feed.

 

[mdrc]

basically to steer away frm arguing about fish health, get some foam not do dense but not to light, wrap it around the diamiter of the tunze then sowe, or melt it together then slide on. that should help alot

 

[Shablin]

I think ill first try to turn down the external power adjustment even more untill i dont feel a strong suction through the guard.

 

[JustinReef]

Thats so weird. Sorry for your losses.

When I had my big tank set up with tunzes, my tangs used to eat algae right off it, my small hawk fish used to perch right ontop of it. I don't see how a tang could get stuck on one unless it was weak.

 

[Shablin]

There are external power screws on these; mine were turned al the way up; ive turned them down (which means less flow) and now dont feel such strong suction; I hope that does it!

 

[Dave Harms]

I had a Tunze stream do that to a dottyback, but he went into the pump when it was off and got shredded when it started up. But I never had a fish get sucked up against one. (That fish totally recovered.)

 

[thedoctor06]

I agree on the fish health issue. I've had the same thing happen to a Kole tang of mine. It got sucked into a maxi-jet mod...after weeks of picking algae off the intake screen. Just because there weren't any apparent signs of illness doesn't mean it wasn't sick or otherwise unhealthy. It's not necessarily your husbandry (though it COULD be), some fish just take ill and die, then get sucked into pumps. These fish don't come to you in the best of health always, nor do they have an easy time being collected and shipped around the world in a tiny little bag. It happens. Sucks, but true story

 

[Shablin]

None of these fish were ill; they were all alive after I peeled them off the pumps and quickly swam off; i think they had damage to their gills after being attached and who knows what else (could have been several hours);

One of my blennies loves to swim into my pumps when turned off; its amazing yours survived that experience!!

Can somebody check where their external power adjustment on their pumps is set? I took mine from 100% NOW down to about 50, with much less suction on the guard (I think only a sick fish could get stuck on this now).

 

[James77]

Did all the fish die after you freed them form the pumps?

If you are using a Tunze controller on the 2 pumps, the controller will override the adjustment knob, no matter where it is set.

Instead of losing flow, you could retrofit something the the grilles. One thing that comes to mind is wrapping gutter guard around the suction housings, with some sort of spacer between the gutter guard and grilles-zipties(of course) could be used for attaching.