The KILLER Tunze 6080.

[CoMMaNdeR]

Hi, unfortunately I am too sad to write this but I will try...

I have a 6080 turbelle stream that has been running in my 180g tank for about 4 months. This week something strange happened.
For 2 times along the day I saw the same fish that is a Fox face Medium size that got sucked by the pump. I switched it OFF an the fish lived but had some damages it's body and fins.

Today unfortunately the Pump sucked another fish, this time was my Yellow tang medium size, but when I switched the pump off to release the fish it was to late because was dead. In the tank I have also 2 turbelle streams that are 6060 model that never sucked a fish.

Can someone please help me and tell me what and why is happening this?

 

[sjm817]

The fish were probably sick and too weak to swim away from the pump.

 

[fras]

I agree, a healthy fish would not have any problem with a stream, the same thing would probably have happened with most any pump.

 

[rbp 4 135]

tunze are designed to have minimal intake suction for the ammount of water they move. most likely your fish are sick a healthy fish should have been able to fight against the current

 

[GMAX]

My Tunze have screens over them for the intake. Not even a small snail fits between the teeth of the screens. The output opening is large but I have never seen a fish swim in the output.

 

[antony1103]

The same thing happen to me. Healthy fish i had for months got sucked into my new tunze. It injured my blue tang and killed a clownfish, foxface, and a yellow tang. I no longer use the pump. I switched it for a sieo wiht no problems yet.

 

[GMAX]

Somehow I am missing exactly how the fish gets sucked in with a screen over the intake? There's no way a clown goby would fit in mine. Are you guys operating the pumps with the screens off? The output is large but there is no suction. A fish would have to swim in there and then deliberately swim into the impeller. I just dont see how its even possible for anything bigger than maybe a juvenile mysis shrimp.

 

[z28pwr]

It gets sucked from the sides with the screen on. This happened to my angel which appeared to be helahty. I have a 6100 stream though.

 

[GMAX]

What it pulled it right through the screens? Tunze do not have that kind of suction and healthy fish have no problem outswimming the rush of a full head on Tunze output so why would the intake defeat them? Sorry but it does not fit with what I know about my two 6100s.

 

[CoMMaNdeR]

So it seems that this thing happens frequently unfortunately. Both my tang and foxface were healthy, always eating even from my hand. Nice colours but both had been sucked from the 6080 tunze and remained there attached with the teeth outside the pump not in.

The tang died and the foxface is too damged to live and is dying.

So this is a disadvantage that Tunze have. No one is perfect even the Tunze..

 

[GMAX]

Do me a favor. Humor me here. Turn your Tunze up to 100% ( if you have the controller dialing it down ) and then take your hand and put it next to the pump. Tell me if you even feel the suction let alone if you have any difficulty pulling away from the pump. I just did it with mine. NO disadvantage with mine, perhaps you have an extremely strong pump...

 

[CoMMaNdeR]

GMAX, the 6080 Model don't take controllers so they are all the time on with 100% full flow output. Don't compare the strength of a fish with humans, its crazy ..

Fish are small and sure the pump can suck them and I am saying this is just because it happened to my fish 3 times. It is not funny, I am really sad about this because Tunze are great but I think I found them a disadvantage.

I can assure you that the fish were healthy, eating even from my hands. Full colours... The strange thing is that I have 3 tunze and the 6080 only sucked 3 times the 2 fish.

 

[GMAX]

Can you feel the suction or not. I found fish in the reef while diving to be much stronger at swimming against the current than me. I dont think size has anything to do with it. If you cant detect a suction its unlikely to ensnare a healthy fish. Maybe your fish was sick and unable to react?

 

[CoMMaNdeR]

If I put my finger near the Intake teeths of the Tunze sure I can feel the suction. Its obvious man because the pump from there is sucking water.

The fish were 100% healthy, I can assure that for sure.

 

[GMAX]

Well yes it does take in water to generate output, but what I wanted you to say was whether it felt like something that would immobilize an fish who swims 24/7.

I am sure it happened and what I will be continued to be mystified about is how. Must be some additional facts. Without anything else, I would say only an injured or sick fish could possibly have a problem. I guess we will never know for sure.

 

[CoMMaNdeR]

True my friend, I wish to know the reason but even the Tunze company don't know because I emailed them and told them this story.

The strange thing is that only 1 pump from 3 is doing this thing. Maybe the pump sucks more water then normal...

I took it out and cleaned from were it sucks water and also the pump. Let see what happens.. Hope that will not kill more fish.

 

[asfullax]

I have a 6080 on my 129, and I have small snails, crabs, and even my blenny perches on the thing as a bed. I have never had any issues with suction.

Although, this does remind me of an issue I had with my seio's, the rotating flow restrictor somehow closed just a hair, but the suction increased probably 10X sucking in a 3" turbo snail. Is it possible the the tunze is clogged on some of the slits? or maybe coraline growth between the slits?

I agree that I can't see any way that a fish could be sucked into a tunze unless something was wrong with the pump or the fish, and seeing that you had it happen to two fish, my guess is that something is wrong with the tunze itself.