What current? (and my observations)

[DensityMan]

I may have erred at the beginning of setting up this tank. I went with the same guidelines for a standard reef tank and have two (small) powerheads plus a HOB 'waterfall' filter as well. The reason I believe I may have erred in my thinking is because on a normal day Tim will spend his whole day holed-up in his home; with just his eye (singular) poking out.

Three days now I have turned off the filters AND the powerheads during feeding time and all three days he has come out to roam the tank. In the time I have spent typing this post I have had the powerheads off, but left the filter running. In that short time Tim has already left his hole and is wandering around (cautiously because the tiny sailfin blenny is a bully (and is being removed shortly) and the six-line just looks mean even though he isn't).

So what's the scoop?

Have I been blowing too much current through his tank? Can I run a 10g tank with just the Whisper Mini and remove the 2 AquaClear powerheads (101 models)? Will the zoanthids, plants and xenia be alright in these same conditions?

Thanks in advance for your comments and questions,

 

[jedimpt]

I'm running my mantis tank without any powerheads, jsut the waterfall. He will move around alot. he always stays close to his tunnel network among the rock and will never go onto the rock itself. I don't know how well this will work for your coral life, but i've got a small cluster of zoos in there and they seem to be doing fine so far.

 

[DensityMan]

Thanks for the input.

Chose to leave the powerheads off for the night and perhaps the rest of the week to see what happens.

 

[jedimpt]

Does Tim come out at night. My little guy doesn't.

 

[DensityMan]

From what I've picked up here they are more active in the day-time. Tim usually seals up his door by the time I leave the office (around 5).

 

[Gonodactylus]

Depends on the species. O. scyllarus do well with lots of current as do some gonodactylids, but others such as G. wennerae seem to prefer only a moderate flow. In general, I think current is good as long as the animal can hole up.

Roy

 

[DensityMan]

Tim is a G. Smithii.

With the current of even one of the powerheads he stays holed up and waits for me to feed him.

With only the waterfall filter he roams the tank hunting... or at least exploring.

Today he actually started to dig a larger opening under the rock he lives in. It seems to give him much quicker, easier access to 'safety.' If I turn the powerheads back on he makes a mad dash for the hole in the rock and stays put.

Just my observances after two days though...