do you use your vortech foam cover?

toaster77 · 05/03/2008, 12:34 PM

got a vortech and been using it for a week so far and i like it! just wondering whether you all recommend using the foam cover or not? i put in on for a week and it accumulated a lot of detritus, not to mention a lot of brown algae... wondering if the fish are smart enough to avoid going too close if i don't use the cover...

thanks for any input

GMAX · 05/03/2008, 01:08 PM

I had a rabbitfish get himself stuck to the side of the vortech. the internal damage was enough that while he swam away after I turned off the pump, he did not make it another day. This was a good sized fish, should have been able to swim away easily I thought. Use the cover.

nhlives · 05/03/2008, 04:38 PM

I got one and used it for a day. Collects too much gunk. As for fish, the only fish that have ever gotten in the pump were sick or somehow weakened. I have watched a tang get too close and was almost into the pump but was able to get away.

macreefster · 05/03/2008, 05:54 PM

i don't use the foam cover for either of my vortechs and i haven't had any fish encountering problems with them. i would think the foam cover would get clogged quite quickly with the amount of flow the vortechs produce.

DB06 · 05/03/2008, 07:25 PM

I don't use them, never had a problem. However, if you turn them off for H2O changes or other maintenance, ensure you check inside for snails, etc. before turning them back on. Almost whacked my royal gama since he thought it was a nice hidding place.

05/03/2008, 12:34 PM	#1
toaster77 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 323	do you use your vortech foam cover? got a vortech and been using it for a week so far and i like it! just wondering whether you all recommend using the foam cover or not? i put in on for a week and it accumulated a lot of detritus, not to mention a lot of brown algae... wondering if the fish are smart enough to avoid going too close if i don't use the cover... thanks for any input

05/03/2008, 05:54 PM	#4
macreefster Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: michigan Posts: 1,015	i don't use the foam cover for either of my vortechs and i haven't had any fish encountering problems with them. i would think the foam cover would get clogged quite quickly with the amount of flow the vortechs produce. __________________ mac Current Tank Info: 70gal sps reef (36x24x20), 50g sump, 25g refugium, vertex alpha cone 170, 2 x 250w 14k phoenix w/ lumenmax 3's, 2 vortech mp40w's, eheim 1262 return pump

05/03/2008, 01:08 PM	#2
GMAX Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: DFW Posts: 839	I had a rabbitfish get himself stuck to the side of the vortech. the internal damage was enough that while he swam away after I turned off the pump, he did not make it another day. This was a good sized fish, should have been able to swim away easily I thought. Use the cover.

05/03/2008, 04:38 PM	#3
nhlives Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 247	I got one and used it for a day. Collects too much gunk. As for fish, the only fish that have ever gotten in the pump were sick or somehow weakened. I have watched a tang get too close and was almost into the pump but was able to get away.

05/03/2008, 07:25 PM	#5
DB06 Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Valrico, FL Posts: 202	I don't use them, never had a problem. However, if you turn them off for H2O changes or other maintenance, ensure you check inside for snails, etc. before turning them back on. Almost whacked my royal gama since he thought it was a nice hidding place.