Powerhead ate my pipefish

Paul B · 05/15/2014, 12:02 PM

I can't believe how stupid I am. Well, yes I can. I have been having a problem losing pipefish for a long time and I couldn't figure out why.
But I did now and I should have realized it which is driving me crazy because I usually see these potential problems. The problem started a couple of years ago when I changed from my ancient 25+ year old powerheads and started using Korilla's. The pumps are fine but they have a bunch of long slots on the sides where the water enters to be pumped out by the propeller.
That slot is the same diameter as most pipefish and pipefish not being the tuna's of the sea, can't pull free once they get stuck in a slot.
Now I think I solved the problem as I glued these acrylic bands around the powerhead. This one is done and I will now do the other one. I still have my dragon faced pipefish but if I had not seen this, He would be toast, or at least pipefish gel.
Now I am trying to get a few more pipefish but of course no one has any.

pledosophy · 05/16/2014, 07:31 PM

That is actually not going to do it. They are drawn to the food that gets caught in the intake and get sucked in themselves. You need to cover the entire intake with a mesh material to make those power heads pipefish safe.

If you go back on previous threads you can see this has been happening for at least ten years.

Paul B · 05/17/2014, 05:18 AM

It has been happening a lot longer than that as I have lost many pipefish over the years.
If you put a mesh over the entire thing they still get stuck to the mesh unless the mesh is a good distance away from the grill. This fix is a test and although it looks like it won't work, I think it will. The pipefish can get away as long as they are perpendicular to the grill slots. That is what the rings of acrylic is supposed to do. The pipefish don't actually go into the slots as they are a little narrow for them. The fish get caught in the slots which are slightly smaller than the fish. I tested it with a piece of flexable tubing the same width as a pipefish and it seems to work. But if it doesn't, I will design something else. This design, like everything in my tank (and home) will be constantly tweeked and upgraded until it is perfect. The pipefish stay near the bottom and only go to the top when I feed them, but I turn off the powerhead to feed and I watch them so they don't go into the powerhead before I turn it back on.
But thanks for your comments. You may still be correct.

kudagirl · 05/17/2014, 12:00 PM

I have two powerheads in my seahorse tank which are covered with some washing nets that I got from the soap power,I find that the seahorses will go up to the powerheads but they only rest there side on it they can pull away when they like.Also the nets are changed at evey water change and clean ones put on.

Fallling · 05/17/2014, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kudagirl

I have two powerheads in my seahorse tank which are covered with some washing nets that I got from the soap power,I find that the seahorses will go up to the powerheads but they only rest there side on it they can pull away when they like.Also the nets are changed at evey water change and clean ones put on.

Washing nets as in the mesh bags for delicate laundry in the washing machine? Do you have a picture by chance? I'll be getting my horses soon (tank has been up and running about 5 months) but am still working on someway to horse proof the powerheads.

Paul B · 05/18/2014, 09:48 AM

I got a new multi banded pipefish today and strung fishing line around those acrylic bands on my powerheads. I still am going to tweek them some more and tomorrow I may go back and get more of those pipefish as I like to have breeding pairs of all my fish

Paul B · 05/19/2014, 12:58 PM

I replaced him and got another

kudagirl · 06/05/2014, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fallling

Washing nets as in the mesh bags for delicate laundry in the washing machine? Do you have a picture by chance? I'll be getting my horses soon (tank has been up and running about 5 months) but am still working on someway to horse proof the powerheads.

The washing nets I use are the one you would have got to put your washing tablets in before you put them into the washing machine.I find that these fit nicely over the powerheads,after each water change the net are changed and clean ones put on.

I find that some of the seahorses like to hang on the sides of the powerheads.

Allmost · 06/05/2014, 01:34 PM

I have pipefish swimming against MP60 no issues ...

I trully believe that fish get stuck to power heads only when they are weak ....

Paul B · 06/05/2014, 02:10 PM

With most fish that is true, but the Korilia's have slots on their sides that are exactly pipefish size and if they get stuck in there, they can't get out as pipefish are not the tuna of the sea

Allmost · 06/05/2014, 02:12 PM

ever seen the slots on MP60 ?

Paul B · 06/05/2014, 02:22 PM

No, I don't even know what a MP60 is as all my popwerheads are from the 70s and 80s except the Korilia's

bfin3 · 06/12/2014, 08:45 AM

what if you also put your powerheads on a timer so they stopped running for a minute every hour or so then any trapped pipefish can get off. Idk how long they can survive like that but probably a hour at least

Paul B · 06/12/2014, 08:49 AM

I thought about that but sometimes they don't start or they start in reverse so I would rather watch them. The pipefish are safe now that I re designed the powerheads.

Vinny Kreyling · 06/12/2014, 12:50 PM

Paul,
I guess you never saw this: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2400950
Vinny

Paul B · 06/12/2014, 02:20 PM

No I didn't see that but I did fix the thing a different way. That is a nice fix.
Thanks

05/15/2014, 12:02 PM	#1
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	Powerhead ate my pipefish I can't believe how stupid I am. Well, yes I can. I have been having a problem losing pipefish for a long time and I couldn't figure out why. But I did now and I should have realized it which is driving me crazy because I usually see these potential problems. The problem started a couple of years ago when I changed from my ancient 25+ year old powerheads and started using Korilla's. The pumps are fine but they have a bunch of long slots on the sides where the water enters to be pumped out by the propeller. That slot is the same diameter as most pipefish and pipefish not being the tuna's of the sea, can't pull free once they get stuck in a slot. Now I think I solved the problem as I glued these acrylic bands around the powerhead. This one is done and I will now do the other one. I still have my dragon faced pipefish but if I had not seen this, He would be toast, or at least pipefish gel. Now I am trying to get a few more pipefish but of course no one has any. __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

05/16/2014, 07:31 PM	#2
pledosophy Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Beaverton Posts: 5,290	That is actually not going to do it. They are drawn to the food that gets caught in the intake and get sucked in themselves. You need to cover the entire intake with a mesh material to make those power heads pipefish safe. If you go back on previous threads you can see this has been happening for at least ten years. __________________ 120g mixed reef 90g QT

05/17/2014, 05:18 AM	#3
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	It has been happening a lot longer than that as I have lost many pipefish over the years. If you put a mesh over the entire thing they still get stuck to the mesh unless the mesh is a good distance away from the grill. This fix is a test and although it looks like it won't work, I think it will. The pipefish can get away as long as they are perpendicular to the grill slots. That is what the rings of acrylic is supposed to do. The pipefish don't actually go into the slots as they are a little narrow for them. The fish get caught in the slots which are slightly smaller than the fish. I tested it with a piece of flexable tubing the same width as a pipefish and it seems to work. But if it doesn't, I will design something else. This design, like everything in my tank (and home) will be constantly tweeked and upgraded until it is perfect. The pipefish stay near the bottom and only go to the top when I feed them, but I turn off the powerhead to feed and I watch them so they don't go into the powerhead before I turn it back on. But thanks for your comments. You may still be correct. __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

05/18/2014, 09:48 AM	#6
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	I got a new multi banded pipefish today and strung fishing line around those acrylic bands on my powerheads. I still am going to tweek them some more and tomorrow I may go back and get more of those pipefish as I like to have breeding pairs of all my fish __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

05/19/2014, 12:58 PM	#7
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	I replaced him and got another __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

05/17/2014, 12:00 PM	#4
kudagirl Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Windsor/UK Posts: 101	I have two powerheads in my seahorse tank which are covered with some washing nets that I got from the soap power,I find that the seahorses will go up to the powerheads but they only rest there side on it they can pull away when they like.Also the nets are changed at evey water change and clean ones put on.

06/05/2014, 01:34 PM	#9
Allmost Moved On Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: canada, toronto Posts: 8,161	I have pipefish swimming against MP60 no issues ... I trully believe that fish get stuck to power heads only when they are weak ....

06/05/2014, 02:10 PM	#10
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	With most fish that is true, but the Korilia's have slots on their sides that are exactly pipefish size and if they get stuck in there, they can't get out as pipefish are not the tuna of the sea __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

06/05/2014, 02:12 PM	#11
Allmost Moved On Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: canada, toronto Posts: 8,161	ever seen the slots on MP60 ?

06/05/2014, 02:22 PM	#12
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	No, I don't even know what a MP60 is as all my popwerheads are from the 70s and 80s except the Korilia's __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

06/12/2014, 08:45 AM	#13
bfin3 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Bloomington, IL Posts: 417	what if you also put your powerheads on a timer so they stopped running for a minute every hour or so then any trapped pipefish can get off. Idk how long they can survive like that but probably a hour at least

06/12/2014, 08:49 AM	#14
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	I thought about that but sometimes they don't start or they start in reverse so I would rather watch them. The pipefish are safe now that I re designed the powerheads. __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971

06/12/2014, 12:50 PM	#15
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	Paul, I guess you never saw this: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2400950 Vinny

06/12/2014, 02:20 PM	#16
Paul B Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 15,549	No I didn't see that but I did fix the thing a different way. That is a nice fix. Thanks __________________ I used to get shocked when I put my hand in my tank. Then the electric eel went dead. Current Tank Info: 100 gal reef set up in 1971