Pleco Caught In Powerhead

[CubanCorona]

For the past year or so, I have been running the Hagen powerheads in my 90 gallon tank in reverse. That is, they push oxygenated water down into the undergravel filter.

Yesterday, I noticed my pleco hanging out by the powerhead for a very long time. I eventually realized that he had been caught by the suction. When I turned off the powerhead, he quickly swam away, but his caudal fin is severely frayed.

I think he will be OK, he doesn't seem too upset about it.

In the mean time, I have reversed the flow of my powerheads. However, I am not a fan of the intense currents that they are creating, and I think it is bothering the fish a little (hard to tell though, maybe they just need to get used to it).

How can I direct the powerheads to minimize disturbance? Should I turn the flow rate down?

 

[Jules H-T]

Direct them towards the glass/corner/an ornament?

You could always rig up some sort of guard and have them as you did before. The plastic cup things you get new plants in jumps to mind, sure you could fix one of them over the intake.

Or invest in a nice Eheim external and be done with the UGF...

Hope the Plec is OK.

Careful with the reversed flow, you could suck all the crap back out of the gravel and jet it into the water.

 

[Scott MacAdam]

I have Heard of people using sponges over the intake of a filter when dealing with fry... Makes sence to me. I know this is on a completely different level but would covering the intake (or even outstream) with a sponge like object to diffuse the suction/pressure work for you?

 

[nukeonekitty]

I am pretty sure you can by like sponge/filter attachments for the Hagen power head, thus blocking the intact a little and creating a filter. I can't imagine you wouldn't lose pressure though. What kind of fish are in the tank? Most fish enjoy currents in the water.

 

[CubanCorona]

Covering it is definitely an idea. I'll see what I have lying around. Thanks for all the ideas.

You know, I probably don't even need the UGF. I had set it up with the tank originally, but have since added an eheim 2229 wet dry and a 2217 canister.

I've heard, though, that it is not safe to simply unplug a UGF, and I'm not sure if I want to disrupt the tank to the extent necessary to remove the UGF.

It's a peaceful community tank,

3 discus, 3 gouramis, 3 fire eels, 2 clowns, 2 angels, an iridescent shark, a plec, and a synodontis angelicus

 

[nukeonekitty]

Yeah you have some picky fish in there and you could get an ammonia spike from messing around with the gravel that much. I would say unplug it, just use a gravel vac.

 

[shellyboylan]

covering the intake with the foot of a pair of tights secured well is supposed to work well too