Too Much Flow?

[Ashley1991]

Hi

i got 5 guppys yesterday got them home acclimitised them everything was fine then i got home today (slept out yesterday) and one of the guppys has nearlly half of its back tail fins missing

my tank is 195 litres and fully cycled with a tetratec 1200 filter i have the filter on full and the guppys really seem to enjoy swimming at the top of the tank into the flow of the filter.

was just thinking maybe the flow is so strong it ripped its fins off?? the others seem to be fine though

they are all male by the way.

any ideas?

thanks
ash

 

[Ashley1991]

by the way ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate between 5 and 10 ppm

 

[chrisbassist]

anything in the tank with them?

I don't think it'll be too much flow, they seem to enjoy that in my tank too, and it hasn't had any effect on the fins, in fact they're looking a bit better than when I got them. so it's probably some nipping or something.

just keep an eye on them, see whats going on, could be the stress of the move, and them sorting out whos in charge, but keep an eye, also, people recommend melafix for these sorts of things but i'd wait for someone else to chime in on that...

 

[Ashley1991]

nope nothing in the tank with them stocking very slowly and keeping it understocked as well ( i dont like crowded tanks XD)

thanks for the advice ill keep a eye on them see if anything else happens

ill have a look at melafix as well

cheers bud
Ash

 

[waterdrop]

Some people with high flow-rate filters turn the openings of the spraybar back toward the glass at an angle. As long as the overall circulation of the tank is good and you like an understocked tank, the loss of an over-agitated surface will not matter. You sometimes have to do a lot of experimenting with circulation to achieve the look you want of the fish being able to display without being blown around, the surface being moved and the substrate level not having deadpockets.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Ashley1991]

ok thanks for that

Ash

 

[Twinklecaz]

How do you know if you have too much/too little flow?

 

[raptorrex]

How do you know if you have too much/too little flow?

if your fish are all stuck to one side of the tank.

more seriously, most fish can withstand quite high currents. if they can stay in one spot (if they want) its fine. many of us have flows of 5 times or more (though it does not suite all fish) as a starting point. and that seems fine.

 

[Twinklecaz]

5 times?

 

[Ashley1991]

[/quote]

if your fish are all stuck to one side of the tank.

[/quote]

it was not quite that bad lol

they did get blown about a bit when they went to the top though going to turn it down for sure

Ash

 

[raptorrex]

5 times?

its an "ideal" base flow. though thats for cannisters and internals. other types of filtration, have differing flow requirements. lol, if you think thats a lot. you also have to remember that the claimed flow, from makers, is, often, 50-60% more than in reality. if you go by box claims, my tank has over 9x flow.

 

[Ashley1991]

just want to say thanks for all the help they look alot happier now i turned the filter down a bit

Thanks
Ash