Wave maker or not.

[tiggerfish]

I have a 20 gallon tank. I’ve seen several posts that have a wave maker in their aquarium. Does it make a difference and how does it do that?

 

[Magnum Man]

really... they aren't "wave makers", they are "current " makers similar to a fan in how it moves air... some fish prefer a lot of water movement, and others will not do well with a lot of water movement... safety should be addressed, that fish won't get wedged or forced into tight spots they have trouble getting out of... much easier to do, with a larger tank... a 20 gallon would be considered a pretty small tank for most wave makers... I have a couple protein skimmers I no longer use, that I considered adding horizontally , instead of vertically to move water... also they need to be screened finely enough, to keep the smallest inhabitants from getting sucked into them...

 

[GaryE]

That's a huge question.

It doesn't depend on the tank, but on the fish within. A powerhead type water mover is useful for rapids origin fish in freshwater set ups. It also works for fish from beach habitats in freshwater lakes. What would your plan be, fishwise?

 

[Boundava]

Hydro makes nano current makers for smaller tanks, but as mentioned it really depends on the inhabitants and if they would benefit from it.