Which Is Best For Nutrient Distribution?

[mark4785]

What is the most useful aquarium accessory for increasing current flow (and nutrient/c02 distribution) in the aquarium?

A spray bar or a power head?

Spray bars seem the cheapest; do any exist that are made for use with a Cayman 05 internal filter? I'm a bit shocked that Cayman appliances aren't easily sourceable on the internet compared to Fluval, Hagen etc.

 

[ian]

a lot of planted tanks use lily pipes as well as a powerhead. I personally like Koralia powerheads as they push a large volume of water rather than shooting it out (if you get my drift), i use a koralia rather than adding another filter. If you're connecting to your filter (external), i prefer the use of lily pipes over a sprabar.

 

[mark4785]

a lot of planted tanks use lily pipes as well as a powerhead. I personally like Koralia powerheads as they push a large volume of water rather than shooting it out (if you get my drift), i use a koralia rather than adding another filter. If you're connecting to your filter (external), i prefer the use of lily pipes over a sprabar.

Hey, my filter isn't external, it's internal.

How would I connect a lilypipe to the filter box? I've just searched for 'lily pipe' on google and it is displaying products that might not work with my Cayman 05 internal filter.

 

[alex.wardle]

gessing ian thought u meant it was a external. I thought that was what u meant.

 

[ian]

Sorry mark, I thought you meant external. I would go for a koralia nano if your wanting to eliminate dead spots

 

[SuperColey1]

spraybar is better for flow than a lily pipe. It is the aesthetic that comes into play with the lily pipe.

I would use my spraybar but I get good enough flow with the lily pipe and it looks 10x better.

Probable reason you are finding it hard to source stuff for the Cayman is because no-one else (at least that I have ever known) uses them!!!

If it has an output any spraybar should fit. Most of the standard fluval/Eheim ones etc use a small piece of hose to connect the spraybar to the pipe. therefore you can just ad the hose from the outlet of the cayman to the spraybar. Assuming it is a standard type of output.

AC

 

[mark4785]

spraybar is better for flow than a lily pipe. It is the aesthetic that comes into play with the lily pipe.

I would use my spraybar but I get good enough flow with the lily pipe and it looks 10x better.

Probable reason you are finding it hard to source stuff for the Cayman is because no-one else (at least that I have ever known) uses them!!!

If it has an output any spraybar should fit. Most of the standard fluval/Eheim ones etc use a small piece of hose to connect the spraybar to the pipe. therefore you can just ad the hose from the outlet of the cayman to the spraybar. Assuming it is a standard type of output.

AC

I do recall my Eheim filter (used in my 60 litre aquarium, not my planted tank) having like a small hose accessory and a piece that sticks out of the top of the filter that would seemingly fit the hose.

There's nothing like that on my Cayman filter.

I guess I can't use a spray bar with it then..

Sorry mark, I thought you meant external. I would go for a koralia nano if your wanting to eliminate dead spots

That particular product actually arrived in the post today but it has a grill on it which is big enough for my Dwarf Suckermouth cat fish to get through so I'm a bit concerned about using it now.

The dilemma is I put it in now and hope that the outflow of water coming out of the wide grill deters them from approaching it and getting chopped up by the propeller OR I wait until they have more body mass so that they can't get through the grill..

 

[ian]

I have one Mark, and i have never lost a fish/shrimp in it. The shrimp will often sit on the top of it. The biggest fish i have in my main tank it a Cardinal tetra. I'll be fine, if they wasn't, they certainly wouldn't use them in marine tanks as the price of fish is quadruple that of tropicals.

 

[SuperColey1]

I have one Mark, and i have never lost a fish/shrimp in it. The shrimp will often sit on the top of it. The biggest fish i have in my main tank it a Cardinal tetra. I'll be fine, if they wasn't, they certainly wouldn't use them in marine tanks as the price of fish is quadruple that of tropicals.

Does it not have a smaller grill to go over the 'mouth'? The Koralia 1 upward do.

Saying that any fish that can get that close to the 'blast' are deserves a medal.

My Espei liked to swim against the current but never got closer than an inch or so of the actual output area.

If the catfish is an Oto then it does not have the swimming strength to go against the fow. they aren't the most powerful swimmers.

AC

 

[mark4785]

It is indeed an Otto.

Thanks for the advice.