Fish sucked up by powerhead!

chardo

chardo

Member
I have a Maxi-Jet 1200 with sureflow mod. For the second time, I had to pry off a fish that got sucked up against the grille. Thankfully both swam away ok, but I also once found half a fish sticking out of the grille. Not sure if he was dead and sucked in or if the pump actually killed him.
Anyway, this Maxi-Jet mod is dangerous and has to go. Anyone else have this happen?
Looking at Hydor Koralia as a replacement. Anyone know if they suck up fish too?
 
pacmanmp

pacmanmp

Member
Because of its rounded shape I would not think that it would suck up any fish and i have had one for a while and never had a problem unlike my skimmer
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Your fish are getting sucked up on it because they are unhealthy.
What are your water parameters? What do you feed?
 
jam marine

jam marine

Member
I was just about to say that also,its one of two things,the fish are weak maybe from not being healthy,or maybe it died and got sucked up,just my 2 cents
 
chardo

chardo

Member
Unhealthy? I don't think that's the problem. The formerly-stuck percula clown (aquacultured) and yellow tang have both been in the tank over 2 months, look perfect, are active, seemingly happy, eating well (rotation of formula 2 flake, saltwater multipack, zooplankton). The allegedly-murdered juvenile red coris was found the morning after introduction, so I can't vouch for his health.
SG 1.023 (Oceanic salt, rodi water), pH 8.2, no ammonia or nitrite, nitrate under 10. 125 fowlr with 140 lbs LR, AquaC EV120 skimmer. Only other fish are royal gramma and lawnmower blenny, so certainly not overstocked.
 
cufishfan

cufishfan

Member
That happened to me last night!
One of my tiny green chromis must have gotten curious and swam too close to the intake of my PH and got stuck. I didn't even think it was possible- I can't even fit a straw in the intake! But he was one of a school of 4 and he was the one getting picked on.. so maybe the other chromis got to him and then he got stuck.
Either way, I felt awful. Poor guy
 
saltn00b

saltn00b

Active Member
well, i have several modded MJ's in my tank. i cant recall if they are sureflow/ ecomod or what. i have had a perfectly healthy coral banded shrimp, an orange linkia, a copper banded BF, a nassarius snail and a lawnmower blenny (i witnessed and saved the snail and the blenny) all get sucked to the bell. now, the CBBF was not doing great and it was the first day in the tank. the blenny also happened the first moment he was dropped into the tank, he shot right to it. he was saved and is fat and happy. JME
 
nycbob

nycbob

Active Member
most likely they were unhealthy fish, therefore werent strong enough to swim away. but there is always a chance a healthy fish can get stuck if its very small
 
chardo

chardo

Member
Never had a problem with ordinary powerhead intakes--just this Maxijet mod thing.
So how would I know if my fish are unhealthy? As I said, they appear to be fine--bright colors, not thin, active and alert, eating well--what am I missing?
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
I agree that under normal circumstances fish should have the strength to remove them selves from a PH. The only time I've ever seen it was when the fish were about to get sick. My seahorses get stuck to the spa type screen I have on occasion because of the way I have it modded, but even they can get out of it (after they clean the screen of pods).
 
woody189

woody189

Member
Originally Posted by Chardo
http:///forum/post/2952596
Unhealthy? I don't think that's the problem. The formerly-stuck percula clown (aquacultured) and yellow tang have both been in the tank over 2 months, look perfect, are active, seemingly happy, eating well (rotation of formula 2 flake, saltwater multipack, zooplankton). The allegedly-murdered juvenile red coris was found the morning after introduction, so I can't vouch for his health.
SG 1.023 (Oceanic salt, rodi water), pH 8.2, no ammonia or nitrite, nitrate under 10. 125 fowlr with 140 lbs LR, AquaC EV120 skimmer. Only other fish are royal gramma and lawnmower blenny, so certainly not overstocked.
Yea. Like everyone said, probably unhealthy, but you parameters look perfect so it just might be the PH.
Why don't you just get a sponge and place it over the intake. Get one of the sponges that go in filters, and just cut it to fit around the intake. That might help.
Originally Posted by CUfishfan
http:///forum/post/2952653
That happened to me last night!
One of my tiny green chromis must have gotten curious and swam too close to the intake of my PH and got stuck. I didn't even think it was possible- I can't even fit a straw in the intake! But he was one of a school of 4 and he was the one getting picked on.. so maybe the other chromis got to him and then he got stuck.
Either way, I felt awful. Poor guy

Not saying it's a good thing, but aren't you supposed to keep them in odd numbers anyway?
And it probably happened like you said, he was picked on and got weak. I noticed my Flame angel acting sluggish and he was pinned against the rock because of the low pressure of the Powerhead. I found him this morning sucked into the intake, but I'm sure he was just too weak to swim away. It wasnt a matter of my PH being to strong.
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
Originally Posted by saltn00b
http:///forum/post/2953870
but remember the MJ1200 mods i have running at least push 2400 GPH
I know nothing about powerhead mods. So I can't even speak to that effect. Under normal circumstances it doesn't usually happen to a healhy fish, but a mod certainly isn't "normal circumstances".
 
saltn00b

saltn00b

Active Member
yea thats the thing with these mods, they are literally 10 times as powerful. i think if a naturally weaker-swimmer like a young CBBF that was healthy got too close, it could still kill.
 
reefpoor

reefpoor

New Member
I have lost 3 healthy fish over the years to powerheads. I had the 802's in my tank which are really powerful. Small fish don't stand a chance when they get that close to those intakes at night. I always happened to lose my at night. Koralias are the way to go or a closed loop in my opinion.
 
brianbeme80

brianbeme80

Member
What about overflows? I have seen both my triggers get stuck (1 time each) at the overflow, at night when I happened to be walking by to get a late drink of water. Luckily I heard the splashing. Happened to my humu last night.
They deffinetly are not weak, biggest eaters I have. I figured at night they were just lazily swiming and got pushed against the vents. What do you think?
 
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