Puffer sucked into powerhead...

[willlovesfish]

My valentini puffer keeps getting sucked onto my powerhead. I have a MaxiJet rated at 230gph in my 22 gallon tank. For some reason he will swim close to it and get sucked onto it. He did this when I first got it and then a few days later everything was fine. Then recently I moved and got my tank all setup today and it happened again multiple times. I left for a while tonight and when I came back he was stuck, I pulled him off and his body was all messed up, he was barely alive. I moved him into my 10 gallon tank and turned off the powerhead in there. Going to nurse him back to life, get him all strong again, but then what should I do...? Anyway I can protect him? I can't not have a powerhead in my tanks. Is there a different one to get that won't suck him up?

 

[morval]

put a sponge on the intake

 

[willlovesfish]

I thought of that, problem is I already have a intake screen on it but he still gets sucked onto even the intake screen. Happened when I first got him but then the problem went away, now it's happening again...not sure what to do, maybe change my powerhead to a different style...?
He is a weak swimmer and is a little thin, trying to fatten him up. He is healthy otherwise though.

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by WillLovesFish
http:///forum/post/2509336
I thought of that, problem is I already have a intake screen on it but he still gets sucked onto even the intake screen. Happened when I first got him but then the problem went away, now it's happening again...not sure what to do, maybe change my powerhead to a different style...?
He is a weak swimmer and is a little thin, trying to fatten him up. He is healthy otherwise though.
What MJ do you have? The 600, 900, etc? How long have you had the puffer?

 

[willlovesfish]

I have the MJ 900. It's rated at 230gph, think it's too much, really though is down grading really going to make that much of a difference? I have had him for almost 3 months now. When I had the one rated at 170gph he got stuck to that one just one time when I first got him. Problem went away until I moved homes recently and readded him to the tank after 2 days. He lived in a bucket for 2 days while I resetup the tank, think he got weak or something? It was almost like he forgot the powerhead was there again when I readded him to the tank and he just kept swimming around it very closely. I did change the position of the powerhead, might that have done something?

 

[kanicky]

Definitely fatten him up... a skinny puffer is a sad sight to see

My two like to eat fresh krill, clams, mussels and shrimp. You could also add some vitamins to what your feeding him, which should help.

 

[dragonzim]

Adding a filter sponge over the screen that is on there now should help a lot. The water will be being pulled in over a much larger surface area with the sponge so the pull wont be enough to get a fish stuck to it.

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by WillLovesFish
http:///forum/post/2510610
I have the MJ 900. It's rated at 230gph, think it's too much, really though is down grading really going to make that much of a difference? I have had him for almost 3 months now. When I had the one rated at 170gph he got stuck to that one just one time when I first got him. Problem went away until I moved homes recently and readded him to the tank after 2 days. He lived in a bucket for 2 days while I resetup the tank, think he got weak or something? It was almost like he forgot the powerhead was there again when I readded him to the tank and he just kept swimming around it very closely. I did change the position of the powerhead, might that have done something?
That size is not too big. Definitely put a sponge over the intake. He may be weak if he is continuously getting stuck to it. What is he eating? What are your water readings? What fish is he in with?

 

[jaymz]

You could move some of your rock around the intake if you can.

 

[nigerbang]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
http:///forum/post/2511087
That size is not too big. Definitely put a sponge over the intake. He may be weak if he is continuously getting stuck to it. What is he eating? What are your water readings? What fish is he in with?

Healthy fish can and will get off powerheads...I have a 3" Dragon Goby that can swim right by a modded Koralia 4 and never miss a beat...

 

[snakeblitz33]

healthy fish should not be stuck to powerheads.

 

[sepulatian]

When I put my fuzzy lion into the display, he had a hard time with how strong the flow was. He was in qt for two months and healthy, but he was all of an inch and a half. I have a MJ 1200 and a MJ 900 in a 55. I moved the 1200 closer to the top. When he got used to the flow, I started moving it down inch by inch. He adapted rather quickly. The point is, as others and I have stated, a healthy fish does not get stuck to the power head. I have an MJ 900 in my 15 long QT, that he came out of. It isn't the power head.

 

[willlovesfish]

I was only feeding him flake and brine/mysis shrimp for a while. I then learned he needed Krill and other more meaty foods. So for about 2 weeks now I have been feeding him the better food, have not noticed a difference yet...how often should I feed him? I do it every other day right now. Oh, he is in with 2 clowns, they leave him alone though.
I did put the powerhead much lower when I moved the tank recently, maybe that's the problem as well, sounds like it could be...

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by WillLovesFish
http:///forum/post/2512087
I was only feeding him flake and brine/mysis shrimp for a while. I then learned he needed Krill and other more meaty foods. So for about 2 weeks now I have been feeding him the better food, have not noticed a difference yet...how often should I feed him? I do it every other day right now. Oh, he is in with 2 clowns, they leave him alone though.
I did put the powerhead much lower when I moved the tank recently, maybe that's the problem as well, sounds like it could be...
Raise the power head up. That isn't the problem though, the flow would push on him, that is all. The diet was terrible before. What better foods have you been feeding him? Add vitamins to his food, such as selcon and zoecon. Are you sure that the clowns leave him alone? How old are the clowns? Is this the 22 gallon that is in your profile?

 

[stdreb27]

Originally Posted by NigerBang
http:///forum/post/2511335

Healthy fish can and will get off powerheads...I have a 3" Dragon Goby that can swim right by a modded Koralia 4 and never miss a beat...
With a puffer this isn't always true. My 8 inch puffer got sucked into a pump a couple times. And he is in good shape. With puffers you need to put a sponge or something so the pump is sucking through a larger area so he won't get sucked in. They just don't swim that good, and they like to hang around pumps for some stupid reason.

 

[willlovesfish]

I have been feeding him Krill now every other day, should I step the feeding up? I will get some vitamins as well, should I also get him some other types of food, what kinds? I am positive the clowns leave him alone. I bought them all within 2 weeks of each other and QT them together for weeks. Yes, they are all in my 22 gallon. Now the puffer is in my 10 gallon though by himself with no powerhead so I can nurse him back to health.
*Update on my puffer*, yesterday he was sucked onto the intake of my HOB filter, it was pretty bad. I am just not sure what to do with him. I don't understand because even today he ate so well. He must be sick, and I know being underweight is not helping.
stdreb27- I have read this elsewhere too that puffers are not good swimmers in general and don't like a lot of flow. Guess I will have to do the sponge on the powerhead and see what happens...

 

[stdreb27]

Originally Posted by WillLovesFish
http:///forum/post/2514825
I have been feeding him Krill now every other day, should I step the feeding up? I will get some vitamins as well, should I also get him some other types of food, what kinds? I am positive the clowns leave him alone. I bought them all within 2 weeks of each other and QT them together for weeks. Yes, they are all in my 22 gallon. Now the puffer is in my 10 gallon though by himself with no powerhead so I can nurse him back to health.
*Update on my puffer*, yesterday he was sucked onto the intake of my HOB filter, it was pretty bad. I am just not sure what to do with him. I don't understand because even today he ate so well. He must be sick, and I know being underweight is not helping.
stdreb27- I have read this elsewhere too that puffers are not good swimmers in general and don't like a lot of flow. Guess I will have to do the sponge on the powerhead and see what happens...
Flow is fine, I had tons of flow in my 180 and he loved swimming in it. I don't know why but puffers are attracted to the humming or something of powerheads and stuff, they like to play around them. And they'll get sucked in. You definately need cover them. Not just with a screen but something that distributes the suction over a larger area than just that one inch inlet. They sell a slitted plastic enclosure that you can put foam in for your maxijets. With puffers it isn't a matter of are they healthy or not. You really have to protect them.

 

[chrisncarrieb]

I put sponges on my powerheads and am noticing they are starting to get dirty. I guess its helping filter the water...but should I remove and clean them off every now and then or are they ok as is?

 

[stdreb27]

Originally Posted by ChrisNCarrieB
http:///forum/post/2514917
I put sponges on my powerheads and am noticing they are starting to get dirty. I guess its helping filter the water...but should I remove and clean them off every now and then or are they ok as is?
How big is your tank? But yeah, clean them regularly you dont' want that stuff rotting in your tank.

 

[chrisncarrieb]

Originally Posted by stdreb27
http:///forum/post/2514923
How big is your tank? But yeah, clean them regularly you dont' want that stuff rotting in your tank.

Its a 46g Bowfront...wiht 90g on its way....look at my other posts to help me with that dilema.
Anyway - how often is regularly? Daily, weekly, bi-weekly?