'Pods and critters destroyed when going thru pumps?

[Anonymous]

Can powerheads and pumps kill 'pods and things when they get sucked thru them? Just wondering for when I set up my 2nd refugium tank...

Peace,

Chip

 

[Mouse]

Apparently the damage is not as sevear as a total wipe out. The danger factor is the shear in the pump. This is basically the differential between water and impellar speed. So you can help out by getting a big pump and lowering the speed, therefore reduceing the sheer of the impeller.

 

[Aquatic Noggin]

I've noticed in my tank (at night) that most of these critters stay near the sand bed or around the live rock. However, I'm sure some do find there way near the power heads and sucked through. I'm sure this would kill some but in the long run I don't think this will adversly affect the population.

 

[Court Jester]

I've had a lettuce nudi go through pumps with no apparent damage. I've even found it in the PS column once (still alive and fine)!

I would think that pods and such suffer minimal losses.

 

[XXX]

LOL Jethro.

SAVE THE PODS!!!

I bought some LS for my refugium that had some worms in it that I had never seen before. Most were close to two inches long. A couple of weeks later I saw one in my tank. Never thought he could make that trip! The next day I heard some tapping on the glass. It was the worm holding four coupons so he could ride again.


Steve

 

[goldrim]

Commonsense would tell me that anything going through the impeller of a pump would be dead...however....

My wife has a Biowheel filter on her 20L Reef. All water intering the filter is feed via a pump. I was doing maintenance for her and was prepared to replace the mechanical/carbon filter. Well to my surprise, the filter was full of little pods...and I mean full. Including some large sized 1/8-1/4" adults. While I suppose that it is possible that they entered the filter at a very small size and grew to maturity in the filter...but the point is, it is possible to maintain a pod population if they are required to pass through an impeller.

 

[ToddinAtl]

I too thought there was no way anything would survive a trip from my sump through the MAG 12 and spraybar. But, the other day I was fiddleing with the sump/ref and noticed a mysis shrimp had gotten over a baffle and into the pump area. I watched for a while as it was swimming closer and closer to the pump intake. After a few min****SWOOSH**** out it went through the pump plumbing and spraybar into the tank...alive and kicking. Dancing around like a kid that just got off of the Space Mountain ride at Disney. However, my fish noticed this too, so the fun was over quit quickly, but now I know (as the mysis are the largest thing growing in my ref) that all the other bugs have a chance of survival too (at least through the trip).
Todd

 

[jethro]

I am glad the Republicans are in office. Otherwise this site might be monitored and a commitee would be formed to prevent this kind of slaughter of microscopic critters.

 

[Anonymous]

As has been said from these anecdotal observations essentially the answer is no. In fact I'd be surprised if any statistically significant amount of zooplankton is harmed by impellers.

This whole concept was orignally touted by Dr. Adey in his book Dynamic Aquaria. As far as I'm concerned it was nothing more than a BS reason to promote his ATS filtration method. Since he holds the patent he has a vested interest in selling the idea.

Any that are damaged are statistically insignifcant compared to the amount that breed in a system with refugia. The only reason why one might see greater numbers in an ATS system is that the scrubber itself provided some refuge and microalgae food for breeding and larvae survival. Something that wasn't offered in the traditional early 90's Berlin designs. Today in modern Berlins (LR, DSB, Skimming, and refugia) the zooplankton population is just as large if not larger and more diverse.

 

[witchdoctor]

Most of the small animals like that will pass through relatively unscathed. As Mouse pointed out, it depends on the shear forces of the pump. Essentially, they are small enough that the water cushions them and just pushes the out of the way because their mass is small enough. I do it with brine shrimp all the time, drop some into the sump, near the return pump, then watch the fish go nuts trying to catch a brine shrimp doing 80mph zipping out of the return nozzles

Pretty funny, actually.

 

[Iron]

I agree. I had a neon goby in my sump and couldn't get it out = no time in the morn. came home it was back in the main tank. Only way was through an Iwaki40. happy now. sure there maybe some death but not enough to worry.

 

[jake levi]

as was said, you will get some life moved, it all depends on the pump, I have had berghia eaten up by a powerhead without a sponge on it,

if, you are moving water from a refugia to the tank only you will get far better phytoplankton survival with either an airlift or a 'worm screw' return. FWIW, on a refugia only return I would use the airlift, just cheaper. Jehmco has pumps that would blast the water up.

on a reef tank some of the corals would benefit from the 'puree' effect of pumped water. I'd rather have the maximum value of the refugia and use the air lift. different strokes etc.
jake

 

[Iron]

The plankton is much smaller than a nudi or a neon goby. There will be a high survival rate imo. Take brine shrimp and run them through you will see most will live.

 

[fusion]

Just wanted to throw in my $02.

When a 1/4" by 1/4" piece of flake food goes throgh the pump it comes out smaller, but even the 4,5,6 pieces that come out seem to all be bigger than a pod.

I don't think the mortality rate is that high at all....