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powerheads are big and ugly

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Anonymous

Guest
I just got four Maxi-jet 900 powerheads in the mail, and I put them where I was told to. Anyway, they're big and ugly. Does anyone have any pictures of where they are in a 75 tank, or any ideas of how I could deal with these eye sores. Half of what you have a tank for is aesthetics, and I must say, this is hideous. Oh, and I can't turn one of them on yet because my carpet anemone has decided to start moving around the tank and I don't want to blow a fish into it.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
I cut back to two powerheads and put one at each end of the tank pointed at each other. They are completely hidden behind the rocks and you can't see them at all.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Christine,

Depending on your rockwork arrangement, powerheads can often be concealed within the live rock, and as a bonus will become camoflaged with corraline algae. I really would not worry much about a powerhead blowing a fish into an anenome. I might worry about the anenome moving too close and getting sucked in, but most fish should easily be able to get out of the stream of a power head. Good luck, and just watch that you don't block the outlets of the powerheads with rocks if you choose to hide them within your reef.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Christine.

I have 4 powerheads in my 90g reef.They are all at the top of the tank,2 on one end of the tank pointing at the other 2 on the opposite end. I have them on a wave maker,but you can put them all on seperate household timers. Having them on opposite ends of the tank pointing at each other creates a more random flow, because the flow from opposing power heads hits each other when they happen to come on at the same time. Set the timers so that sometimes opposing powerheads will be on at the same time and sometimes only one of them will be on. It takes alittle fiddling with the timers to get it right. I hope that made sense.
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Once they become covered with coraline algea they are not so noticeable. What I did with some of mine was to attach some button polyps to them. As the polyps reproduce and cover the powerheads they will not be as obvious. You could do this with alot of different inverts like xenia etc. I have a sinularia growing on the water return pipe in my tank. And another large sinularia covering my overflow box.

Dale.

[This message has been edited by Dale D (edited 23 December 1999).]
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Thanks guys. I was worried because I think the flow is what made my hippo tang swim into my anemone once before. The anemone had gone behind the rock, and the flow was directed right at it, and when the fish came out of hiding (had only been in tank for 1.5 hrs.) it was killed by the anemone. Quite a traumatic event I must say. Anyway, I tried to turn them on, and my anemone got blown over quite a bit. I think I might end up waiting for the wavemaker to come.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Have had to adjust my powerheads for my anemone as well. I leave one running constantly as my bubble appears to like constant, mild, current. Put the rest on the Aquacontroller for wavemaker function.
Fine tuning the current is part of the 'art' of this hobby, IMO. Keep the current mild to moderate on your carpet, unless you want it to move...which would not be a good thing.
As for the eyesore of powerheads, after the coralline grows out, you won't even notice them.

elvis
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Rotating water returns are availiable if you have a sump. One of these may replace a few powerheads. However never used and they are pricey.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Anemone died today. Looked like the picture of a bacterial infection from The Reef Aquarium. My clowns look sad. On a lighter note, I put some star polyps on one of the powerheads. Another is behind the rock. I'm starting to get used to them.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Christine-

You may want to consider using a surge tank/bucket, if you have the room. I hate powerheads in general. Maintenance is more of a hassle the more you attempt to conceal them.

Just a thought

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Eric
customer.wcta.net/emcreef
 
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Anonymous

Guest
I agree about the ugly power heads. I'm thinking of getting one of those surge devices from the wavestrip company when they are available. They sound pretty good. Does any one know about these?
 
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Anonymous

Guest
I know that they are easily made and there are a couple of good DIY pages out there. Sorry, once again I forget where it is located.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
MFisher-
Is there a DIY surge plan out there based on the Silent Surge device that old salt was refering to? If so, I wouldn't mind taking a look at it.

Somebody get one of these things and email me pics of the inside
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Eric
customer.wcta.net/emcreef
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Hi all,

I purchased this big pump 1200 gph and put it at the middle of my tank, i hide it behind all the rocks. The output is split to three ways, one to left, one to right, and one directly at the front glass. This thing can really move water, i have things blasting and moving everywhere. I tried to place things accordingly so it worked out perfectly. in organizing and placing powerheads, you need planning and wild imaginations, like the rock work itself
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Anonymous

Guest
RWD

Wow! Your set up looks great.

I was considering doing something similar. I'm not sure exactly what though. I was considering glueing something over the whole pump to make the sureface appear more in the shape of a rock.

Ideally in a bumpy manner. This way when it starts turning red it would look like live rock. Not a pump.

Has anyone attempted this? If so what did you use on the pump.

Happy New Year!
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Thanks Pete,
I have not tried that but it's something to look into.I find that all of the exposed powerheads will eventually become encrusted with coraline algea and featherdusters in due time.But like they say with reefs,nothing good happens quickly.Bob

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My reef album
http://communities.msn.com/BobsReefPictures
 
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Anonymous

Guest
My fav way to hide powerheads is to get som start polyps and super glue them to the powerhead. I did this on one of my powerheads and the whole thing became encrusted with them w/in about 2 months. It looked so cool. The only problem is that they can start to grow over the water intake. To solve this, just be sure to pull the intake off once in a while and scrape off the polyps that are growing there.

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-Life's a Reef, so frag'n enjoy it.
 
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