Hydor Question

frankandmaura · 04-24-2007, 08:14 AM

Hey all...Question here for all you Hydor users...

I have 4 of the 4's in my 125. Just put them in last week. The other day I noticed my little Hippo (about 2") had a nice gash in his side. I mean skin was hanging. It has since healed nicely, but I wanted to run through my theory as to what could have heppend and get your thoughts.

I think what happened is he got sucked into my new Hydor and spit back out. Here is why I think this could have happend. The Hydor seems to pull water in from all directions (it is not overly strong, but enough for a small fish to get taken in). If a fish is in front of it, I have seen them get pulled towards the PH (also I have a Colt Coral near one of the others and it is leaning towards the PH instead of being pushed away - it is wierd, the Hydor seems to have a strong yet gentle pull towards the unit). Most fish are smart enough to know if they are getting pulled they move away, but I think the combination of this fish being a little slow (lol - he has isues like this before) and his small size may have allowed him to be sucked in. I think he could have gotten sucked into the front of the unit (there is a hole there big enough for him to get in) and he could have gotten nipped by the propeller. The nice thing is there is no mechanism in there to chew him up, it is just the propeller.

He has since stayed away from the PH, but does this seem possible to those of you that have the units?

Also, looking for more general perceptions of the units - I like the flow much more than my SEIO 1500's.

Thanks.
Frank

frankandmaura · 04-24-2007, 09:23 AM

Anyone?!? hehe...just using this as a bump!

VWD · 04-24-2007, 09:52 AM

He would have to be small, The way they work the suction is not all that, The flow is good but the suction is spread out over the sides and not alot at that, To try it, drop some flake food near it and watch how it draws it in,

I think Your tank got hurt some other way

frankandmaura · 04-24-2007, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VWD

He would have to be small, The way they work the suction is not all that, The flow is good but the suction is spread out over the sides and not alot at that, To try it, drop some flake food near it and watch how it draws it in,

I think Your tank got hurt some other way

Ok...hmm...here is my list of inhabitants:

1 Green Chromis
2 False Percs
2 Clarkii's
1 LMB
1 Pistol Shrimp
1 Cleaner Shrimp

This was a slice in his side...so it had to be something sharp...it was a clean cut. I cannot figure out what could have caused it.

Have you seen the 4's in action? I like them very much. They do spread the suction out, but there is pretty good suction...and the flow is very wide and dispersed...the only thing I am not crazy about is, where my SEIO would get flow from one side of my 125 to the other they Hydor is not powerful enough to do that, but that is the benefit I guess (not a tight stream).

VWD · 04-24-2007, 10:10 AM

Frank, I don't have any of them on my tanks, but do at the store, I also like them, I will say of all the fish , I can see a really small blue tang trying to hide and getting sucked agaist the PH,But it would have to be small, they do like to lay around and hide

frankandmaura · 04-24-2007, 10:26 AM

Vince,
Yea he is small, but growing

He was very tiny when I got him, even though I thought I ordered a medium, but that is a different matter.

I do not think he got sucked to the side...I think he actually got sucked into the cage. I think because the stream is so wide...there is actually a possibility that right in the middle (like the eye of the hurricane), he could get sucked through that hole (at the end of the cage - like the end of the eggshell)...does that make sense?

Geoff · 04-24-2007, 11:53 AM

i really do not think it would fit through the sides of the Hydor. i have some pretty tiny fish in my tank, and they are not having a problem in there. the only hole big enough is at the bottom at this point only water being pushed out exists. there is a lot of back flow to the pump though, but it would not pull a fish into there.

do you turn them on and off? if you did than i guess the fish could have swam into an off Hydor then did not get out in time when it started up.

G~

frankandmaura · 04-24-2007, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geoff

i really do not think it would fit through the sides of the Hydor. i have some pretty tiny fish in my tank, and they are not having a problem in there. the only hole big enough is at the bottom at this point only water being pushed out exists. there is a lot of back flow to the pump though, but it would not pull a fish into there.

do you turn them on and off? if you did than i guess the fish could have swam into an off Hydor then did not get out in time when it started up.

G~

Very good point Geoff...this could have happened when my power went out on Monday...didn't even think about that. I was thinking it was possible for him to get pulled in through the out hole since it isn't really an out hole...the stream seems to be dispersed all over the front part of the cage.

fyrfytr1717 · 06-14-2007, 12:06 AM

Did you ever figure this out? I have a pair of the 4's and my Clown was missing his tail the day after he moved into my tank. Kind of sad, just little tiny bones sticking out where his tail should be. It's been a couple of weeks now so I figure he's going to make it. (now if only the wife would stop feeling so sorry for it

) The only tankmates he had at the time were a Chromis and some snails. My Koralia's do turn on/off once a day so I was figuring he swam in while it was off... he stays away now though!

depitch · 06-14-2007, 06:26 PM

I have one in my 125 Gal but I never turn it off.

Come to think of it...my royal gramma has a gouge in it's side....Hmm.

Doug

Orient Master · 06-14-2007, 06:37 PM

I only have a #1. just got it about two weeks ago and havent seen anything yet but i will keep an eye on my blue damsel.

Now i did see a chunk taken out of my sand siffting star. I had to end up cutting the rest of his leg off because the hole grew a little and the rest of it stoped moving as if it were dead. so cut it off and the star is moving around just fine. the star has been known to climb up on the glass.

Could be a problem??!!??