Death Trap-Filters, etc..-3reef Forums

Seppish · 03-17-2008, 08:38 PM

I just wanted to leave a heads up to anyone out there looking to buy a new powerhead. DON'T BUY AND AQUA CLEAR! I am usually not one to bash a certain brand, but I have a new tank and am also new to this hobby. Being a newbie I of course hit Ebay right away and started buying things without doing research. I purchased an Aqua Clear 70 powerrhead just to get a little more flow in my 75G. After the tank cycled I stumbled across a very cute Dogface puffer about the size of my thumb, I was so excited because I haven't found them that small and I wanted to enjoy years of it growing. Well I came home today and poor puffer got sucked into the powerhead which had all safety guards in place. Needless to say I had to put the fish down because it was mangled. Aqua Clear was unwilling to reinburse me for the fish or even the powerhead! They didn't care and the only thing they had to say was " well that's unusual." I have taken the powerhead out and replaced it with a Koralia 4 which I highly reccomend. If anyone else has heard of this happening I would love to know.

matt s · 03-18-2008, 05:17 AM

I'm not sure about that brand you have or fish getting sucked into it, but if you're looking for stories of people starting off with bargain brand and switching to Koralia that happens all the time

Congrats on the upgrade.

coral reefer · 03-18-2008, 05:58 AM

I love the new Koralia's and they now come with a guard to reduce the chances of fish etc. getting sucked up or killed in the unit!
Sorry to hear about your Puffer's demise!
By the way are you a Minnesota Vikings fan like myself!!!
I see you are from Bloomington, Minnesota!

Seppish · 03-18-2008, 12:00 PM

Of course I'm a Vikings fan, we have to be the most die hard fans around seeing as how there isn't a lot to root for....

matt s · 03-18-2008, 12:14 PM

Could be tougher, I'm a Chiefs/Royals fan.

Godbert · 03-18-2008, 12:47 PM

with the aquaclear filters, if you put a bioball over the intake you can eliminate most fish loss

geekdafied · 03-18-2008, 01:40 PM

ANY high powered powerhead will have that happen. Small fish+big powerhead=dead fish. Thats just how it is. Standard powerheads like the aquaclear you got are not meant to be just in the tank. They are intended for undergravel filters and plenums. There is an attachment you can get that covers all of it intake to reduce the chances of slow swimming fish from getting sucked in.

I lost a sixline wrasse about 1" long to penguin powerhead.

wastemanagement · 03-18-2008, 02:30 PM

Sorry for your loss, P/H can be a good thing and a bad thing at times