power heads
- Thread starter guppy breeder
- Start date
power heads are often used as the means to move water through undergravel filters, though they can be used in many other scenarios as well, some just use them as pumps in general. they move a lot of water for such a small size.
instead of putting the stuff that comes with the filter on the top of the tubes, put a power head on it. most of them just fit right in. sometimes you have to cut the tube shorter.
the power head will pull water through the tube connected to the undergravel screen, and force it into the top of the tank, aerating it. I use mine for different things, I don't have any undergravel filtration, but I use one for aeration using the parts it came with, another I have with a filter canister on the bottom for mechanical filtration, basically giving my fish current across the tank to swim against (my river fish love that). In another tank I have one with an air pump hooked to it, blasting air into the water jacuzzi style!
They can also be used to provide current to specific areas of the tank for differing fish habits and (when dealing with deep tanks) stirring up detritus so that the filter intakes can get it. Two power heads, properly placed, can give your tank a circular current around the out edges while leaving a calm area in the center, or one directed across a ridge of rocke will not only give current loving fish like hummingbird tetras a favorite place but will leave a sheltered lee behind it for fish like neon gobies.
guppy;1153249; said:
^ These are the reasons I use mine. It keeps poop off the sand completely. You just have to play around with how you angle the flow until you get the results you want. The fish also seem to enjoy floating in the current. The extra aeration can't hurt either. I also use foam filters on the intakes for some added mechanical filtration.
Certain powerheads will have parts for reverse flow. You could use this in your UGF to blow water up through the gravel. This would blow the poop and food up (instead of remaining under the gravel to break down) to be better captured by your hangoff filters (if you have them). At least that's the way I understand it, lol.
