Powerhead

[Psyhampster]

At the LFS last night, they had 2 powerheads running, and the Glass Cats in the tank were very active. I was gonna get them, but someone bought them 3 minutes before my money(parent) arrived . Anyways, I'm now thinking(gasp!) that the Glass Cats in my tank would like a powerhead for some current. So, my question is: Do powerheads need a UGF to work, or can you have them as a standalone without the UGF?

 

[oldshell4481]

i run mine without a ugf they just sucked up my baby fish so i have it off at the moment.

 

[Psyhampster]

sorry to hear that...

but they will run properly WITHOUT a UGF?

 

[Blucat]

I have a powerhead and no ugf
It seems alright

 

[XXFirefighter]

Us Salt guys use them ALL THE TIME with no UGF...
I have 3 in my tank and use them for water movement !
Make sure the saftey screen is on them and no sucked up fish !

 

[wishbone]

yeah I have two I use for water movement in my tall tank. Even when the small fish pick at them, they aren't in any danger of getting "sucked" in. Fry could be another story, but you probably wouldn't have these in a breeding tank?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Power heads work great without the ugf. I have two in my 150.

 

[Blucat]

prob not ina breeding tank.. aside from getting sucked up the fry may not like the strong current

 

[megos1]

I have a powerhead running without a UGF and my powerhead came with a sponge that sticks to where the water gets sucked in. That way there aren't any casualties.

 

[asaint]

Some fish really enjoy the currents created by powerheads or return lines. Per Megos1 post, put a sponge on the end and give your fish some fun.

asaint

 

[Psyhampster]

OK great! Thanks to all of you for your replies.

Another question: Is there a certain size I should use, or does size just affect the current speed?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

The size effects the current that is put out. I'm not exactly sure what the ratio is but we just bought two of the largest ones that the lfs had and put them in the tank. Sorry.

 

[wishbone]

I would get one of the adjustable ones. I'm not sure what your tank looks like, but depending on what else you have in your tank you may want to make sure you don't go too strong. It doesn't take much to add a simple current to most tanks.