Powerhead problem!!! Need asap help!!!

[Hondachico]

I really don't understand why this had happened all fish were fine swimming around.

 

[uh.oh...]

Koralia evolutions can reverse flow at times, pulling fish in to them. Something breaks in the grate, and then its whirl pool time

 

[Saratj1]

Koralia evolutions can reverse flow at times, pulling fish in to them. Something breaks in the grate, and then its whirl pool time

If you look at your power heads at where the shaft connects in front of the prop to the grate there is a shape that should prevent the powerhead from working in reverse its shaped like a ramp with a sharp drop, the end of the powerhead prop will fit into this shape. Check this out next time your powerhead is out of water , slide the prop forward then twist it one way, then twist it the other while pulling it forward, it should only twist one way, I have three different powerheads and they all have this feature.

 

[Schism]

If you look at your power heads at where the shaft connects in front of the prop to the grate there is a shape that should prevent the powerhead from working in reverse its shaped like a ramp with a sharp drop, the end of the powerhead prop will fit into this shape. Check this out next time your powerhead is out of water , slide the prop forward then twist it one way, then twist it the other while pulling it forward, it should only twist one way, I have three different powerheads and they all have this feature.

Pretty sure the reverse running only happens on startup tho. Probably something you would notice. But this is a possible scenerio.

 

[Saratj1]

Pretty sure the reverse running only happens on startup tho. Probably something you would notice. But this is a possible scenerio.

It doesn't matter, if this safety feature is broken then if the pump starts in reverse it will continue to run in reverse, if the pump starts in reverse and this feature is intact, the powerhead will stop spinning in about 3 or 4 turns of the prop. It works by the prop pushing, if the motor is running backwards it will push the prop torwards the front , if the motor is spinning correctly then the force of the prop will push against the back of the housing.

Also check the prop on the shaft to make sure it slides freely on the shaft, the shaft can sometimes corrode and gum up so the prop cannot slide and the safety feature won't work.



Here's a pic of what I'm talking about, if this is working correctly your powerhead will not spin backwards.

 

[Schism]

It doesn't matter, if this safety feature is broken then if the pump starts in reverse it will continue to run in reverse, if the pump starts in reverse and this feature is intact, the powerhead will stop spinning in about 3 or 4 turns of the prop. It works by the prop pushing, if the motor is running backwards it will push the prop torwards the front , if the motor is spinning correctly then the force of the prop will push against the back of the housing.

Also check the prop on the shaft to make sure it slides freely on the shaft, the shaft can sometimes corrode and gum up so the prop cannot slide and the safety feature won't work.

Here's a pic of what I'm talking about, if this is working correctly your powerhead will not spin backwards.

Ah ok i get what your saying. Ive had quite a few on the Koralias fail on me also. Usually with my experience the reverse running would snap off the piece that is suppose to stop it lol, ive had to email koralia a few times about this.

 

[Newfiereefer]

Koralia evolutions can reverse flow at times, pulling fish in to them. Something breaks in the grate, and then its whirl pool time

+1 if you plug it in the wrong way then it will run in reverse flow , I had this happen once , but I noticed right away cause water was spitting up the back of my tank . And since I'm sure you unplugged the power head to get the fish off probably unknowingly fixed your own problem.

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

In my 55 reef, I have a koralia 1050, 4 750s, a 550, and a marineland that equals a 1050. None of my fish ever get stuck in them. I don't think too much flow is the problem.

+1... Some aquarists are firm believers in 50+ times the amount of gallons in your tank for flow... Think about the ocean

 

[Schism]

+1... Some aquarists are firm believers in 50+ times the amount of gallons in your tank for flow... Think about the ocean

Yup flow makes all your filtration work more efficiently and perform better. The more the better, the only limits i set are how much corals can handle or how much flow before the sand bed starts to lift off lol.

 

[Saratj1]

Get as much as you can without making whirlpools or sand storms.

My buddy has a couple maxi-jets on his 55g and he has to keep them in a very limited spot on the sides of his tank, too low they kick up sand, too high they suck air, so kinda tricky sometimes to get it just right.

 

[sanderson417]

Dude call Hydor customer service. They will help you examine your power head to determine why it is going in reverse. When your power head spins backwards it is sucking in water and your fish. I had this issue and it was driving me nuts. Hydor says that there is a 50/50 chance that the rotor will spin backwards on start up. You need a blocker in the grate and the rotor needs to be "locked in". Good luck.