Losing fish to wavemaker

[jscampbell4]

We have the Vortech MP60. See pic for settings. We have lost numerous fish to this thing. Any thoughts or suggestions on presets, cover, etc? The fish we have lost seemed perfectly healthy...active and eating. Clown fish, fire fish, wrasse. All at different times and completely independent of each other. No crazy swings in water parameters. Any help appreciated!!!

 

[Dj City]

The pump is not killing your fish.
Something is going on that your fish are not healthy enough or strong enough to escape the current.

Your fish are most likely being caught in the flow? Getting stuck and dying.

Try to find out what else is going on as to why your fish are not strong enough to escape the flow.

 

[MichaelReefer]

You can buy foam and plastic covers, but I agree...seems odd to lose that many to a vortech turned that low

 

[Dj City]

What size tank do you have?

 

[jscampbell4]

The pump is not killing your fish.
Something is going on that your fish are not healthy enough or strong enough to escape the current.

Your fish are most likely being caught in the flow? Getting stuck and dying.

Try to find out what else is going on as to why your fish are not strong enough to escape the flow.

So this was my first thought too...something must be happening with the fish, however, I notice a whirlpool/tornado of water forms above the vortech, it gets pulled down and then shoots out the front with lots of bubbles. I feel that this is likely not normal and perhaps the fish are getting stuck in this. The percentages on my settings don’t seem overly high, but I’m also not an expert on this. Thanks for your feedback and I definitely welcome any other thoughts.

 

[Dj City]

What size tank do you have?

 

[jscampbell4]

Waterbox 220.6

 

[Sharkey18]

I have seen the same thing happen. I have 4 MP40's and 1 MP60. If they are placed too close to the surface they can create a vortex that sucks air into the pump and creates a ton of micro bubbles. But this is probably not what is killing your fish. Either your fish are dying and then the body is getting sucked onto the pump, or they are not healthy to begin with and are getting sucked onto the pump.

I would start with water parameters. Is you salinity ok? Do you have ammonia in your tank? Nitrates? (product of ammonia). Are you fish getting enough to eat? Do they look skinny? Are they fighting and chasing each other all the time? How long have you had the fish?

Lots of things to look at, but almost certainly not the pump.

 

[flabydab123]

So this was my first thought too...something must be happening with the fish, however, I notice a whirlpool/tornado of water forms above the vortech, it gets pulled down and then shoots out the front with lots of bubbles. I feel that this is likely not normal and perhaps the fish are getting stuck in this. The percentages on my settings don’t seem overly high, but I’m also not an expert on this. Thanks for your feedback and I definitely welcome any other thoughts.

the pump is too high up in the tank. it shouldnt suck in air - either move th pump lower, or turn down the settings

 

[jscampbell4]

Fish have been in tank about a month. For the most part peaceful, eating very well and appear plump and healthy.
Salinity 1.025
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nítrate 0
Phos 0
Ca 440
Alk 8.0

I purchased a guard for the wet side of wavemaker and will move a bit lower also.

 

[Dj City]

You are going to run into a another problem real soon if you don't up your nutrients.

0 nitrates + 0 phosphates = dinos and very unhappy starving corals.

 

[Dj City]

You should start a build thread.

It's a great way to track your progress, document your challenges and see your progression.

Post pics of your tank.
It's easier for others to help if we have a visual reference of your tank.
We might be able to see something you might be overlooking that could be contributing to your fish loss.

 

[jaganshi066]

The pump is not killing your fish.
Something is going on that your fish are not healthy enough or strong enough to escape the current.

Your fish are most likely being caught in the flow? Getting stuck and dying.

Try to find out what else is going on as to why your fish are not strong enough to escape the flow.

Not always the case, you should look at the reviews on the Nero 5. The company got so many complaints they started making guards

 

[ca1ore]

Seems like the knee jerk reaction to fish lost to pump is that there must have been something wrong with the fish. Probably this IS true in many cases, but a large and powerful pump like the MP60 absolutely can take out healthy fish. A few years ago I watched a small anthias get too close and get chopped up. I’ve lost a couple of Naso literatus to my MP60s ..... Anemones are regularly reported victims.

There are a couple of aftermarket 3D printed guards, though only one for the MP60. Design didn’t seem particularly effective to me, so I made my own. Not exactly a minimalist design, but it should work.

 

[Dj City]

Ca1ore,
One of the reasons I asked the OP to post pics of the tank.

Pumps "can" take a healthy fish but it's highly unlikely. Not impossible but HIGHLY unlikely. Especially 3 different fish.

 

[jaganshi066]

Seems like the knee jerk reaction to fish lost to pump is that there must have been something wrong with the fish. Probably this IS true in many cases, but a large and powerful pump like the MP60 absolutely can take out healthy fish. A few years ago I watched a small anthias get too close and get chopped up. I’ve lost a couple of Naso literatus to my MP60s ..... Anemones are regularly reported victims.

There are a couple of aftermarket 3D printed guards, though only one for the MP60. Design didn’t seem particularly effective to me, so I made my own. Not exactly a minimalist design, but it should work.

The Nero 5 has killed a crazy number of fish that the company finally decided to make guards due to the number of complaints. I would say hundreds if not more died and I can get a lot of those fish were healthy.

 

[jscampbell4]

My clowns are crazy active and seem healthy. They like to hang near the mp60 probably due to the flow and I’ve definitely watched them struggle to overcome the pull.
Appreciate everyone’s feedback. And, yes, working on nutrients in this new tank.

 

[ca1ore]

Ca1ore,
One of the reasons I asked the OP to post pics of the tank.

Pumps "can" take a healthy fish but it's highly unlikely. Not impossible but HIGHLY unlikely. Especially 3 different fish.

I’ll quibble with your adjective .... unlikey perhaps, but not HIGHLY so with a big pump.

 

[Dj City]

Is the mp60 much more powerful than the neptune wav?

I have 4 wav's in my tank along with 2 gyre fx350's.

 

[ppatches24]

My mp60s chopped up my Naoko's Fairy Wrasse the other day. *tears*

The fish was the most healthy. Im not even entreating the idea that the fish wasn't, I know it was in peak health. The mp60 chopped the sweet little innocent fish in half.

Watching that fish swim across the tank like a marlin and its fast little darts in any-which-way it swam into a power head no questions asked.

The idea that fish understand what a power head is and that it will hurt them is INSANSE.

Just adding to the thread of the killer mp60 pumps.

To be clear I'm assuming. But nothing else could have killed that fish the way it was dead.