How many wavemakers for a 75 gallon African Cichlid tank?

[lock jaw]

I have a 75 gal tank with peacocks and haps. I currently have one wavemaker, its a Hydor Koralia Evolution, size 750-850 GPH that I bought off Amazon. Is this enough? Is there a certain amount of current I need for my size of tank or is it just add as much as you need to get rid of the dead spots? Which wavemakers would you recommend?

 

[Gary Stonebraker Jr]

I use a 70 gal per hour aqua clear power head on my 75 gal. I use it mainly for surface disruption. The cichlids and Clown Loaches like it when I turn it inwards to the center of the tank,they like swimming against the current. I want another one similar to yours to keep the water moving. So I think you could go with one more.

 

[JLW]

Other than the filter, many aquarists maintain tanks without any additional circulation (and often filters are very minimal). If your oxygenation needs are met, most (not all!) fishes will be just fine. Additional circulation is great for ... well, circulating. Eliminating dead spots, dispersing oxygen, etc. But, they're not strictly needed.

I think many types of fish tend to do a lot better with more flow -- and certainly plants do. As a general rule, if the other side of the tank blows off, you have too much. Otherwise... its hard to overdo it.

 

[lock jaw]

So I have an FX6 and a sump that pumps into that tank and I leave that to disrupt the surface. Then I have a wavemaker for circulation around the tank but I still have dead spots. Its mostly areas between rocks or caves. Wasn't sure if getting a 2nd one would help reduce those pile ups.

 

[CSnyder00]

If you stop to think about where these fish live, water circulation is minimal. A large lake has some current, but nothing to the degree a wave maker/circulation pump would create in a tank. If you’re doing it to clear debris, I get it. But the fish likely don’t need it. I’m sure your filters provide substantial amounts of dissolved oxygen for a tank that size.

 

[lock jaw]

Right

If you stop to think about where these fish live, water circulation is minimal. A large lake has some current, but nothing to the degree a wave maker/circulation pump would create in a tank. If you’re doing it to clear debris, I get it. But the fish likely don’t need it. I’m sure your filters provide substantial amounts of dissolved oxygen for a tank that size.

Right but isn't that for wild fish? Most of fish we buy from stores or other breeders are tank raised and never lived in a lake.

 

[Becca]

Right

Right but isn't that for wild fish? Most of fish we buy from stores or other breeders are tank raised and never lived in a lake.

I mean, sure, but how different do you think they're needs really are? I suppose there's the argument that line-bred fish may have different characteristics and nutritional requirements resulting from extremely selective breeding (Stendker Discus are a good example). They're usually kept in pretty crowded conditions by stores and breeders with a couple of sponge filters running or a trickle flow into the tank if the system has central plumbing.

I guess if your tank is really over crowded or there are a lot of areas where insurmountable mounds of fish waste pile-up, you might want more flow. While you can have too much for some types of fish (bettas), I don't think yours are that type, so there might not be a "too much" but you probably do already have enough.

I have several varieties of rheophilic fish that come from rapids environments. All of them are just fine in a tank with average water movement. Most of them seek out the quietest area of the tanks and stick to it. That said, I keep a lot of movement in a couple of tanks because it makes it a bit harder for fish to cross territories and pick extended fights with each other if it's hard for them to just stay swimming in place.

 

[JLW]

Cory, many of our fishes are coming from riverine systems that may have incredible current compared to a still tank with a little HOB. When you talk about lake fishes, they're often coming from BIG lakes -- there are tides in the Rift Valley. That is a lot of current.

 

[CSnyder00]

Cory, many of our fishes are coming from riverine systems that may have incredible current compared to a still tank with a little HOB. When you talk about lake fishes, they're often coming from BIG lakes -- there are tides in the Rift Valley. That is a lot of current.

Agreed. My favorite corydoras come from stronger rivers.

The OP asked if it was enough, and my comment was meant to make the arguement that he has enough for the fish. I agree that it’s hard to get “too much”, but at some point you’re just wasting time and money and energy running unnecessary wave makers. And if I wanted to get specific, I would argue that tidal current is much different than directed current from a wave maker.

All of this is really detracting from the OP. lock jaw , I’d say you have enough with the one wave maker. I’ve owned and bred many types of African cichlids just like a lot of the folks in this club, and I don’t even own a wave maker/circulation pump. Never have. So I’m my humble opinion, you’ve got plenty with one. And as stated in my initial post, if you have a specific spot where there is a lot of waste buildup, you could adjust the one you have or add another, but it’s not necessary for the fish’s well-being.

 

[DiscusnAfricans]

And if I wanted to get specific, I would argue that tidal current is much different than directed current from a wave maker.

Get specific. Discussion can't hurt, its always good to hear different point of view (Well to a point...) and sometimes the discussion will lead someone to change their mind, or reinforce what they originally thought, but knowledge is power.

I generally don't use wavemakers, big HOBs can provide a decent amount of flow, and a spray bar on a canister can provide plenty of flow too. I put a wavemaker on a tropheus tank as I've heard tropheus live in the "surf zone" where there actually is a lot of movement/turbulence in the lake near the shore. Similar to what Becca mentioned, I think it keeps them "busier" and makes it tougher to fight, at least extensively, and I also think the current provides enrichment or exercise. It also makes weird piles of sand, makes for a decent sized bare spot in one part of the tank floor, and sucks in any loose plastic plants.

 

[JLW]

Current is something we don't really worry nearly enough about with freshwater tanks. As long as the tank has enough turn over to feed the filter, and we get enough oxygenation (different from aeration), we're pretty happy. Recently, some of the plant tank guys have begun experimenting with higher flow rates, and have shown that it makes a BIG difference. It basically wipes out the water which forms a film around plants, and causes better interaction with the plant tissue and the rest of the water column -- they're able to access more nutrients, rather than just the nutrients immediately around them.

In marine tanks, it also makes a big difference, not only with fancy coral schmorals, but also with fish. Those are animals which sometimes have to deal with tremendous currents, and then get plunked down in a tank where water comes in over there, goes out over there, and that's it. Some marine fish aquarists have started playing around with powerheads and wave makers (to the OP and others, a wave maker, strictly, is a pump. Its a timer like device that turns pumps on and off for brief periods, creating non static flow) or, better yet, some of the really cool newer pumps that do things other than just "on" and "off." I've got tanks where you put a new fish in, and you watch him get ploinked across the tank.... In a couple of days, they're swimming out normally.

Why does this matter for fish? Well, fish have evolved to have to swim in current, to live in it. They have behaviours for dealing with it -- hiding behind a rock to rest, and what not. But, more importantly, they have physiological adaptations to deal with it -- including simply working their muscles. We take fish and put them in a nice, still tank, and feed them ... and we call this natural. Higher flow means they're having to burn their food, they're having to work muscles, constantly. Its gotta be healthier for them.

Of course, there are limits and variations. Fish, like certain anabantids or some dwarf cichlids and such, they come from pretty slow moving water, and they're never going to learn to handle a flowing tank.

 

[CSnyder00]

Why does this matter for fish? Well, fish have evolved to have to swim in current, to live in it. They have behaviours for dealing with it -- hiding behind a rock to rest, and what not. But, more importantly, they have physiological adaptations to deal with it -- including simply working their muscles. We take fish and put them in a nice, still tank, and feed them ... and we call this natural. Higher flow means they're having to burn their food, they're having to work muscles, constantly. Its gotta be healthier for them.

It is true that it works muscles that the fish would use naturally. In our aquaculture system at the school (which I help maintain), the hybrid striped bass are in constant current. In bays and rivers they deal with current all day every day. In a tank setting, sure they can get fat with no current, but fat doesn't pay the bills. Muscle does. That muscle is the food we eat, so a low, constant current is great because they have to fight it constantly, building a great deal of muscle rather quickly. Fish are the best feed converters in the food industry. They are neutrally buoyant, poikilotherms (don't need to make their own body heat, use surroundings for it), and they don't have to convert nitrogen to urea, they excrete straight ammonia through their gills and other body parts. They are a VERY efficient protein source.

However, that system doesn't use wavemakers, it uses circular flow created by injecting the water from the outside walls of the tank to the center of the tank. No bubblers, no wavemakers, just gravity.

Back to African cichlids for the O.P., who I'm sure won't be eating the fish in his tank unless the zombie apocalypse is upon us. Since the current you're looking for is just for the fish to enjoy/make the tank more natural, one wavemaker should be good for that purpose. You don't want them to consume and convert more food, as that just costs you more money in the long run. You want happy, healthy fish, which can be accomplished with your current set-up as long as tempers of the fish don't cause issues.