# Good Idea To Add A Powerhead In A 110g ?



## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

ive had him for a little over 4 months and he hides like 90% of the time, I was just wondering if I can add a powerhead...maybe it'll stop him from hiding as much ?

What would be the pros and cons ? any help would be appreciated thanks


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

Good question... I've been researching the same lately for my Rhoms and I've found some really good info on OPEFE. I've also noticed that my Rhoms hate the lights, and become zombified and stay still in one spot all day with them on (so I leave it off and they swim just fine)...

and after reading the research page on OPEFE, it confirmed that they don't like lights and prefer a dimly lit aquarium - and strong currents...

http://www.opefe.com/rhombeus.html



> IN THE AQUARIUM
> 
> Recommend keeping as solitary species in home aquarium. Large specimens like the one above *should be kept in dimly lit aquariums*. These larger one's inhabit deep waters where sunlight is less likely to penetrate. *They are river fish and require strong current*. I further suggest keeping them in a deep square tank than a long tank. Dimensions should allow sufficient turn around for the fish so that it will avoid bent tail syndrome, a feature seen on some fishes where the bottom or top of the caudal fin is crooked. This sometimes occurs from a fish being kept in a container that is to small for the fishes requirements. *A power head is a must for flow and to keep the fish healthy!* Water temperature should range from 76-82F. Soft, slightly acid preferably between pH 6.8 to 7.4. In a topic further below, I have included additional information on water chemistry reader's should consider.


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

Nice piece of info smoke...I'm sold but I don't know what kind of powerhead to get...what powerhead would be good for my situation ?


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

I like the Koralias... they are pretty sweet.

http://hydorkoralia.com/


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## Mr. Hannibal (Feb 21, 2003)

I' always keep tank temp at 82-84º and a powerhead to keep my Serras more active... it works!


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## Hogdog (Feb 1, 2010)

I've recently found out that my Marginatus is more active when the water is well oxygenated.


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

thanks for the info guys

Since powerheads seem to keep them active, I'm guessing this means growth rate increases ?


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

I've heard that but don't necessarily know if it's true. Couldn't hurt to try though right?


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## Genesis8 (Sep 11, 2009)

My Rhom that died awhile ago used to hide a lot until I took out everything(except for gravel) and added a powerhead for water circulation. He became very active and aggressive after the change.


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## sick of chiclids (May 25, 2010)

i have a korilia evo 1400 on my 110g and i love it.


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

Interesting...My tank has driftwood and plants, is there a chance that it might hide if I add the powerhead?

There's like 4 variants of the koralia which ones good ?


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## Hogdog (Feb 1, 2010)

I find that tank decor/plants didn't make much difference at all to activity levels. Of course you see more of the fish in a bare tank but I prefer my fish not to be stressed and to have a natural looking habitat.


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## scent troll (Apr 4, 2005)

The last rhomb I owned loved power heads. The current seemed to keep him active more. From what I remember researching they tend to live in flowing waters in the Amazon so I tried to mimic it as much as possible. Dont make the tank a swirling torrent, just add a power head on one end of the tank to give it a nice flow.


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

Central said:


> The last rhomb I owned loved power heads. The current seemed to keep him active more. From what I remember researching they tend to live in flowing waters in the Amazon so I tried to mimic it as much as possible. Dont make the tank a swirling torrent, just add a power head on one end of the tank to give it a nice flow.


I don't know anything about powerheads...what powerhead would be suitable in my case ?


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

If you're going to go with the Koralia, you can check these out:

http://www.marinedepot.com/Hydor_Koralia_Evolution_Circulation_Pump_Powerhead_Fixed_Flow_Aquarium_Powerheads-Hydor_USA-HD00717-FIPHFF-vi.html










I think the main thing you would look for here is the "gph" rating... For your 110G tank I would think somewhere between 750gph-1050gph might be okay... that product line goes up to 1400gph.

I didn't see any recommendations on tank size vs. gph. So maybe others can comment on that.


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## sick of chiclids (May 25, 2010)

balluupnetme said:


> Interesting...My tank has driftwood and plants, is there a chance that it might hide if I add the powerhead?
> 
> There's like 4 variants of the koralia which ones good ?


go for the evo 1400. rated for 90-120g if memory serves me well.


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

thanks for the advice guys









this is how my tank looks like btw

thanks for the advice, I just purchased the evolution 1400 from ebay


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## the_w8 (Jul 28, 2003)

i also have the korlia evo 1400 in my 125G and it rips pretty good. I've also bumped my temp up to 83ish and my manny is always active. Well he'd always been active, but since doing this I noticed his appetite has gotten bigger. He's eating 1 big chunk of tilapia now instead of the lil piece he used to take.

It's said to improve thier growth when you provide a steady current and higher water temps because they're metabolism boosts due to the environmental changes. Nice tank BTW









Do you have that lil guy in your 125?


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

the_w8 said:


> i also have the korlia evo 1400 in my 125G and it rips pretty good. I've also bumped my temp up to 83ish and my manny is always active. Well he'd always been active, but since doing this I noticed his appetite has gotten bigger. He's eating 1 big chunk of tilapia now instead of the lil piece he used to take.
> 
> It's said to improve thier growth when you provide a steady current and higher water temps because they're metabolism boosts due to the environmental changes. Nice tank BTW
> 
> ...


I see, it totally makes sense that the more active they r the more they'll eat and have an increased metabolism, my guy is always on the left side hiding behind the first driftwood

Thanks for the comments


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## scent troll (Apr 4, 2005)

Yeah what they said above. Im no expert on products and specs. I bought the cheapest power head I could find. I didnt much feel like spending $60+ on a power head. I simply wanted to give some current to the tank. The cheapest (and likely weakest) powerhead did the trick so anything is better then nothing if you're going for some current


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## balluupnetme (Oct 23, 2006)

Just hooked up the powerhead...He's more active but he still hides


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

Have you tried dimming the lights to see if that helps?


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## Da' Manster! (Sep 1, 2009)

Hi Ball,
Well personally I've never used powerheads...If you have ample filtration you really don't need them as the filtration will provide natural currents in the aquarium...All the pygos and rhoms that I've had were pretty active for the most part..But that doesn't mean I won't try it in the future!...I've heard nothing but positive things from people who use them..


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## Mr. Hannibal (Feb 21, 2003)

You should put the powerhead closer to the bottom of the tank... it might work...


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