Water current?

Hey guys, just interested to know if my hang on the side type of filter is going to create to much of a current in the tank for my axolotl to live happily. As i recall i think this type pumps around 300 litres per hour, in my 2 foot tank, will be gettin a bigger tank soon too, hopefully around 3.5 foot. will this filter be ok for the new tank also? thanks for any advice

Simplest way is try it. But too much current can be detrimental you may find yourself having to find lots of ways to dissipate the current. e.g directing it at tank wall, through rocks and spreader bars etc.

I stick to undergravel and don't have any problems.

Thanks, been trying it now for a few days. My axie just seems to be staying to the side of the tank which the filter is not on, so i may change to the undergravel one like you say, and just put this filter with my fish in the other tank. i did have the idea or getting a large log or rock for the water to fall onto. thanks for the info anyway

I also have an oversized filter for one of my tanks ... my solution is to direct the water towards the surface instead of sending it straight through the aq...

That way, the axies are not stressed that much.

daskeg- over in the Post Pictures of your axolotl section there is a picture of a "water baffle" Kaysie made for her filter.

I did a search for "toy" to find it, it is made out of constructs a leggo type toy

It might give you more ideas of how to slow down the current of your filter.

I had a filter similar to the one you have on a 55 gallon tank with axolotls and on a 55 it was not a problem at all.

- good luck!

[Dot Stasny]

Some overhang filters have dials to control the flow of water through the filter. I use a Penn Plax (I think that's the brand,) Cascade filter that has a baffle and a flow control dial for my axolotls and it works very well.

I have been setting up a "new" axolotl tank over the past few days. I am using a 40 gallon breeder tank that I had tropical fish and plants in.

Over the weekend I took everything out and started "new". The filter that is on the tank is a fluval 204 it in conjunction with a penguin 170 filter worked great for the fish but is way too much for the axolotls.

Once I had the water back in I just plugged in the fluval to see how much current it made on its own. I positioned the nozzle so it was aimed at the wall of the tank. I put some floating plants in so I could see how strong the current was... it was too strong.

I spent all day yesterday trying to think up a way to use the fluval yet cut its current. This is what I came up with: I took a large Rx pill bottle (3" tall 2" across the opening) and drilled a series of small holes in its sides and bottom and drilled 2 holes on either side of where the lid would attach. I ran a wire through those top holes and made a loop to run it behind the fluval nozzle to hold it in place. The pill bottle is over the nozzle and the pressure of the water pushes it out an inch or so.

It worked great! There is not enough current now to move the floating plants at all. No ones gills are flapping in the breeze and everyone looks happy

here is a picture of it.