Pipe tunnels and oxygen

[Stryker]

I've never had the need to bury any pipe in my tank. However I recently bought three clown loach. I've noticed they've been making my tanks 22mm plumbing their daytime home! This is not ideal.

So I took some 32mm pipe and elbows that I had lying around and fashioned a "U" shaped tunnel which curls up at the ends. I then burried the pipe with just the raised ends above the sand. In all its about 1.5 foot long I guess.

I was wondering, as there is no flow, will the pipe stay fresh as it were inside? or will anerobic conditions develop? I think the water will naturally move through the pipe and balance out the gas content inside with the outside, however that is only my assumption so before I have a pipe full of suffocated fish I thought I'd better ask.

Oppinions please.

 

[ste2k3]

You shouldn't have a problem with that. There may not be loads of flow through the tube but there will always be some providing there is water movement in the tank. It would be nearly imposable for something like that to anerobic. The only problem you may have is a build up of detritus over time.

ste

 

[Stryker]

Excellent, thanks.

I've got to wait till tonight for my clowns to come out of the pipe work before I can put some grill type caps on the plumbing. Then hopefully in time they may come to like their pipe tunnels.

Its amazing how they got into the pipe-work. Yesterday I was some what concerned as I'd not seen them all day, then that night they were all out together. It was only this morning I noticed tails hanging out the overflow pipe-work.

Little swines

 

[Lateral Line]

I agree, I doubt it will de-oxygenate, but you should "blow" some water through it every now and again to clear out any crud.

You do not need to bury pipes etc., for loaches. They will be perfectly happy with pipes, or more attractive rockwork caves above the substrate.

 

[Stryker]

I'm not mad on the pipes in the tank look, I have a sump to minimise my tank junk

Thus I burried the pipe, just hope given time the clown loaches take to either the pipe or the caves.

I have an impressive rockery in there and the most colourful and flourishing of the trio has taken to a front cave property with a nice view. The other two still look timid, a little pale and were the ones hiding in the plumbing.

 

[Yenko]

Don't worry; clown loaches can take a while to gain the confidence to come out of their hidy-holes. Mine used to cram themselves into a crevice for the night and stay comfortably near it in the daytime; now they just seem to lie down next to their cave for the night. I've even caught them harassing my tiger barbs because they were bored.

 

[Stryker]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. Had mine a few days now, one of them is much more confident, the other is too to some extent. However the third is still a scardy fish. In fact I never got a change to add a cap to the pipe he likes hiding in as I never saw him vacate it. He will be out when he's hungry

 

[inkwell]

Excellent, thanks.

I've got to wait till tonight for my clowns to come out of the pipe work before I can put some grill type caps on the plumbing. Then hopefully in time they may come to like their pipe tunnels.

Its amazing how they got into the pipe-work. Yesterday I was some what concerned as I'd not seen them all day, then that night they were all out together. It was only this morning I noticed tails hanging out the overflow pipe-work.

Little swines

I had one of my clowns get into the overflow, down through the wet-dry. into the sump, and then out into the Mag-350 where his (her?) adventure ended. Luckily, the mag350 has a habit of needing to be "burped" every couple of days as the top seal is well... not quite sealed. Long story short, the lil fool is still alive and kicking and all the overflows have protective mesh on them now. Had a similar problem with a juvie cory hastatus... I've returned him (her?) to the tank 3 times already from the overflow... Lost that battle, C. hastatus, likes the overflow and keeps going back!
regards
mike

 

[Stryker]

At first I didn't guard my over flows as some fry seem to find it and end up in the sump..... so did three extra shrimp, which is good.

I'll not be able to do anything with my tank for a while now as I came off my motorbike last sunday. Banged knee and sprained shoulder so no climing up and contorting myself over the tank for a while.

 

[Ob1]

Hi Stryker

good question