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Hi all. Newbie here. I have a breeding tank set up for l046 zebra pleco. I want to create more flow, especially in front of the caves. I was wondering if any other l046 keepers used wave makers in their zebra tanks to achieve this? Thanks Dan

Hi Dan,

I had Hypancistrus spawns with and without wave makers. The ones I use are Tunze 6020, to which I attach an airline with an airstone using a rubber band. By fixing the airstone below the Tunze intake allows for increased dissolved oxygen across the tank. The hood on the powerhead allows one to direct the flow in several directions. I line up the cave entrances facing the front glass perpendicular to the current so the fish have a range of +/- flow to choose from.

Regards
Karl

Brilliant, thanks for the reply. Nice idea with the air stone. I ordered a tunze wavemaker today, 6025. Hopefully this gives me what I need, cheers

I never saw any reason to pay up for a wave maker. I do use powerheads or small pumps to blow current across cave mouths. I also have a number of my Hypans spawning in tanks with only air powered foam cubes and/or matten filters. No current specifically directed across cave mouths at all. Well oxygenated water and good circulation are more important than any need for strong current or even current across cave mouths, IMO.

That said, there is no reason not to do it the way you prefer.

Thanks for your reply. Had a lot of adults, a long time in the tank, trying to work out why they dont seem interested in breeding. Was thinking flow across cave mouth was one thing to tick off, after reading up online

I have a blue marine wavemaker 4000 installed since 2-3months. Just running in the daytime to get dirt easier to the filter. Also have a Eheim air diffusor on my filteroultlet that's been there since the tank setup. My group had there last eggs beginning of this year before I installed the wavemaker. I try to induce them in to breeding by changing 30% of the water (few degrees colder) when wheater is changing (rain, thunder,...). We will start doing this from tomorrow over here and this during 3 days.

Thanks for the advice. Waiting on a weather change, shouldn't be too hard in England