HELP!! How do I keep my MJ Powerheads from falling!?

K

Kitty

New suction cups can be had from many LFS, or craft stores, just make sure you have the right kind.

Before buying new ones, though, I usually clean mine with a little vinegar, and make sure the glass is clean, and the suction cup is fully attached.
 
If the glass and the suction cups are clean, and the suction cups are new, there shouldnt be any problem. just give them a little elbow grease and push them on there tight and you should be fine.
 
I hate suction cups... I used PVC hangers and the overflow to secure my MJ powerheads. (Use the hanger adapter that came with the powerheads)
 
Yeah, I gave up on the stuped suction cups a long time ago and use the hangers as well.
 
this worked for me

get a razor blade and scape the glass clean where the cups will be going. I had a thin film on the glass... hard to see
 
But those hangers don't go over the largere lips on some aquariums. I have tried the wreath over the dorr hangers and those don't keep it still wither. It keeps it from falling but it moves left and right when the flow moves.
 
Umm, the suction cups tend to degrade over time, or get cruddy, and then slip off the powerhead. I'm not so sure gluing them to the glass in a permanent manner would be a grand idea...you might get algae or crud growing between the cup and the glass, if there's an air bubble or water stuck in between.

Unless you used a silicone that can be scraped off.....I dunno, just my .02c, but that seems like a lot of work when you can simply clean and/or replace them every so often. They're cheap.
 
The easiest way to secure them is to use duck tape. Put the tape across the power cord on the back of the tank in 1 or 2 places on the cord. If or when the suction cups come up, the powerhead will not drop to the sand. It may turn in a different direction, but it will not be pointed down.
 
Lindsey, if you will pmail smiller(steve) on this board, he can tell you what type of magnets to buy and how much they cost each. He has several maxi-jets he has mounted to magnets and it works pretty darn well.
 
Dozen 4" scrapers for 12 bucks, not sure how strong it is but you can use 2 on each ph. http://www.marketworks.com/storefrontprofiles/DeluxeSFItemDetail.aspx?sid=1&sfid=56734&c=0&i=25462926, they are somewhere in Arlington.
 
On Ken's suggestion, I ordered a dozen of these algae magnets. They got here (Plano) overnight UPS. They're not bad. Not the strongest, but he's right, gluing two of them might work. I've included a pic of the product.

Also, they only mention glass on the packaging. They look pretty rough and might scratch Acrylic. However, I think it would be easy to change the "inside" media and use something less abrasive for acrylic. All in all, for a $1 each, it's hard to go wrong.

BTW, shipping was $7 (ouch) but it's sorta heavy. Still $1.50 each.

Larry
 
I tie the cords for my MJ's to my sump drain or return line. I suppose I could zip tie them instead. But like the duct tape solution, if there is no slack in the line, the will not fall into the sand. I did this after several DSB sand storms. Have not had a problem since. Of course if you ever buy a tunze, this will not work. Get the magnetic holder for those.

Glenn
 
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