filter fatality

kyle3

kyle3

AC Members
Mar 17, 2005
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Minneapolis, MN
hi guys. I woke up one morning to find one of my cory cats stuck on the filter intake. i turned the flow all the way down and it still couldn't get off so i turned the whole filter off. she "Limped" away and died about six hours later. I'm worried a similar fate will get my other corys. any suggestions would be so very welcome! thankyou!
 
Hmm... My sister takes old pantyhose, and cuts out a square to wrap around the intake of her filter to protect her guppy fry when they're really little... I don't know if that would work as a long term solution, though.
 
by the time a fish is stuck to the intake valve, i usually kill it if its still alive.

i'd say do some tests on your water and maybe an extra waterchange with dechlorinator.
 
healthy fish are normally quite able to swim away from the 'suction' of a filter intake. fish that get stuck are most often already weakened by illness.
 
Putting a pantyhose in your intake may reduce your flow, specially if you tank is planted and debris is always present. Even in a "clean" eviroment, panty hose will have to be replaced almost twice a week.

To reduce fatalities, you can wrap your filter intake with nylon mesh, maybe with 1/8" to 1/4" holes, depending in your fish size, and leaving a gap of about 1/2". This way, if a fish swims toward the filter, the mesh will stop him before he reaches the hi suction spot.
 
If the parameters are fine, then I suggest you use a sponge to spread out the sucking power of the filter, a sponge has more surface area so on flow/sq inch it will be a lot less. Now if the water parameters are not up to scratch I deffinately suggest you use the sponge method b/c turnover and correct filter media will ensure ammoina and nitrites are converted to the less toxic nitrate. Have you tested the water?
 
I would agree that it most likely was a sick fish or injured fish already. My baby cories (1/4 inch) are able to swim around the filter intake of a fluval 304 with no problem.
 
Yes...listen to Liv2Padl and TKOS. The problem was with the fish, not the filter. Don't compromise the filter function trying to fix a problem that isn't there.
 
I agree

If your fish was stuck to the filter, there was a reason he could not swim away. He probably was sick and could not avoid being stuck on it.
 
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