Kuhli Loach Kill

[Bio123]

Knowing that kuhli loaches swim up filters, I had a net on the outflow of my HOB filter and a strainer in the inlet. Somehow, these loaches keep getting shredded no matter how I prevent them from getting into my filter. :nilly: I have so many strainers that the are impending the water flow in my filter. :mad2: Help!!! :feedback:

 

[jpappy789]

Prefilter?

 

[WeedCali]

they go against the current into the filter housing? i dont see how that works. my fiddler crab does that but she has legs and can walk on land. lol a fish though?

 

[Bio123]

@ jpappy789: I have a strainer, but I don't have anything but a net on my outflow. My filter is a top fin 10 gallon filter.

@ WeedCali: That's what I can't figure out! I hear a splashing noise overnight and then I check my aquarium in the morning and hear a grinding noise from my impeller. Then I see chunks of fish flying out of my outflow, and then my ammonia rockets and kills 1 or 2 of my fish. Even though I put an instant ammonia neutralizer tablet when I saw this, one of my more delicate balloon rams died.:swear:

 

[dixienut]

kulies and weather loaches love to swim against the current, and try like the dickens to get into powerheads,.. mine do anyway,..

but if you have a power head where they cant get into like with an airhose into the top part and a cover on the out put they may leave the filters alone., as they will get their fun with the power head,..

 

[Bio123]

How would you fit a net or cover over the outflow to prevent any gaps for the kuhli loaches to get through?

 

[James0816]

Pre-filters are definately your best line of defense. They can fit snuggly over the intake tubes.

Next is a nifty little mod you can do to your HOB. Get you some of the plastic craft grid. Cut out a small piece and silicone it at the outflow from the HOB. Aqueaon makes filter similar to this mod.

 

[Cerianthus]

I found many other fish in the filter box but never a kuhli. Although I would like to maximize the volume of water, how about dropping water level a bit (1/2"-1") and see if they still end up in the filter box??

 

[J double R]

@ jpappy789: I have a strainer, but I don't have anything but a net on my outflow. My filter is a top fin 10 gallon filter.

@ WeedCali: That's what I can't figure out! I hear a splashing noise overnight and then I check my aquarium in the morning and hear a grinding noise from my impeller. Then I see chunks of fish flying out of my outflow, and then my ammonia rockets and kills 1 or 2 of my fish. Even though I put an instant ammonia neutralizer tablet when I saw this, one of my more delicate balloon rams died.:swear:

Ammonia neutralizer tablet? Try getting a more reliable water conditioner, such as Seachem Prime.

What do your ammonia levels spike to when this happens?

Plenty of fish are able to jump/swim against a high current if they want to, your Kuhlii loach deaths are proof of this.

also.. What kind of filter are you using that a fish can make it to the impeller, and then the remains of said fish are able to bypass the filter media and be discharged into the tank? It would seem to me that any remains that were small enough to get through an intact media cartridge/basket would be too small to recognize. Easy enough to understand how a Kuhlii loach would make it TO the impeller.. but the remains getting past your filter media does not compute.

 

[jpappy789]

@ jpappy789: I have a strainer, but I don't have anything but a net on my outflow. My filter is a top fin 10 gallon filter.

@ WeedCali: That's what I can't figure out! I hear a splashing noise overnight and then I check my aquarium in the morning and hear a grinding noise from my impeller. Then I see chunks of fish flying out of my outflow, and then my ammonia rockets and kills 1 or 2 of my fish. Even though I put an instant ammonia neutralizer tablet when I saw this, one of my more delicate balloon rams died.:swear:

When you said they were impeding the flow IN your filter I assumed you meant whatever you put on your intake was slowing down the filter. A regularly cleaned prefilter shouldn't.