Water Filter

[jmbike11]

I had two male fancy guppies for two days and they both were acting ok and swimming around the tank fine on the third day one of them was caught up under the filter and thats the only way that i think it could have died so i was wondering what kind of filter wont suck up the fish into it

[bomb-]

I know there is a certain covering that you can put over where the filter sucks in so no fish will get sucked in. Although with this covering your fish will still get stuck to the covering and unable to move.


The Penguin mini shown in this picture might work for you. I had some very small fish in a little 5 gallon a few years back and this worked great, although it might not be the same for you.

[jmbike11]

thank you for your help

[bscman]

IF they are new fish you just added, perhaps the fish died from something else and just ended up in the filter.

Even my 200gph HOB filter doesn't suck hard enough that even my smallest (healthy) fish get sucked up to it/stuck. A weak, dying fish...then yes.

I had a 20g Whisper in-tank filter in my last tank...my 1" long juvenile rainbow shark used to climb up inside the intake and used that for his hiding place. He could swim in and out all day long with no issues.
Again, I would guess that it was more likely a sick/weak fish that got stuck, so the COD couldn't be blamed entirely on the filter.

If you are concerned, however, you can put a sponge over the pickup tub of an HOB filter to help keep fish from getting stuck.

What are your water parameters? Is the tank heated? (what temp) Do you know about the nitrogen cycle?

[jmbike11]

the temp is at 76 the way guppies like it and i did cycle it

[Onepointeighty]

Originally Posted by jmbike11

the temp is at 76 the way guppies like it and i did cycle it

but what about amonia, nitrites,nitrates etc

-vinny

[Dr_House]

jmbike11,

In my opinion,the best favor we can do for ourselves and our fish is buy a water test kit. Vinny has asked above about the water parameters tested by such kits and they are, in my opinion, a necessity. You can get one at Dr. Foster and Smith or your favorite online dealer for about $20, or in a pet store for about $30.

I don't test my water all that often, but whenever something goes wrong (e.g. fish dying or falling ill), it can be invaluable information. It's also useful to use before adding fish to ensure your tank has been properly cycled, and to monitor the cycle itself.

If you are concerned the fish was sucked up in the filter and didn't just end up there, bscman's suggestion of adding a sponge to the filter is a great one. Not to mention, it will help cut down on filter maintenance by having this "pre-filter" on the intake.

[Danh]

Prefilter on the intake.. But I also agree that the fish was probably dead before it hit the filter.

[SBDTHUR]

Or almost dead.