matt6765

Hi.... I just had my third fish die from getting stuck in the filter..... how do I stop this.

Lucy

I'm so sorry Matt
Try the panty hose over the intake suggestion.
How long have you had the guppies? Normally healthy fish can avoid getting stuck.
When's the last time you checked the water?

matt6765

checked water yesterday..... ammonia 0ppm nitrite 0ppm nitrate 5ppm pH 8.0ppm. All guppies very active none are sick. will try your ideas

cherrybarbboi

hey again matt i had this exact problem and me and my dad got a peice of PVC pipe and drilled holes in the side of the pvc pipe and put a cap at the bottom of the pvc pipe then put it over the filter and it made the current not as strong so that dirt and junk would get sucked into the filtter but fish would not. ask your parents if you can try it its easy and helpful. goodluck : )

prairielilly

What I do is buy an AquaClear 20 sponge, cut it in half, then use scissors to make a slit in it and slide it over the filter intake. Works quite well, prevents junk from getting sucked up too (leaves, food and such). I just remove it and rinse it out when I clean the tank.

MissMTS

I do the same as Marsha. Good luck! I hope you find a solution to the problem.

aquarist48

Same here. I just used and old round sponge that I happened to have from another system and slid it over the intake tube. Works like a charm.

matt6765

thank you for your advice people

Shawnie

aww matt another one im so sorry!!! great advice on the sponges but as lucy said, fish that arent sick shouldnt get stuck unless your filter is way to large for the size tank....do you know what kind exactly your filter is?

matt6765

I bought it from a package in Petsmart the filter is Aquenon

haedra

I have an Aqueon filter too. If it is of a size rated for your tank, healthy fish shouldn't be getting stuck. Are you witnessing them getting stuck while still alive? Or are you finding them dead, stuck to the filter? If it's the latter... there is something else probably going on here, then after they die they are getting drawn into the current.

matt6765

no.... when I turn the filter off the guppy swims out then I put him in the breeder trap and he dies

matt6765

Ok so I put pantihoes on the filter intakes but will this stop the filter from sucking up particels of food?

Lucy

It should still filter the water fine. Weekly gravel vacs will get rid of any left over food but if there's that much,perhaps you're feeding to much

dvc_r

Matt, one other thing that hasn't been mentioned (similar to cherrybarbboi). I drilled extra hole in the intake tube. This will decrease the pressure per hole but keeps the flow rate the same. I originally did this on the outflow tube because my filter created too much water movement in my Discus tank. Then I took the idea one step further and did it on the intake tube of my guppy tank. Now the fry don't get suck into the filter.
This can also solve the problem if your filter is overrated for the tank as haedra suggested.

cerianthus

Easiest way is to find LFS which sell s/w supplies. Should be able to find coarse foam (either in cylidrical or rectangular shape, used as replaceable filter materials for Wed/Dry filter System). Aqua Clear foam and nylon netting/stocking works but requires constant cleaning compared to Coarse Foam. Such fine materials are bound trap more finer particles which will clogged up fater, especially with nylon nets in well planted tank.
Coarse Foam will let most particles to pass which will be filtered out by cartridges, thus less cleaning required.
If your intake tube is big/thick enough, may be able to use prefilter foam of any Mag-Drive Pump by Supreme. replaceable foam should be avail for few bucks which will last.

Lucy

Makes sense, and it's easier to rinse a cartidge than reaching in the tank removing the nylon to rinse.

Regal

Excellent ideas. I prefer the aquaclear sponge to the panty hose. I have used netting from the fabric department, which is essentially the same as using pantyhose, but still had tiny angel fry get stuck. Here is a pick of a cut up aquaclear filter sponge on a penguin filter in a 10 gallon with molly fry. The panty hose does make it so fish can’t fit through buy the sponge seems to spread the suction out over a larger area or something. You just push scissors into the end of the sponge and then force the scissors open to make a hole. Not a single one has gotten stuck. That’s a great idea about drilling holes in the intake tube. I never thought of that.

Attached Images

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dvc_r

Sue, is that a DIY CO2 in the back of the tank? That's what I've been doing (besides water changes) today!
Could you stay off this post and PM me, I have a few questions for you.

matt6765

pnatihoes not working..... junk does not go up filter.... where do I get that sponge that you all liked?

Lucy

Any fish store would sell them. I like cerianthus's suggestion.
But really, there shouldn't be that much debris since you added the pany hose. Are you feeding to much?

matt6765

I think I under feed.... 2-4 pinches of fine crused food once a day.... the junk is mostly fish waste

Lucy

Maybe you need to vacuum more often?

matt6765

I dont think so.... if the fish waste does not reach filter intake in goes to bottom and stays there intill I vacum....

el_nino

Get smarter fish. J/K. for sure try foam over the intake. it will also cut down on particles clogging filter.