Fish hiding in the filter!

Sleepy

Bought a Juwel Rio 180l secondhand a few weeks ago and have it up and running great. Stocked with 3 small Clown Loach*, 14 neon tetras and a pleco of indeterminate species that I got at Seahorse Aquariums who promised me he won't grow beyond 4/5 inches in length.

The tank has the Internal Juwel Compact H filter but didn't come with the lid shown at the top of this diagram (or else it's buried in the substrate).


I had to cover the outlet hole with a piece of mesh (cut out of the bottom of the kitchen sieve, other half had a fit! ) to prevent the clown loach from swimming inside. The mesh keeps slipping, either from the flow of the pump or the fish pushing it back? Just discovered the pleco is in the filter now too.

Would a diffuser tighten the outflow hole enough to prevent the fish from swimming in? Can they harm themselves in there?

*Wouldn't have got them but after one stowed away in the tank's filter when I bought it and given their slow growth they should be okay in the tank for up to 5 years.

Silverfish

I'm looking at my 3 tanks now with Juwel filters and I'm having a hard time figuring out how this is happening, so bear with me.

Are they swimming in the outflow pipe? On mine, there's only 2 walls of the filter box exposed to the tank, the inlet grid side, and the outflow pipe side.

The tank is filled to the suggested level, and the top of the filter is not covered by water, so they can't get in the top even if the cover was missing, unless they're Free Willying it in there.

Sleepy

Yep, swimming in the outflow pipe! Tank is filled to the suggested level so if they're going in the top, they're jumping in.

Seem to enjoy hiding down beside the pipe that feeds the pump.

Silverfish

Good gravy. I've heard of this, but I've always had a hard time figuring out how it happens, my fish are big lads and the force from the outflow pipe pushes them back.

Have you tried angling the outflow pipe to face the back wall of the tank, but angled slightly upwards? It's a harder angle for the fish to get at, and the force of the flow against the back wall makes it harder for them to swim there, while still providing a bit of surface agitation.

Have you an airstone or airwall in the tank? Sometimes if they're hanging about the filter outpipe it's because that's where the water is the most oxygenated.

Sleepy

Not pumping any air into the tank as I've got 3 large and 3 small plants in it which I assumed would adequately oxygenate the water?

Will try angling the outflow pipe like you suggest. Have been contemplating an air diffuser for the end of the pump to increase oxygen further, any experience with them?

O/T: you'll be glad to see Dory (the common goldfish) is in a much larger tank now, got a nice long 100l tank from WIZE which has given him far more room to swim about in

Silverfish

It'll oxygenate the water during the day, but at night will take in oxygen so I usually leave the airstone on at night, and off during the day.
Might be worth a shot. If you are getting an airpump, get an Eheim, any others will make so much noise your teeth will rattle along with it.

An air diffuser can't hurt, anything to stop them getting into the filter.


Saw that about Dory alright, looks happy out in the new tank

WIZE

solution for this is to cut a section for your Missus Tights

Get some elastic bands to attach it to the outlet

I used to do this when i had fry in the tank to stop them getting sucked into the filter

paul71

If Sleepys other half had a fit about cutting mesh out of a kitchen sieve, I can't wait to find out what happens when she discovers the hole in her tights!!

Sleepy

Angling the outflow pipe so that only a small gap was left between it and the back wall of the tank has worked so far without the need to butcher Ms. Sleepy's hosiery

fungun

hi sleepy - oops i have that piece if you want it, i just always left it off. Am actually visiting my mum out in sutton tomorrow so can drop by clontarf on the way out or back if you want to pm me your address. The clowns were always swimming in and out of the filter, so its nothing new....thought they just swam in the gap beside the outflow pipe though, not through the pipe itself

fungun

PS a few rocks/wood etc on the tank will keep the clowns happier out in the tank and prob feel less of a desire to go somewhere enclosed!