Filter Tube Tragedy - help me prevent recurrence
I usually turn off the filter during PWC’s to prevent excess air from entering the system, which makes a racket and takes a long time to re- equilibrate. Unfortunately, this allowed one of the platies to swim into the filter output nozzle during the split second when the water was at just the right level. There are only two fish in the tank, and I try to keep an eye on both of them during the process, but I must have blinked. When I realized one was missing, I couldn’t figure out any other way of extricating her besides turning the system back on - she was expelled, but it wasn’t pretty. So, now one of my daughter’s pets is dead, and it’s at least mostly my fault. We nursed this fish successfully through two illnesses over the past six weeks, and were looking forward to enjoying a long, satisfying experience with our now-healthy aquarium friends.
Well, we still have one fish, and I don’t want to let this happen again. Obviously, I should leave the filter on during cleaning to keep the water flowing in the right direction in the tube, regardless of the air intake. Any other ideas? It’s a biocube with built-in water intake openings at bottom and top leading to the filter system, with a water uplift tube at the end of the system leading to an outflow nozzle near the top of the tank.
Category: AquaticLife
