Dead Fish Wrapped Around the filter

Question

Can anyone help? I have a 26 gallon Aqueon aquarium and in the last few days I have found two of my fish--a neon and a small hatchet fish wrapped around the filter dead! When the neon died, I had only 6 hatchet fish and 6 neons. I added the following yesterday: 3 red-eye tetras, 1 white-skirt tetra, and a female betta. Today I found the smaller of the hatchet fish wrapped around the filter with its eyes missing! This is the second fish I found dead at the filter. Could it be a problem with the filter. Can anyone tell me what might have happened?

Answer 1

It is possible that the intake of the filter is powerful enough to snag a small fish if the outpour of the tank is front to back,

.....the water pouring out of the filter creates a current of water that bounces off the front glass and pushes back toward the back glass, where the filter intake is located.

....and can easily wash a smaller swimmer that is close to the filter into the intake

....this situation occurs in tanks that are narrow (12") front to back, if the HOB filter 'hangs on the back'....

...soo what can we do??

...two possible changes:

1)  place the HOB on the side, redirecting the out-put of water that pours back into the tank so that it pushes water from one side to the other, instead of front to back

2)  install some tall plants in front of the filter so the plants break of the current of water, slowing it down, dispersing the convection

(I would do both, if it were me, because I also like to keep live plants in the tank, because the plants give fish a place to rest, plus plants absorb ammonia and release CO2 that nourish the bacteria in the filter)

Just as another possible cause:

Neons and Hatchets are easy prey for territorial aggressives, such as red-tail sharks.

Do you have any other types of fish in your tank?

Answer 2

Generally they die first and then while floating they get sucked onto the filter. And yes, it can be disgusting.

Answer 3

neons have unnatural and artificial steroids injected n them they die too quick sometimes even a week

Answer 4

Not the filter, a healthy fish would not be able to be sucked in by the filter. What are all the fish you have in your tank. It could be a bullying problem but we really need more info to figure out the problem.

Peter R. That is the natral color of neons, yes some fish are dyed, and YES it is cruel, but no. Neons are not dyed. They are a natrally beautifull fish!

Answer 5

its probobly because you didnt cycle your tank

and peter r ur stupid, dont talk about **** you know nothing about