Is there something I can do to counteract my fish getting pulled into the filter and dying?

Question

Is there something I can do to counteract my fish getting pulled into the filter and dying?

Answer 1

I had this problem when breeding guppies. The fry would get sucked into the filter. The solution was to prefilter. I cut up a pair of a Lady friends pantyhose and used the fine mesh to cover the filter opening, held in place with a simple rubber band. Be sure to stretch the mesh so it is as open as it can be. Keep an eye on the mesh as under certain conditions, it can clog easily, but it WILL keep any fish from getting trapped in the filter. The worst that can happen is the suction will hold a fish against the mesh, but then, you will see this relatively quickly so you can fix the problem by releasing the fish or changing the mesh. This can happen with a bigger fish if the mesh is partly clogged. The smaller area where the water is passing through is more likely to grab a fish that gets too close, which is why you have to keep a close eye on the prefilter, to avoid any clogging. 1 pair of pantyhose can make a LOT of prefilters! I cover the end of my vacuum for when I clean the gravel so avoid sucking up any fish while I do the cleaning. It works like a charm and no fish to get out of the bucket where I drain the water.

Answer 2

i had the same problem. i bought a guppy breeding/nursery net for it the u can hang on the side of the tank, then i fixed it to go over the filter suction hose, and it worked great, the fish didnt get stuck on the hose, bc i tryed the cover up just the end of the hose, and the fish got stuck if i wasnt right there id come home and find dead fish stuck to it, so i thought of doing this, hope it helps !!

Answer 3

Are you having a problem with this? If not it probably won't happen. If so your filter is probably too big for the tank!  Buy a smaller one. If not, I have heard you can cut a nylon and tie it over the nozzle to the filter. But it will have to be changed a lot.