Tank: 105L/29g, 75x35x40cm
Inhabitants: 11 Beckfordi pencilfish, 11 black kuhlii loaches and 1 tiny golden ancistrus
Plants: egeria densa and limnophila sessiliflora. Plastic plants to break up sight lines until the plants grow taller.
Water: 7.5 pH, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 7ppm nitrates (tap water level)
Tank set up since 4th Feb 2024, with fish added on 16th Feb.
The tank looks hideous in my opinion, but it's only a QT. I had the wood tied to a rock but the thread (100% cotton) broke down before it was fully water logged.
I've had the same filter since I got into the hobby, and my experience has always been great with it. The Aquael ASAP 300/400.
Last week I was looking at the tank and I noticed that one of my pencilfish was in the filter, dead. I was pretty shocked because I'd covered the intake of the filter with sponge when I set the tank up in the summer last year, because I was paranoid about fish getting sucked into or pulled against the filter.
I realised that because I had the filter rotated to the side, it had created a small opening which seemed like the only way it could have gotten into the filter. So I turned the filter to close the gap, thinking I had solved the problem.
Then about five minutes ago just by chance, I saw that one of my java loaches (black kuhlii) was stuck in the filter. I didn't take the time to properly look at it, I just took the lid of the tank and opened the filter (underwater) straight away. I had to pull out the sponge, so I didn't see if the loach swam out or if it was dead and floated out. But I can't see a body, so I assume that I found it in time.
I now absolutely do not feel comfortable running the filter in the tank, especially since the only way I can see that it could have gotten in is through the filter outflow/outtake. I'm thinking of ordering a sponge filter on amazon but that'll take at least two days to get here.
I have a spare filter, but it's the same one! I liked it so much that I got the second as a spare...
What do you think I should do? Last water change was less than 24h ago, probably 60-70%. Should I order a sponge filter, I have no clue!
Inhabitants: 11 Beckfordi pencilfish, 11 black kuhlii loaches and 1 tiny golden ancistrus
Plants: egeria densa and limnophila sessiliflora. Plastic plants to break up sight lines until the plants grow taller.
Water: 7.5 pH, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 7ppm nitrates (tap water level)
Tank set up since 4th Feb 2024, with fish added on 16th Feb.
The tank looks hideous in my opinion, but it's only a QT. I had the wood tied to a rock but the thread (100% cotton) broke down before it was fully water logged.
I've had the same filter since I got into the hobby, and my experience has always been great with it. The Aquael ASAP 300/400.
Last week I was looking at the tank and I noticed that one of my pencilfish was in the filter, dead. I was pretty shocked because I'd covered the intake of the filter with sponge when I set the tank up in the summer last year, because I was paranoid about fish getting sucked into or pulled against the filter.
I realised that because I had the filter rotated to the side, it had created a small opening which seemed like the only way it could have gotten into the filter. So I turned the filter to close the gap, thinking I had solved the problem.
Then about five minutes ago just by chance, I saw that one of my java loaches (black kuhlii) was stuck in the filter. I didn't take the time to properly look at it, I just took the lid of the tank and opened the filter (underwater) straight away. I had to pull out the sponge, so I didn't see if the loach swam out or if it was dead and floated out. But I can't see a body, so I assume that I found it in time.
I now absolutely do not feel comfortable running the filter in the tank, especially since the only way I can see that it could have gotten in is through the filter outflow/outtake. I'm thinking of ordering a sponge filter on amazon but that'll take at least two days to get here.
I have a spare filter, but it's the same one! I liked it so much that I got the second as a spare...
What do you think I should do? Last water change was less than 24h ago, probably 60-70%. Should I order a sponge filter, I have no clue!