Clown Loach fun turns deadly

[daveb]

I have a few clown loaches in my tank, which is cleaned by an Eclipse Bio Wheel filter. Now, the clown loaches loved the moving water up by the water outlet, and a few of them found out that they could have a really fun time if they swam up into the bio wheel spot. They would swim up, against the strong current, and would chill under the bio wheel and enjoy the water until they decided to be spit out and enjoy the ride. Very funny to watch. Other times, they would school with my tiger barbs, which got very funny when they tried to eat food that I dropped in (I guess being a bottom feeder doesn't make it easy to eat from the top).

Anyway, I kept telling them they'd poke an eye out if they weren't careful around that fast moving bio wheel. When I went to feed my fish the other day, I noticed my bio wheel had stopped spinning. I turned it a alittle bit and came across a perfectly healthy clown loach crushed against the wheel. Perfectly healthy except for the fact that he was now dead. Poor guy - may he swim in a watery heaven.

The others appear to have learned their lesson - none of them play in the filter anymore.

 

[snowyangel]

Very sorry to hear about the loss. Playing in the filter, eh? wow, glad my fish are dare devils Actually yesterday i was cleaning my filter and I found one guppy fry completely alive and completely unharmed. Guess he had a guardian angel...

 

[cutechic]

Perhaps you could cover the entrance/ exit to the biowheel in a clean nylon to prevent your loaches from trying to go in again? I know you say they appear to have learned there lesson, but they may try again

 

[gadazobe]

Sorrry to hear about your clown - but you might like to do as cutechic suggested. Clowns are very inquisitive and love playing around and it would be a shame to lose more this way.

 

[living_dead]

I'd do as he suggested and cover it.. they will forget shortly.