Filter Killing Fry?

[jkpedrita]

So, we had some fry, guppy and fry, (dropped within a couple days of each other) and moved them into a bucket while we got a tank ready for them.  I guess they got complacent because they didn't have a current to deal with because yesterday we put them in a cycled 10g aquarium with a 5-15g power filter and we ended up with a couple men down.  We put a mesh covering over the intake so they wouldn't get sucked up.  My only guess is that the flow is too strong and they aren't used to swimming. Any ideas on what I can do to lower the filter flow, or better yet get the guppies/platties strong enough to deal with the new current?  The tank has a little gravel at the bottom, more for speeding cycling than anything else, planted and floating hornwort.  We are feeding them first bites whenever we remember but at least a couple times a day. Would it be worthwhile to turn the filter on and off every couple of hours? 
 
Thanks for your input!

 

[Blitz]

Maybe try a different, smaller filter used for a smaller tank if the current is too strong on that one? Do you have an extra one?
Or a sponge filter might work. The mesh holes might be too big. Well.. I have an idea in heard of another forum... Take old panty nose or spandex that you dont need, cute it to your size, use something (would a rubber Band work?) to hold the piece of pantyhose/spandex to then filters mouth. Was just an idea. !

Sorry about all the typos and stuff that doesn't make sense. I'm on an iPad and it takes too long to go back and fix my errors.

**woops! Looks like it just adds my posts to my first post!

 

[Mamashack]

It would help if we had a few more details like what tank, what filtration, what heater, whether the tank was fully cycled before you added the fry. Whatever you do, don't turn the filter on and off - this will cause the bacterial filtration system to falter and possibly fail. If you must do something put a clean unused and unwashed stocking over the filter if it's an internal submersible type.
The fry may not be swimming because they will have been oxygen deprived in the bucket and are dying. To get oxygen into water, you need something to cause a ripple at the water surface. Was the new tank cycled? I suspect it wasn't if you were getting it ready in a rush!  Sorry to say this but you may end up losing the fry - it might have been kinder to leave them in a breeder net in the tank where they were born until their new tank was fully cycled and ready.

 

[RCA]

Sponge filters are the best in this situation, all you need is an air-pump to power them and can control the flow with a flow tap on the line or better still get a pump that you can alter the flow on.
 
This shows you lots of different sponge filters.  Any questions please ask.

 

[DyArianna]

I don't have any issue with the flow of the filter as far as being too strong for them (10 gallon with a hang on the back filter for a 30 gallon tank) but I can also adjust my flow.  I always make sure the water is high enough too so that the flow affects the top of the water more.   My fry seem to manage fine.  The only issue I do have every now and then is a few will get sucked up in the filter.  But I will find them in the filter compartment and put them back in the tank.  I do agree that putting them in that bucket could have caused some issues with oxygen but it stands out to me that you say you feed them when you remember... a couple times a day.  Fry need to be fed more often in order to grow healthy.  I feed mine between 3 and 5 times a day. 

 

[Backlash]

A pic or link to your filter would be helpful here..
 
If you have a HOB (Hang on the Back)  filter, you could try putting something in the pickup tube that will partially block the tube and hinder the flow..
 
Likewise, if you have a submersible or "power head" style filter, then partially blocking the output will also hinder the flow..
 
For a more permanent solution on a HOB filter, remove the pickup tube and drill lots of small holes up the pickup tube.. This will reduce the amount of suction at the end of the tube as the filter will be drawing water from all the holes in the tube as well.. I did this to my Aquaclear filters back when i was actively breeding Platies.. Just one word of warning though, just make sure that the upper most holes in the tube are still well below the water line.. If you have any holes above the water line, then the filter will just suck air and not work..
 
Cheers and goodluck
 
Mark.

 

[fluttermoth]

Are you sure the tank is properly cycled, OP? Have you tested for ammonia/nitrite?
 
You would have to have a seriously strong filter to suck up healthy fry; normally when fish get stuck on filters, it's because they were already sick and didn't have the strength to swim away.

 

[ReiRei]

You can buy a filter bag to put over the filter - this will prevent them from being sucked in. That's what I've done, and it works beautifully.

 

[fluttermoth]

Just mentioning; the OP has already covered the filter intake

 

[ReiRei]

Oops (; Haha, my bad.

 

[snazy]

Are you sure the tank is properly cycled, OP? Have you tested for ammonia/nitrite?
 
You would have to have a seriously strong filter to suck up healthy fry; normally when fish get stuck on filters, it's because they were already sick and didn't have the strength to swim away.

 
+1 I've kept and keep fry with way stronger flow than the OP's and they aren't bothered one bit.
 Sick or dead fry/fish on another hand can get stuck to the intake or if the holes are big, it will suck them up altogether because that's what filters do ideally, clean the water not only biologically but mechanically too, removing floating lifeless pieces and other stuff.
On another hand, any fish can decide to take an adventurous swim up the intake if the holes/cuts are big enough to let it swim through. That's why with fry, small fish, thin fish like khuli loaches for example one uses sponges on the intakes or similar stuff to prevent them swimming into the wrong compartment that can potentially kill them.
 
Just make sure the fry are in a well cycled, filtered tank. The food that fry need to grow healthy and at a good rate is quite enough to cause deadly spikes in an unfiltered/uncycled tank or underfiltered tank. So downgrading a filter/reducing the flow of a filter or not running the filter constantly is actually not recommended.
 Make sure there's water surface movement because that's the only way to get the slow dissolving oxygen into the water. The higher the water temperature, the more oxygenation should be provided, whether via more turbulent surface movement or extra devices like air pumps, etc..
 Cover the intakes if the holes are big for the fry to swim through but I'd suggest a coarse sponge instead of mesh because the latter stuff seems to cripple the filters in time, reducing the flow to nothing.  Do daily big water changes and feed the fry with variety of foods. Make sure they get some light too daily, even if it's room light. The higher the temperature, the faster the metabolism, so the more the fry will eat and the faster they'll grow. Therefore for many species it's common to keep the tank in slightly warmer conditions than what the parents require, hence using a heater in a fry tank is best.
 
Good luck with your fry.