Platy Getting Stuck In Filter Constantly

[Sharknado99]

Hi all
 
Not sure if I put this in the right place, but I have one particular platy that keeps getting stuck in my Juwel 180L filter.

I've rescued him 3 times now and today he is back in there. I have no idea how he gets there in the first place. I have 3 platies and 3 mollies and NONE of them get in there except him! Sigh..
 
Does anyone have experience with this and do you know any solutions to it?
 
The filter is just the normal one that comes with the tank...Let me know if you need any further info.
 
Thanks heaps
 

 

[Wansui]

hmm... Maybe some fine mesh over the water intake section? I'm not sure as i've never experienced this problem. Hopefully someone else on this forum will know what to do.

 

[paradiddle]

id agree with Wansui, unplug the filter, take it out, use aquarium safe sealant/glue and stick a fine mesh stainless steel metal or plastic over the intake.
It wont impact on filter intake power but will save your platy from possibly becoming mince meat!

 

[the_lock_man]

Depends what you mean.
 
Does it look like the fish is deliberately swimming into it (thinking it can get out the other side) or is it being dragged in by the current?
 
If the former, then as others have said, a finer mesh over the inlet head (some people use an old pair of tights).
 
If the latter, then there is something wrong with the fish - a healthy fish will always be able to escape a filter inlet current. And adding a mesh won't really do anything to ease things.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Hmm, I'd have to agree with TLM's statement about healthy fish being easily able to swim from current of filter intake.
 
Only one thing I can add to this, if mesh over intake nozzle does not work, perhaps adding coarse sponge, with fishing line or somehow attached to intake nozzle will help to decrease or certainly lessen the likelihood of the platy getting caught in filter again.
 
Am assuming this is a external filter or HOB type filter that has a intake pipe/nozzle.
 
If this is an internal filter, hmm, you could try the same methods but trickier to attach mesh or coarse sponge to. 

 

[TrickySpot]

The Juwel 180L have the internal stuck in the corner right? Mine does. Fine mesh as above, the water flow should keep it stuck on (I've done this when my mollies breed).....but again, a fish in good health should be able to swim away. Perhaps get a cheap hatchery which floats in your tank and put him/her in there and see if after a few weeks things change? Also, you do have the lid on your internal filter? I know it seems obsolete, but fish seem to be able to get over the top sometimes

 

[Sharknado99]

Hi all, thanks for your advice.
TrickySpot, yeah i put the lid onto the filter and he still seems to be able to get in. Maybe he is a bit sick, as you guys say. I'll try the mesh thing as well. Hopefully i know what i'm doing LOL...
I thought that the Juwel sponges etc would not allow them to get sucked in but somehow he is able to swim past those sponges and get to the top. I can always see him peeping from the holes on the top but then when i go to get him out, he disappears below and its so hard to get him out.
 
Thanks everyone