Fry/Babies Getting Sucked Into The Filter

[trick]

I just saw a baby fish get sucked into my external filter. I got him out and put him back in the tank. Its a community tank, not a breeding tank.

What do people do to avoid losing fry like this? I don't really want to change the nozzle to be too fine, because I still want all the fish poop etc to be sucked up and not just collect on the outside. But I guess that is the only way?

[HaNs]

stockings

[Adrienne]

I use the mesh bags that come with the ceramic noodles or stuff filter wool up the inside of the intake. just means you need to siphon out the gunk more often. the only other option is to move the fry to another tank and run a sponge filter.

[Barrie]

put the fry into a smaller tank or plastic container and float them on the tank

Thats how I keep my fry

[Skoll]

I found some foam filter media that would fit over the intake pipes of my external filters. Just check the hole in the middle of the foam is about the right diameter to fit over the pipe and strainer (it's foam so can be forced quite happily). I then blocked the end with some filter wool.

Works quite well and adds a bit more surface area for bacteria to colonise, the fry tend to pick over it as well. May reduce filter flow a little, but not necessarily a bad thing with fry. When it gets dirty you can just whip it off and give it a rinse.

This has worked fine for me with Angelfish and Krib fry on Eheim and Fluval externals. Possibly won't work as well with really tiny fry.

Gavin.... :)

[trick]

thanks for the replies, good ideas.