Daphnia Sucked Into Filter

[Bugdozer]

I tried feeding some dried Daphnia to my little Black Phantom Tetras, thinking they'd like it. They managed to eat some, but the larger daphnes were too big for their tiny mouths, and many remained uneaten. Some floated to the top and I removed them, but the filter current keeps making some bob around the tank (the tetras still try and snap at them, then give up) and many are now being sucked into the filter inlet (the daphnes, not the tetras). Is this a problem? Will they break down completely in there or do I need to open up the filter to get at bits of leftover shell etc? I don't want too much leftover food in the tank, obviously, and am trying to pick out the few still floating near the surface.

 

[elmo666]

Shouldn't cause too much problem, but if my memory serves me right dried daphnia has very little nutrtional value. Live would be better or try feeding a frozen food such as bloodworm or one of the medleys made for community fish. Also it might be better to feed a very small amount at a time, then add a little more if that gets eaten in a couple of minutes. As for your filter, when the debris has cleared from the tank you could always give it a quick rinse in tank water.

 

[Bugdozer]

It was meant to be a treat for them - thought it would be smaller than the live brine shrimp I know they are supposed to like, which I worried were too big for them to eat as well! So rather than a treat it turned out just to be a frustration for the poor little things. Oh well, stops them getting fat I guess!

 

[OldMan47]

Routine filter cleanings are partly due to uneaten food being sucked up. As long as the biological load from uneaten food does not become too large, it will be just fine sitting in your filter waiting for the next routine cleaning.