Has this ever happened to you?

[barbiya]

I started a thread about ugf's in "chit-chat", but I really need to know if this has ever happened to anyone else.

I recently disconnected the undergravel filter (took out the air tubes), as I felt it was doing more harm than good. Yesterday, I saw a platy fry (couple months old) in one of the tubes. Freaked me out. I'd moved all the other fry into the big tank a couple weeks ago. I took off the top of the tube, so it could get out, but it quickly swam down. Next, I saw it in the tube on the opposite side of the tank, so I took that top off, also. I haven't seen it again, and it's apparently afraid to come out from underneath.

I'm not going to try to take out the filter plates, as I think that would be exceptionally bad, at the moment. It's so hard to imagine that it's been living under there for months.

Anybody have a similar experience???

 

[tragikmagik]

i have never herd of it but i can see how it could happen...I would just wait it out, i imagine you are just now seeing him cause he has to come out for more food, i just hope that he dont become food in doing so. I just wonder is there any way there could be more than one?

 

[fantasy fish]

Yes i have, just found some when taking my under gravel filter out. But they have now all died. (bigger fish ate them)

 

[barbiya]

Thanks for your responses!

This one is in no danger of being eaten, it's already at least 1/2 inch long. My concern is more that it will get too big, get stuck and die under there.

Who knows how many could have gotten in the same predicament? I've seen the newborn fry bury themselves in gravel. I wish I could see the tank from the bottom.

Or maybe not.

 

[MRshouty]

Well mabey its acting on instinct and is hiding from an imaginary very larg udult platy.

 

[barbiya]

Well, I got a mirror and flashlight to look at the tank from the bottom. It's pretty low to the ground (one of those double 10 gallon stands), so it's not easy to see under there. Turns out there are probably three of them. I'm not too sure if any of the others are actually stuck now, I'll have another look when I finish this post.

I'm trying to think of a way to get them out. If I try to get the filter plates out, the gravel may squish them, since they don't seem to want to get out. These are not teensy babies anymore. What to do?

 

[plysha]

My husband had a problem with undergravel filter when he had guppies they wouldn't go under the gravel... being so little they would get sucked under through the rocks ........ start putting some food down the hole or at the top of the tube see if you can't get them to come out or have the room dark and put the flash light under the tank they will prebably go were its dark....

or start taking rocks out till you can see them or they have enough room to get out ....

 

[barbiya]

Wow. Just spent the last hour and a half on the tank. There were 4 platties under the plates. I netted all the regular fish, took out all decorations, removed most of the gravel. During that, one at a time, 3 of them came up through the tube, so I netted them. One very stubborn, scared little one was left when I lifted up the plates. Whew.

Happy ending, well as long as none of my fish die from stress. Anybody near Iowa want any free platties? I think I may have too many now!

 

[plysha]

I'm glad it all worked out... I'd take some lol but I live like 5 or 6 states away ...
I had to deal with some of my babies getting under the rocks then couldn't get out ... ... its not the first time i had to take my tank apart to get babies out lol...

Good luck with your little ones

Erin

 

[Vip]

i had one under it for about 10 months, then my red devil ate it.