Near Disaster!

[Mamba]

Well, earlier today I was doing my weekly water changes etc. I gave the U3 Filter a complete clean out as I have to every couple of weeks and I decided to do the same with the BF2200 powerhead. Instead of doing the manifold design I stuck to keeping the filter separate and using just one filter chamber as they come with three. I was just about to make a modification to the assembly to make it easier to remove the filter when I saw that the filter was pretty well gummed up. As I went to remove the filter sponge I caught sight of the tail of a fish deep inside between the sponge and the plastic outer covering.

Giving how well jammed it was in I thought, darn it's a dead fish, possibly one of the Tiger barbs I had in there as some were small. However, as I gently pulled at the end of the tail the tail was wrong so I thought, hell i've lost one of my Robusta. Then ..... it moved!!

I put my finger in to push the filter away from the body of the Loach waiting for the inevitable prick from the barbs but it dropped straight out and into a half bucket of extremely manky tank water i'd been using to clean out the filters! So, i had to go and get my net, put it over another bucket PDQ and pour it into the net. Thankfully I got it in way before I got to the sludge at the bottom!!

I put it straight into the tank obviously. That was some hours ago. It looked very peaved but at least it was able to swim to cover!!

It must have been a hell of an experience for the Robusta!! I know it didn't do my heart much good!! I don't see any dead fish several hours later so I hope it is recovering. Well, at least it's very well named!! Very Robust indeed!!
Nuts too obviously, tenacious at managing somehow to get so far down into the filter too but dumb too for even attempting it!! I think I have found my alter ego in the Loach world!

 

[Mamba]

Well, i happened again yesterday, another Kamikaze Robusta!!

I got home from work and went to feed my fish. I went to the open jam jar I had left beside the Loach tank as I put the food in tank water and distribute it using that. What do i find? a loach in the jam jar that literally only had a drop or two of water in it!! Now, to be fair i've noticed that, especially in the evening the loaches seem to gather and do a sort of circular dance in this corner of the tank, at the front of the aquarium. This one had managed to shoot past a small gap between the condensation tray and tank. It must have only just been big enough to squeeze itself past (at high speed).
I don't know how long it was in that jam jar but I put it back in immediately and it did swim away, albeit rather slowly (for these loaches).

I got up this morning and can't see it floating so hopefully, it will be fine, fingers crossed.