Can't even believe what I found in my canister!

[brennae]

Albino cory aeneus tank was starting to smell. It's been maybe two weeks since I changed it last, I know bad fish person, so I took out 60% of the water. Took a look at the intake for the Fluval 206 and it was nasty, full of Najas/guppy grass etc. At this point I have another 2 hours for my laundry to be done so I figure I may as well clean the canister and give these breeding machines the full treatment. I actually remember not to dump the dirty water so I could use to clean the filter. I slowly take it apart. The sponge side out first then one layer of the plaster trays at a time. I get down to the last tray and I lift it out of the bit of tank water left in the bottom of the canister and a fish flops out!!! It flopped into the bottom of the empty canister. So even though totally shocked because this cory has to be 2 months old and never would have fit up the intake he's in my filter. So I drain the rest of the water that I can't even see into out and thru a big net and I find another 1!! So two corys at about 2 months old and one fry have been living in my canister. All be a monkey's uncle!
I documented how they couldn't fit through the intake and where I found them etc. I swear I am not making this up. If I was i wouldn't show you the filthy condition of the canister. Makes me wonder how many fry I just dumped down the drain not knowing they were there. The light is bad over the utility sink so I'm glad the fish flopped. Poor things have never seen light before. I guess it's a good thing I over feed horribly so they had something to eat!

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[brennae]

OMG! I just found number 3. It was under the sponge in the bottom tray and has been out of the water the whole time I was typing this! It's still alive but thin. I wonder if it ever moved before. There's no room!

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[brennae]

Number 3 is very pale. I changed part of their water in the specimen container. I didn't want to out totally different water in and shock them since they had been living in muck. I put some dwarf water lettuce and a little frozen food. After I observe the fry for a day or two I'll put it in with the other batch I have since they are almost the same size. I really feel pretty bad about this. I need to be more on top of things. These are my little miracle corys and I won't ever rehome them.

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[Ricky 1]

Incredible as to how they got in there, poor things, are they going down the tube, they must have as no other way in ???

 

[Nils]

That's really cool! That's something special IMO. Maybe they got in there as fry or really small? There are probably more, so keep an eye out!

 

[lunch]

The guy at 1 of my lfs reckons he pulled out 3 small boesemani rainbows from his canister filter 1ce

 

[brennae]

Had to have gone in as fry. The intake has a big ball in it so fish don't get sucked up and I've never not had it on there. I took the housing off the impeller, again no way to fit at that size without getting chopped up.

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[kieranhunter]

Wow that's crazy. They must have gone up as fry and grown inside the filter?

I'm getting this filter today, and I was thinking of just wrapping the intake with a stocking material? Small shrimp etc.


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[brennae]

Yes that what I think happened. Good idea or get some sort of sponge to place on the in take.

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[Gillie]

I have a friend that found shrimp and baby apistos in hers at one time. You really can't ask for a better life, safety and an all you can eat buffet lol.

 

[brennae]

They are doing ok today. Still getting used to being able to actually move around and the light. And humans, they are skittish around me. They did eat last night, mostly the blood worms.

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[coralbandit]

When I was breeding and kept swordtails in my 180(with 2 overflows to the sump in the basement) I could/would find all size of fry and such in various stages of the sumps swimming around..

 

[brennae]

They were really stressed today when I got home. "Breathing" heavy and hanging at the surface of the specimen container. I sucked the little fry up with a turkey baster and put him in with my other small fry and out the 3 juvies in the tank with the big kids. They seem much more comfortable now. I find guppy fry in the Marineland hobs often but this just amazed me.

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[Coyne]

I've no experience breeding... Could they have gotten in there as eggs?


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[brennae]

It's possible. Cory eggs are sticky, they lay them in plants or the glass etc. They are quite small when they hatch though.

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[brennae]

Today's canister find- a pleco fry. Different tank and canister but I'm kind scared to of what I may find in the other filters.

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[Gillie]

Today's canister find- a pleco fry. Different tank and canister but I'm kind scared to of what I may find in the other filters.

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As long as you don't find the creature from the black lagoon it's all good lol. I haven't been lucky enough to find any treasure yet.

 

[brennae]

Shhhh today I may find Nessie!! Don't really like sticking my hands down in containers of pleco poo.

Do you cover your intakes at all?

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[Gillie]

Shhhh today I may find Nessie!! Don't really like sticking my hands down in containers of pleco poo.

Do you cover your intakes at all?

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Not at all but the canisters are on non breeding tanks, all of my breeders have sponges.

 

[aclark]

I don't have a sponge pre filter on my canisters, but they came with strainers that attach. I still find some leaves, snails, etc, but the fish don't get sucked in. Also I can wrap it in a net before I turn off the canister to catch the debris that's suctioned to it.

Although on second thought, I suppose the slots might be large enough for a fry to sneak in. Not sure though.