How to keep Ember Tetras from getting stuck in Powered Filter?

[Amberlon]

I just added a small school of Ember tetras to my community 23 gallon tank with an aquaclear filter, and two of them died the next morning found stuck in the filter. I checked again the next night and found another one stuck between the sponge and the glass; luckily, I caught it just in time and he survived, swimming happily back in the tank. I turned off the filter for now, but, what do I do? It only seems to happen at night when the aquarium lights are turned off. Can you not keep tetras with powered filters?

 

[SaraB]

Is there any way you can think of to block off that particular spot? Maybe use a bigger sponge so there is no gap?

 

[libertybelle]

Don’t leave your filter off. Cycle will crash and it could kill everything in your tank.

You have a sponge prefilter? If so the fish were probably weak or dying for some other reason (mini cycle? Have you checked water parameters) I assume you’ve already adjusted the aquaclear to its lowest flow rate as well?

 

[earhtmother]

Adding a pre filter guard/sponge to the filter intake will help ALOT, although you will most likely have to *rinse* it out on a regular basis

 

[Barliman]

I endorse the pre-filter sponge; I've found them very helpful on my aquaclears. Also, I agree with libertybelle that something else might have been wrong with those fish: Aquaclears can be dangers to fry and baby shrimp, but not adult fish.