Eek Python and microfish

[Lauren A]

Hi, 

I have only kept betta fish through my fish keeping journey until now and I’m a little nervous because today is my first official water change and cleaning after introducing Green Neon Rasbora to their 3/4 planted tank. Besides 3 horned nerites and a tag along pond snail, I have 10 of these beautiful micro fish.  My fear is inadvertently sucking one up.

 

The tank is less than 1/4 course sand substrate and the rest consists of aqua soil with rooted plants.  Also 2 pieces of good sized bogwood, many rhizome plants on the wood and multiple stones/rocks.  So, I’ve got some tight spots to work around and under.  I’ve cleaned the tank several times since setting up a few months ago but only with snails.

Anyway, sorry to ramble on.  Does anyone have any recommendations or tips doing this - besides being very careful.  I use Pythons basic siphons.  If I placed nylon over it I’m worried I won’t suck up the poop or uneaten food.  I wish I could distract them somehow.  
 

Thanj you for your help.  With a simple google search, I didn’t find much help so I wanted to reach out.

 

attaching a pic of their dirty tank.  Just so you can see what I’m working with!

 

thanks in advance, Lauren

 

Edited June 22, 2022 by Lauren A

[CJs Aquatics]

🤔 this is a good question. So as someone who has had little fish sucked into gravel vacs and had to rescue them before it’s definitely an understandable concern. My best advice would be to take your time and pay close attention. With regards to this, a filter sock over the uptake of your gravel vac would prevent most sized fish from getting sucked up, or I’ve heard of people using panty hose as well after they had been cleaned of dyes. It does as u discussed hamper the ability to get mulm a bit but I doubt it would be to a crazy extent. Perhaps another tip if it’s going to be the source of some anxiety would rather use a power head or something like that to essentially move the mulm to the water column off the bottom and allow for it to be filtered by your filter. This method isn’t full proof eighter as most of the time it would take a while and make some mess. A diy gravel vac for nano tanks using airline tubing and a pipeette would allow for much more control but takes much longer. I always gravel vac into a 5gallon bucket personally, this way if something gets sucked up, after it settles, I can see the fish and just net them back into there tank. Almost like a 2 step security measure in my opinion. I hope something in here helps…

[Patrick_G]

I put a net over the end of the siphon. I generally don’t use my siphon to suck up detritus, only to remove water. To get rid of the detritus I try and get good flow around the tank so the filter will suck it up. I see you have a power filter, maybe you can adjust the nozzle so the flow will clear out any spots where there is a heavy build up. 
Another option that I learned from @Irene at Girl Talks Fish is to use a piece of airline tubing as a mini siphon. Taping a chopstick to it make it easy to maneuver around the tank. 

[Hannah Parker]

I might be a hassle because of how fast they are, but I'm think you could bait them with some flake food on the surface, then take a big enough net to hopefully scoop them all up in one go. Then you could leave them in the net (still in the tank) contained while you clean. Whenever I isolate a fish this way, I use my glass lids to hold the net handle in place so the net doesn't fall into the tank. It doesn't look like you have a lid on this tank, but maybe you can think of something that could hold the handle in place instead if you wanted to try this. A book might work

[Lauren A]

@CJs Aquatics @Patrick_G @Hannah Parker 

 

Thank you so so much!  These are the best ideas!  
 

This filter has some good oomph considering it’s small size.  I’m used to big HOB’s.  It also has an attachment spray bar.  I am not using the spray bar only because I get better flow and oxygenation in the tank without it but it does work well to hit different areas of the tank to loosen up debris and suck into the filter.  Like if I face it downward onto the sand, debris will fly up and get sucked in by the filter,  After reading your suggestions, i decided to let the outflow  -  face to the right to move the water clockwise instead.  It’s a cool filter because you can face the outflow nozzle left of right and up and down with the spray bar.  I adjusted in a few moments ago and  It does give way more flow to the back of the tank and also around the entire tank in general.  I think this will definitely help.  I was worried about having a “dead zone”.  
 

I use a big white bucket too just in case, but I should be ok.  I’m going to find one of those filter socks online and try that, but honestly, I think after reading everything the 3 of you recommended I feel much better! 
 

I’m so curious, I could do a YouTube search too but wondering, how do you you initially fill the tube with water when you use just airline tubing as a siphon?  With your mouth?  I can watch her video too but just curious.  
 

thanks again so much!  You’ve all the best help!  I’d hate to hurt one of them.  I’d feel terrible.  They are so vibrant and sweet.

 

hope you all have a great night!  Lauren  
 

 

[Lauren A]

Eh, an update: decided to put the filter back to facing on a diagonal.  The fish were fighting it too much the other direction and I found a better position for it - I hope.  Thanks again if anyone reads this!

[Patrick_G]

On 6/22/2022 at 2:09 PM, Lauren A said:

I’m so curious, I could do a YouTube search too but wondering, how do you you initially fill the tube with water when you use just airline tubing as a siphon?  With your mouth?  I can watch her video too but just curious.  

I know it’s gross, but I just suck some water into the tube. When it gets about 1/3 full the siphon seems to start, I haven’t got any tank water in my mouth (yet!) 🤢

 

[patricia]

can you use a tank divider and coral your fish on one side of the tank clean the side  your fish Arnt in and then move your fish to the side that's done and clean again the side yet not done 

[Guppysnail]

My CPD, shrimp and guppy babies are nosey and tend to think the python is a Disneyland ride 🤪. I keep my left hand on the hose or my right hand holding the siphon poised over where the hose connects. These allow me to pinch the hose and stop suction. I use a small or small extra tall even on larger tanks so it does not suction as much as quickly. When I see one of my kids trying to take a ride in the hard siphon portion I pinch the hose tilt the siphon and allow them to swim out. This only happens about 20 times every time time I vac 🤣. 

[Guppysnail]

On 6/22/2022 at 5:09 PM, Lauren A said:

I’m so curious, I could do a YouTube search too but wondering, how do you you initially fill the tube with water when you use just airline tubing as a siphon?  With your mouth?  I can watch her video too but just curious.  

Though I have been using lung power to start my siphons for as long as I can remember and have t

learned the knack of not getting a mouthful of tank water through tons of trial and many many errors ***cough, choke, cough*** here is an easier way.