my puffer keeps getting stuck on the filter

[Puff Daddy]

every now and then i go look at my tank and to my surprise my green spotted puffer will be stuck to the the filter intake. i have to shut it off to let him free then turn it back on. now his tail is bent into a curve. i feel one day i'm gonna come home and he'll be stuck dead to that thing.

[Sharon]

The fish is unwell, and weakened, which is why he's getting stuck. A healthy fish will be able to swim away from the flow...

[bushwhacker]

what sharon said unless your running some major overpowered filter on that tank.... ( yup got me a chevy 350 hooked up to that rena xp3 )

[Cameron]

im assuming its your 10 gallon tank that your referring to, what are your water parameters?

I know the pleco with outgrow that tank, and the puffers im pretty sure like friends and a brackish setup.

[terrapin24h]

a gsp needs freshwater when young, with a gradual shift to brackish water as it ages. I may be wrong, but i think you start the brackish conversion when they are between 6 months old and a year. What kind of filter do you have? One thing you could do to prevent him from getting stuck is to put a filter sponge over your intake(i will wrap filter floss around them too, that works well--use a zip tie to hold it on) That will prevent him from getting stuck. For a fish, puffers aren't the most athletic swimmers, so if he is young and you have too much filter, i could see it happening. Also, if you could re arrange the tank to break up the current caused by the suction that might help too. Let us know how you make out

--chris

[Northernguy]

I have always used an Aqua Clear filter sponge over my intake.
It really helps the fish to keep from getting stuck.
It gives them someplace else to forge for food.
It can later be used to cycle another tank as well.