Fish kept winding up in the skimmer

[Skydog]

To prevent this, I screwed a piece of 1/2" hardware cloth to the front of the skimmer basket. This works, but now nothing much makes into the skimmer basket and instead plugs up at the wire mesh. Anything big enough to let debri through will probably let fish through also.

 

[addy1]

I put a old window screen in a u shape across mine until the tiny tads, tiny morphing frogs and fry get bigger, got tired of saving their lives. The U is big enough it does not clog up. Nothing dropping right now I am worried about

 

[Mmathis]

What size fish are you talking about? And how powerful is the pump to your skimmer?

My only experience with fish in the skimmer [well, except for my one crazy fish that does it on purpose....] has been that the ones that end up in the skimmer are usually either dead or very weak and on their way out. I have a floating, Oase skimmer, though, not a traditional skimmer.

I wish I had a solution as I know this is a frustration for you.

 

[Skydog]

8" shubunkins, 3500 gph

 

[Skydog]

What size fish are you talking about? And how powerful is the pump to your skimmer?

My only experience with fish in the skimmer [well, except for my one crazy fish that does it on purpose....] has been that the ones that end up in the skimmer are usually either dead or very weak and on their way out. I have a floating, Oase skimmer, though, not a traditional skimmer.

I wish I had a solution as I know this is a frustration for you.

My skimmer is different from yours; mine has a vertical opening rather than horizontal.

 

[Mmathis]

My skimmer is different from yours; mine has a vertical opening rather than horizontal.

What kind of skimmer do you have?

 

[Skydog]

It's an aquascape http://store.aquascapeinc.com/p/signature-series-skimmer-6-0

 

[Mmathis]

Check out this YouTube video.

 

[gello22]

I had the same problem with a home made skimmer 9" wide X 3 deep opening for estimated actual 4000gph, my little crappie minnows would get sucked in if they got to close. I added 3/8" plastic mesh about 1/4" below the surface. The mesh was wider and deeper and further out so the flow is slower at the mesh then in the skimmer opening. Most of the leaves and other things the trees drop pass over the mesh and haven't found any fish yet. I changed from a 13 gallon to 35 gallon last weekend to accommodate a larger second pump now at 11" wide 3" deep with the mesh just below the surface and about 5000gph and still no fish in the skimmer and it is functioning as a skimmer.

 

[waynefrcan]

I just stacked rocks at the opening, it worked.