Minnows swim up low gradient waterfall?

[TimL94]

Hello everyone,

I have a DIY settling "tank" that is just a big box with with pond liner that overflows on one side, down a ramp and into the pond.

This morning I was checking the water quality in the settling tank and found about 6 one inch long minnow babies in there, I don't think they could have survived going through the pump which is in a mesh bag. Did they really swim up the waterfall?? Has anyone else experienced similar?

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Eggs can go through the plumbing. I've had it happen that fish were found in our upper pool and the only possible way for that to have happened is that route.

 

[addy1]

I get fish here and there they do make it through the pump.

 

[mrsclem]

Yep, eggs will go thru a pump!

 

[GBBUDD]

I have had both. I have baby fish living in my aquablocks bog they are in my snorkel and I have had koi jump up falls as much as a foot, twice the same fish jumped from the pond to the small upper pond to the 6 inch stream channel to the stream then up another 12 inch water fall where i found him laying on the rocks without a scratch. Yes I know it wasn't an animal I saw him in the little pond and I left him there then I saw him in the stream i let nature do what it would like. Within reason.

 

[GBBUDD]

Its amazing what fry can survive

 

[EricV]

I have a two stage waterfall, each is about 6" high with about 5000 gph coming over an 18" wide weir. Minnows certainly will jump up the waterfall into the intermediate pool and I have gotten them up into the filter box as well. I even had a gold fish jump twice into the intermediate pool.

The Rosy Red minnows for sure love to try swim upstream.