I just renovated my 23 year old pond and added a Savio skimmer. My water is beautiful and I love the job the filter is doing ,but I have noticed fish missing and find them dead in the filter. It makes no sense since they should be able to just swim back out of the front of the filter. The clerk at my local pond store seemed to think they probably died and were sucked into the filter..I doubt that because my fish all appear very healthy, the pond is balanced and the fish have been in there for over a month. Does anyone know if the water level can cause fish to be trapped in the filter? We have had heavy rains and the pond is very high. The water is above the level marked on the front the filter. To me that would make it easier for the fish to go back and forth, but so far I have lost 3 large beautiful fancy tail goldfish inside of the filter since the water level has gone up...:icon_sad:
My Savio Skimmer is eating my fish
- Thread starter Bonibelle
- Start date
Our turtle is the only animal that ends up in our skimmer.
I don't know how that skimmer works, but I've had my koi get sucked up by my bottom drain. My piping is large enough to keep the koi safe while traveling through the plumbing. The pipe ends up in a 4'X4'x4' settling chamber. This only happens to new koi. My snails and turtle has also ended up going for a ride.
I have a 2600 gph pump pumping directly into my pond. My koi have no problems swimming against that current, so I would think your goldfish could get out of the filter if they needed to.
Is there a any type of a door on the front of your skimmer? I used a pool skimmer and there is a door with a float, so only 1/2 - 1/4" of water goes into the skimmer.
Hopefully you can figure out the issue.
I don't know how that skimmer works, but I've had my koi get sucked up by my bottom drain. My piping is large enough to keep the koi safe while traveling through the plumbing. The pipe ends up in a 4'X4'x4' settling chamber. This only happens to new koi. My snails and turtle has also ended up going for a ride.
I have a 2600 gph pump pumping directly into my pond. My koi have no problems swimming against that current, so I would think your goldfish could get out of the filter if they needed to.
Is there a any type of a door on the front of your skimmer? I used a pool skimmer and there is a door with a float, so only 1/2 - 1/4" of water goes into the skimmer.
Hopefully you can figure out the issue.
I found two more dead fish in the skimmer today. I just don't get it. ...I do have a skimmer door, but with the draw from the pump, it stays open. I wonder if I might need a wider opening on the skimmer? I know cats arent getting the fish because I have a Scare Crow on and the fish are only dead in the skimmer..Cats used to get my fish at my Mother's pond and we would find parts left on the rocks. I am going to get a timer tomorrow so that the filter will turn off and allow fish to leave the filter if they need to. The weird thing is that I have had the top off the filter for 2 days and I watch baby fish swim in and out all the time.
Go to a home improvement store and look for a piece of plastic (sometimes referred to as egg crate) and put that in front of the skimmer opening to block them from getting in. I know someone who uses the plastic grating that you see in flourescent light fixtures. You can probably find gutter guard plastic too.
We have the Savio Compact Skimmerfilter and we have had fish end up in there all the time. Usually when they are new to the pond. Every afternoon we check the basket and dump out the fish that are in there. They seem to learn not to go in but like to play in the opening I guess. The egg crate would keep the fish out but it would also keep the skimmer from doing its job, skimming the surface of the water. Are the fish chewed up when you find them or are they just dead in one piece?
The dead fish have all been in one piece, they don't appear diseased or chewed up. I notice them missing and look inside to find them dead. For the past few days, I have left the top off the skimmer so that I can try to figure out what is going on. I can only think that the larger fish end up in the bottom of the basket and get tired trying to swim out...babies go in and out all the time. I even had a frog in there this morning. I had a very heavy flat rock covering the filter top, so it was a pain taking the top off every day. Today I used expanding foam and crafted a fake rock. I painted it and it looks pretty realistic. It is real light so I can uncover the filter easily now. I know the grate will prevent the skimmer from pulling leaves from the pond, but small debris would still be filtered. I just can't afford to lose so many fish.
I wasn't able to find the type of egg grate I originally wanted at the local hardware store, but I found a dish drainer at Walmart that would work. I cut the bottom out and laid it so the grates ran horizontally across the skimmer mouth. I will check first thing in the morning to see if any fish found their way through the grate. The tiny babies can go in and out but they don't seem to be bothered at all anyway. By laying the grates horizontally, debris can still go into the skimmer and if anything gets caught, I can easily remove it. I did find a company in California that is manufacturing something called a fish guard (the grates are vertical). I asked them if they would turn it so the grates lay horizontally. I may still order one if they will reconfigure it because it is made to fit right across the front of the filter mouth permantly. Will update on my homemade contraption!
How about some photos?
OK, Dave, I will try to post a picture of my contraption..so far it is working..no more dead fish...
I used a left over piece of the drainer to hold it in place against the back of the skimmer basket.
If you click on the image it will enlarge. You can see I have caught a water lettuce. By turning the slats horizontally, most leaves pass through. I did find a place on line that sold a grate that you screw into the face of the filter. I didn't want to make new holes in the face plate. Also the grate ran vertically which probably worked fine for keeping fish out, but it would seriously limit surface filtration by trapping everything floating. At least small leaves can pass through my contraption.
Here is another picture of my pond. It is not complete yet as I have to work on my waterfall and place the slate around the outside of the pond. AND I have to remove the Sanford and Son look behind my pond..my kids old swing sets and the other debris from the pond construction project.
I used a left over piece of the drainer to hold it in place against the back of the skimmer basket.
If you click on the image it will enlarge. You can see I have caught a water lettuce. By turning the slats horizontally, most leaves pass through. I did find a place on line that sold a grate that you screw into the face of the filter. I didn't want to make new holes in the face plate. Also the grate ran vertically which probably worked fine for keeping fish out, but it would seriously limit surface filtration by trapping everything floating. At least small leaves can pass through my contraption.
Here is another picture of my pond. It is not complete yet as I have to work on my waterfall and place the slate around the outside of the pond. AND I have to remove the Sanford and Son look behind my pond..my kids old swing sets and the other debris from the pond construction project.
The top picture is the inside of the Savio skimmer. The inlet is right behind the grate that I made to keep the fish out of the skimmer. I can try to take a picture from the front of the skimmer, but you wouldn't be able to see the grate at all since it is inside.
Your pond is looking lovely and I'm really sorry about your fish, is it worth trying a grate for a short time until the fish get used to the skimmer.
If the advice is right once the fishget used to the skimmer they will avoid it so is it worth trying a temproary solution until they are used to the skimmer?
Good luck
If the advice is right once the fishget used to the skimmer they will avoid it so is it worth trying a temproary solution until they are used to the skimmer?
Good luck