The last thing anyone wants is to find a fish stuck in your skimmer. It can be alarming to see! There are a few things that can help minimize this. We’ll discuss why this could be happening to your fish and ways to prevent it. Let’s get started!
First let’s discuss why this is happening:
Koi fish were originally river bottom feeders. The small current from the skimmer should be no problem for these fish to handle. Which means there is probably an underlying reason why the fish are getting stuck in there. Here are a few reasons:
1. There is an underlying problem with your fish’s health. If the fish is unable to get out of the current in the skimmer, it is not strong enough to do so. Check over your fish carefully to see if there is anything unusual about its scales.
2. Overfeeding. Some fish swim into the skimmer to eat the left over fish food. When feeding fish, there should be little that is sucked into the skimmer. If the fish can’t eat all of the food within a one to two minutes, you are overfeeding.
Next, let’s talk about a few things to prevent this.
- Remove the skimmer weir door for while. If you have just moved your fish, they need time adjusting to their surroundings. Remove the skimmer weir door so that the fish can swim back out easily.
- Add a screen to the skimmer. Keep in mind this will limit the skimming action greatly if you choose this route.
If you’re having trouble with fish in your skimmer, try these options to eliminate the problem!
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