Fish in sump with skimmer

[Beau_B]

I think I know the Darwin answer, but...

I decided to “sump” my orchid dottyback for now as it was harassing my goby to the extent I was worried about starvation.

So, one fish trap later, into the refugium it goes. My skimmer is upstream, but there are cut outs between the sections and she has already figured out to go between.

Do I need to worry about the fish being sucked into the skimmer?

Let’s hope not, though I suppose anything is possible.

 

[Jay Z]

My zebra snails go to my skimmer input like it was passing out free food. That’s my snail trap so I have my fingers in the skimmer hole a lot. Draw on mine is not super over powering. I don’t think a fish would get sucked in tail first. Head first would be for sure if all the way in and might just get wedged if lucky.

Even if it made it in and the worst happened. Long as the skimmer didn’t get messed up I would rate it on a level with a 1 time over feeding.

 

[Scurvy]

It can happen. Someone I know recently lost a sumped wrasse to his skimmer. If you have leftover mesh from a screen top that would work. Or even cut open a large mesh bag to somehow block the slots.

 

[Beau_B]

Follow up question:

Lighting is on reverse to DT. Will that be ok? Will she be able to sleep? The grow lights are like having a billboard outside your bedroom!

 

[Beau_B]

Skimmer is a Simplicity 120, so not giant.

I think she would have to be in a funky situation to wander into it, but they do like caves and such so I have concerns.

 

[Scurvy]

The fish should adjust to the opposite day light cycle and do the same upon re-introduction to the display. You may not see it much while it adjusts though.

 

[Jay Z]

Follow up question:

Lighting is on reverse to DT. Will that be ok? Will she be able to sleep? The grow lights are like having a billboard outside your bedroom!

She’ll sleep just fine. My basement tanks on a reverse schedule. I’ll swap stuff out from upstairs to down stairs all the time. No issues with fish, inverts, or corals.

 

[Scurvy]

Skimmer is a Simplicity 120, so not giant.

I think she would have to be in a funky situation to wander into it, but they do like caves and such so I have concerns.

How about an extra return pump cage you might be able to slide over the skimmer intake?

 

[Nevets9333]

Anything is possible in enough time. I think it would happen out of curiosity, not being sucked in because of the flow. As others said, if you are concerned I would put some kind of net or sponge in the baffles.

No issues with the light cycle.

 

[rkpetersen]

I've had snails and stars crawl into and block a skimmer inlet.
A fish would probably be less likely to do this unless it was already weak/ill.

 

[Beau_B]

Thanks everyone, sounds like she’ll survive the staycation.

 

[Beau_B]

*** To answer the question, for anyone reading in the future...

Yes, you need to be HIGHLY concerned about the fish interacting with the skimmer.

This morning I went to feed the tank and do status check. Couldn't find her; looked everywhere, moved things around, searched the floor... yada yada.

I'll save everyone the photographic evidence, but instead of sleeping with the macro algae and rock pile in the refugium, this not-particularly-evolved dottyback decided to check out the skimmer inlet.

The new pink mist.

Ugh.

 

[foxt]

Ouch. Sorry about your loss! Thanks for sharing the cautionary tale.

 

[motortrendz]

Ugh. That's terrible. Sorry to hear.

 

[madweazl]

A fitting end to a dottyback!