# Stuck behind filter :(



## Feyforest (Sep 3, 2020)

Hello all,
We were shocked and sad to find our betta (first fish ever) dead behind the filter this week. We had only had him a month, and he was very lively, bright, and by all appearances healthy. We had noticed him going between the filter and the glass before, which worried me at first, but he always swam back out. I’ve now read that putting a sponge (not sure what kind?) behind the filter should prevent this from happening again. But I also read that this usually only happens to fish who are already sick or injured, or when there’s a problem with the filter or in the tank. Did he not have enough of a hiding place? The filter was on the lowest setting, but could it have been too strong? I had just done my weekly water change earlier that day and had checked in on him frequently for a couple of hours after that. (I put in 5ml of stress coat in the 2gal bucket of new water and made sure the temperature was the same.) He can’t have been stuck there for more than a few hours (a long time to be stuck, I know 🙁 but enough to kill him?) I’m just wondering if there’s anything you all can see that might point toward this being anything other than the fish getting trapped, which can prevented for future fish by blocking that gap. Any advice or ideas appreciated. Thank you!!

10gallon tank 
Adjustable heater, 79deg
Filter: TopFin corner filter, 120v (came with tank)


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## Feyforest (Sep 3, 2020)

First photo to show test strip from that day (I accidentally got strips that don’t test for ammonia, so maybe not helpful?)
Red arrow on second photo shows where I found him.
Third photo to show tank set-up


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

So sorry your first post had to be about the death of your Betta.

Was he stuck on the intake pipe? Or wedged behind a solid part?


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## Feyforest (Sep 3, 2020)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> So sorry your first post had to be about the death of your Betta.
> 
> Was he stuck on the intake pipe? Or wedged behind a solid part?


Thank you. He was wedged between the side of the filter and the glass. His tail seemed to be up against the intake slats (for lack of a better word) and looked a little ragged at the ends, but no he was not inside the filter at all.


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## The Outlaw (Sep 11, 2020)

I'm really sorry about the loss of your betta. I had a female for not even a day die due to the same circumstances. But if his fins looked ragged, it's entirely possible that he tried to escape and just exhausted himself.


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## Veloran (Jun 28, 2014)

Sorry for your loss. The thing with bettas is that they are curious and sometimes they like to stuff themselves into places you didn't think they would fit. I had one that would try to stuff himself down the intake tube of his filter after water changes until he saw me, then he would give up and go patrol like nothing happened. They get stuck because if you feel their scales, it is easy for them to glide in one direction, but not back out. I've also read that generally bettas don't like entering a cave if they can't see the other end. Don't know how true that is.

You can try putting a piece of sponge between the filter and the glass, and adding some more decor to the tank, bettas don't like to be in the open, they like places to hide. A good rule of thumb is if you can see them at a glance in your tank, you need some more decor for them to hide. Every betta is also different, so your next one may be bold and not feel like he has to wedge behind the filter.

I don't see anything much with the tank, wouldn't even have though the filter would be a problem. I would say to examine the castle properly, if there's a hole that you think is too small for a betta, they're going to try.


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