Ack! My Nate tried to commit SUICIDE!

[TigerSpew]

He has a habit of hanging around the tetra filter suction cups (cold maybe?) and last night he was hanging around the top cup. Imagine my horror to see nothing but his tail sticking out of the top! I gave a shriek, unplugged everything and started taking out the filter cartridges. I think I scared him more instead of less cause he tried to wiggle through the bottom. Thankfully no damage was done except to my poor heart.

This is a first. How do I keep this from happening again??

 

[Jennewt]

Can you explain more exactly what type/model of filter you have? It would also help to know what kind of newt and how big.

 

[TigerSpew]

Can you explain more exactly what type/model of filter you have? It would also help to know what kind of newt and how big.

I've never mesured him before, but my guesstimate would be 4 inches; the filter is a Tetra Whisper 10i internal

 

[Jennewt]

I have newts that climb into those filters all the time. The species that particularly likes to do this is a stream-dwelling species, and I think they just like being in the strong current. A non-stream species is very unlikely to stay inside. If you remove the plastic grid/sponge thingy, the inside of the filter is perfectly safe for them to be inside. (I once had a newt die because it got caught in that grid/sponge thing, so I usually remove those now.)

To remove a newt from the filter, just gently remove the filter cartridge, then very gently reach in and lift out the newt.

The fact that your newt is hanging around the back and inside of the filter suggests that it needs more hiding places in the tank. Just a thought.

 

[TigerSpew]

Scaring me to death is NOT the way to get more hiding places....XD
However, I have been thinking replacing the fake plants with live ones. The tank looks really blah with just large rocks and a log and fake plants. My local pet store doesn't carry live plants and that is what I'd like for Nate; nor does it carry the filter I've been drooling over. Next paycheck will probably be spent at Petco or PetSmart getting items to upgrade the tank.

Thanks lots for the advice!

 

[Jennewt]

If you are willing to use eBay, you can often get live aquarium plants that are healthier (and more variety) than the ones at the chain petshops. Just be sure to check the seller's reputation.