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mikemerk_gw

Affect of rust on fish

mikemerk
12 years ago

Every year I battle the mating season of fish, frogs, turtles and snails who all seem to want to mate in my Savio skimmer. Maybe they like privacy. I have a few concerns about this. If one of these creatures happens to get in the rear portion of the skimmer, this is where the external pump pulls the water and the suction is quite powerful. It almost certainly means instant death. Another issue is for the past few years, my biggest orfe goes in there a drops about 5000 eggs. Do you know what it is like trying to get an orfe the size of a trout out of that small space. Not fun and you better wear your bathing suit because you are going to get wet.

So this year I decided to "board up" the entrance by using a metal screen top, the kind of tops they put on top of aquariums that have lizards or snakes in them. It is working out great because the water flows freely and it keeps all the creatures out.

The issue is when I clean of the screen every so often, rust comes out when I spray it with the hose. Is there any concern that this rust will affect the fish? The pond is about 1800 gallons and the water is crystal clear. Fish are all very active and healthy looking.

-Mike

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