Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,

On Wednesday (today is Monday), I put my 6 year old male ACF in a nice new 10 gallon aquarium. I also used a new filtration system (an underwater thing called a Stingray?) instead of his old under gravel filter. I noticed he was very agitated (swimming constantly and not eating) so I unplugged the new filter because I was worried about his lateral line. He calmed down, but his water quickly went cloudy and gross. On Thursday I plugged the filter back in all day, but when I got home I noticed he was bobbing his head and kind of twitching. I unplugged the filter again and he seems to have calmed down and the twitching/bobbing has stopped. He has also been singing almost constantly this whole time.

I had to go away for the weekend, so I left the filter unplugged and now he seems to be fine (other than he hides from me when I go to feed him instead of almost taking my finger off) and is even eating now.

Do you all think it is the filter and I should switch back or is this something else? I just want to do what is right, I rescued him as a baby from a tiny dried up cup at Wal-Mart and have grown attached to him!

From my experience and from what others have told me (including a breeder), ACFs do not like their water being disturbed by filters. Something about the current it makes. I have also read on another website that the Whisper filter is the best one to use with them.

Personally, in my 3 years having the couple I have not used a filter at all. I did get eggs from them but nothing came of them. I actually think they were too immature to be producing.

I plan on getting an underwater filter which does not move the water too much but I will remove it if I see anything unusual from them. I do think the filter is what caused the behavior you saw.

Thanks! He lived with an undergravel filter for 6 years, but I read somewhere that this type of filter was better. Obviously not. I am going to try to use the undergravel filter again.

I would go back to it too if he was fine with it for 6 years. Good luck!

Thanks!
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0.4 Cats (Trinity, Titi, Mouse, Nina)
1.0 African Clawed Frog (Hannibal)
1.0 Chinchilla (Gizmo)
0.0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula (Tula)
All in a 2 bedroom apartment!