Sand and filters

[dparks87]

Hey guys I have been using A carib sea moonlight white sand. I love the way the sand looks but man is it fine. It kicks everywhere. It's killed two of my powerfilters. However my cannisters, two eheim classics and a fluval, seem to be holding up fine. My question is, is there something I can do to my cannisters via a modification or something that would keep some of the sand from getting sucked in. I am worried that they might get all sanded up.

 

[Deep Blue Sea]

I put a mesh bag over the intake for my Fx5 in my 215g it helps alot

 

[PostalPenguin]

Your Eheims by design are protected from sand since the water has to go through all the filter media before reaching the impeller. A cheap pre-filter for them is to get an AquaClear sponge from the LFS and cut a hole in the middle and slip it over the intake.

Acts as a great pre-filter, nice piece of seeded biofilter if needed and reduces how often you have to clean the actual canister.

 

[HarleyK]

Your Eheims by design are protected from sand since the water has to go through all the filter media before reaching the impeller

Besides, you could cut the suction-side pipe a bit to elevate the intake. The higher it is above the sane, the less sand gets sucked in.

HarleyK

 

[~ocean]

Buy some fluval pre filter. It should do the job.

 

[smpage]

also, I recommend keeping the intakes at least 6 inches above the sand.

 

[reptileguy2727]

If you are refering to the Fluval prefilter that is a ceramic hexagon tube don't buy it. That is courser than Foam the water has already passed through. I cut the pipes so that the intake will sit a lot higher in the water.

 

[dparks87]

thanks for the post guys. I have raised all the intakes. I have noticed no problems but better safe than sorry. The sand really chewed up the HOB's fast so any insurance is worth it in my eyes at this point.