Sand getting into filter

[tiger15]

AC500 has the most powerful pump of all HOBs and is vulnerable to sand intrusion. My big cichlid picked up mouth full of sand and blow at my Penguin 370 intakes, and never had problem.

 

[Matteus]

Another thing I am about to do with my fx intake, place a large rock right below the intake to discourage the fish from kicking up the sand in that area. Not much you can do if they are maliciously spitting sand at the intake though.

 

[skjl47]

you can go with a heavy grain sand

personally I prefer gravel in my tank but to each his own

Hello; I stopped using sand decades ago or the reason you cite as well as for other reasons.

The black diamond substrate is not actually sand as I understand it, but apparently has a nice dark color. I think it is sold as a blasting abrasive so the wear on pump impellers and such is to be expected.

I have built sieves with screening material to sift out fine particles from construction sand to get the larger particles. However not the black look.

 

[CarpCharacin]

Ugh, the other Aqueon filter stopped working again, so I added some safe. The new AquaClear filter should come tomorrow.

 

[CarpCharacin]

The new filter came today, so I set it up, and I also got the other filter working. I zip tied some nylon from a stocking over the filter intakes, hopefully that keeps the sand out.

 

[Matteus]

Oh there you go. Let us know how that works out. I have an old fish net zip tied around my intake for my breeder tank. Never even crossed my mind to do that with the sandy tank.

I suppose it wouldn't work out in the sand tank as there is much more debris to be sucked up..