Qs Tip #10 Use a sponge pre-filter

[Que]

Qs Tip #10 Using a sponge pre-filter

To help keep fish fry and shrimp out of your filter it is suggested you use a sponge pre-filter. This can be commercially bought or you can make one yourself by cutting a hole into a chunk of open cell foam and fitting it onto your filters intake tube. The spong holes are too small for the fry and shrimp to get sucked into.

The side benefits to this are added surface area for beneficial bacteria to latch onto. Algea may grow on it and food will get stuck to it providing nibbles for the shrimp. In a planted tank small plantlets from crypts and java ferns and the like will be easy to gather.

Another tip... use a media bag or a piece of panty hose to contain the debris on the sponge before shutting the filter off and removing the sponge for maintenance.

Q

Qs-Tips
#1 Hardscape tip
#2 Extra plant height
#3 Expired!
#4 Get organized
#5 Plants on a stick
#6 Use your senses
#7 Cleaning the outside glass
#8 Cleaning the Python
#9 Starting a siphon without sucking

 

[Veloth]

Two tips for the price of one. Great tip. As always.

 

[H3D]

Thanks for that Qtip...Sponge on filter....Check.

 

[jm1212]

personally i am partial to the media bag. easier to attach on my fry tank, a 5 gallon hex

 

[H3D]

personally i am partial to the media bag. easier to attach on my fry tank, a 5 gallon hex

Can't use that very well in a shrimp tank or a planted tank though as it will clog extremely fast.

 

[msjinkzd]

I use media bags all the time in my shrimp tanks. Works well, you can slide a net over and remove it attached to the intake them blast it out with water from the top of the intake tube.

 

[saram521]

What is the best way to fit mesh material over an intake? Mine always seem to slide down the intake tube, allowing baby shrimp many gaps to adventure into!

 

[Que]

Media bags usually have a draw string but you can use a rubber band too.

Q

 

[Ryanstech]

What is the best way to fit mesh material over an intake? Mine always seem to slide down the intake tube, allowing baby shrimp many gaps to adventure into!

I used a small zip-tie to keep the mesh secured to my intake tube, it had a lip right above the strainer that made it nearly impossible to pull off. So I did what msjinkzd suggested and just took the whole intake tube off for cleaning.

 

[H3D]

When using a filter bag to cover the intake the odds of it getting clogged and causing a filter malfunction and or failure increase significantly. IMO this is not a good method at all any should only be used in an emergency situation.