Sand Getting In Filter Problems...

[NonstickRon]

Solutions? My cory's keep stirring up the sand. The filter goes through spurts of being extremely loud as it chews on the sand...can't be good for it. I was thinking of wrapping some filter floss around the intake and rubber banding it on. Will that restrict water flow too much?

 

[Hawkins]

chemicals in the rubber!!

but what sort of filter is it? cant you just lift it up a bit?

 

[justjon]

Wrap it in black tights perhaps?

 

[NonstickRon]

The intake is at about mid level. The corys like to take mouthfuls of sand to the top of the tank and sprinkle it everywhere.

Rubber bands are made from a sap from the rubber tree aren't they? I know they rubber band aquarium plants together. /me shrug

 

[invader]

I've used rubber bands many times with no ill effects.

 

[NonstickRon]

What I'm concernerd about with this idea is cutting off the intake flow. Has anyone ever tried anything like this?

Oh yeah, its a Penguin 100 HOB w/biowheel

 

[fishyfreak]

Solutions? My cory's keep stirring up the sand. The filter goes through spurts of being extremely loud as it chews on the sand...can't be good for it. I was thinking of wrapping some filter floss around the intake and rubber banding it on. Will that restrict water flow too much?

I had this problem when I used sand, I had to lift the intake tube and I built up rocks under it so the sand would have farther to travel b4 getting sucked up, that helped but I still went through the odd motor. Take your motor apart and wash all the sand out regularly.

 

[NonstickRon]

Solutions? My cory's keep stirring up the sand. The filter goes through spurts of being extremely loud as it chews on the sand...can't be good for it. I was thinking of wrapping some filter floss around the intake and rubber banding it on. Will that restrict water flow too much?

I had this problem when I used sand, I had to lift the intake tube and I built up rocks under it so the sand would have farther to travel b4 getting sucked up, that helped but I still went through the odd motor. Take your motor apart and wash all the sand out regularly.

Well, just rubber banded filter floss all over my intake screen. Water flow seems fine. Crossing my fingaz...

 

[Piltdownpaul]

My cories arent doing that-maybe they dont like my sand! Or maybe they do like the sand but dont want to put it in my filter. Or maybe they like the filter and dont want to bugger it up for me. Maybe i need new cories!!!!!!!!

 

[fishyfreak]

Well, just rubber banded filter floss all over my intake screen. Water flow seems fine. Crossing my fingaz...
[/quote]

Ok, but you should still get that sand out of the motor, it's just going to keep grinding away at it if you don't. Good luck, let us know how it works.

 

[NonstickRon]

Ok, but you should still get that sand out of the motor, it's just going to keep grinding away at it if you don't. Good luck, let us know how it works.

Yeah. This is my work-desk tank. I can't really get too deep into it during work hours. Going to come up here this weekend with my gear and clean it out again.

My cories arent doing that-maybe they dont like my sand! Or maybe they do like the sand but dont want to put it in my filter. Or maybe they like the filter and dont want to bugger it up for me. Maybe i need new cories!!!!!!!!

I have two different tanks, each with different sand and different types of corys. The full grown albinos in the play sand are the ones who like to sprinkle. The juvinile doesn't do it. Don't have any full grown corys in my other tank.

Interestingly enough, all my corys except the two large albinos came from tanks with petstores that use gravel. The two who like to sprinkle sand came from a petstore that has all bare bottom tanks.

 

[Piltdownpaul]

My cories used to live on a bed of pea gravel. They enjoy the sand more but dont seem to sprinkle it at all. Just dig around in it really.

 

[OldMan47]

A good way to go would be to slip a filter sponge over the intake on the filter. I took one made for an AC 70 filter, cut an X about 2/3 of the way through the middle and slipped it onto the canister filter inlet to keep it from sucking up fish fry. It takes forever to plug up because it has a large surface area and it keeps almost any solids out of my filter. It does become my main mechanical filter but I can clean it easily by running my gravel vac across the surface when I am doing my water changes. One of the biggest advantages for you would be there is no place for the sand to get into your filter pump.