Should i upgrade to a Fluval 407

[Country joe]

Think this will do has a wide hole that may go over the strainer

 

[MaloK]

I will ask why you need to clean it out montly - i typically clean out my canister filters once every 2 or 3 years.

This greatly depends on how the filter is used.

Some fish will prefer a dirtier environment with great bio filtration and mulm is not a problem.

Others, would rather have absolutely limpid water nearly in front of good bio filtration.

But, dirty has to be defined here...

A really dirty filter will feel like your pressing a block of clay.

And I know when I'm going to do it, I need 3 subsequent buckets to rinse it up to feeling it cleared enough to be in a workable state.

Is your canister clogged to this point ?

 

[anewbie]

Because it's dirty

Is it so dirty it is restricting flow? If not then it isn't dirty

 

[Country joe]

Not stuffing "into" but "out to" it must cover all the outside and have a sufficient thickness to prevent particles that are too big to pass while giving a greater area to the water, without restraining flow too much.

Something like:

The most difficult part is finding a sponge that has a 20-30 ppi (very coarse) so you wont be rinsing it every 2 days.

The best course intake filter I found in amazon, is the tetra Sav Pre prefiltration Filter Sponge, and it fits over the 307 intake, a bit tight but it does go on, found one in my box, and it's on now, thanks Malok, I will also switch off my filter when I feed, and cut back a bit.

 

[seangee]

For a while I had one of these over the intake pipe - then just rinsed the sponges under the tap once a week. No air pump, it was just to get the sponges to catch the muck.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Driven-Double-Sponge-Aquarium-Bio-Sponge/dp/B00TM228S4/

 

[anewbie]

I just use a 10 ppi sponge on them - i find a larger sponge does work better on the fx6 - but i only have to clean it once every couple of years.