One thing you could do is put a nursery net into the tank - the fine mesh kind. That will stop the fry from being sucked into the filter, and will also make feeding easier.

 

Kateyoup, the only negative about that is that I would have to put the mommies in the net waiting for birth, and that kinda defeats the purpose of having a nice peaceful 10g for the purpose of waiting it out. In fact they would have gone nuts already in a net - they've been looking like they will explode any second now (and in the 10g) for about 2 weeks. They would have aborted, commited suicide, or something terrible in a net for 2 weeks plus (since they haven't all given birth yet, and the one that is, isn't through based on the size of her belly). I want them to be happy and swim around like normal rather than be in a tiny little cage - which I could have done in the "mother tank" (my 55g livebearer tank that they came out of to have a peaceful maternity area). I'm stumped. I really hate the super strong flow that the out put of the filter shoots out as well, it's very powerful and the smaller fish have trouble swimming thru it.

Help... anyone with more ideas??

 

take a CLEAN sponge with nothing in it and rap it around the intake then take a rubber band and put it on it. this should hold.

 

i've heard of people putting panthose onthe end of the filter. it is small enough for babies to not get through and porous enough for the water to still get filtered. i have't tried it personally but it sounded cheap and logical. though you would prob want to change it fairly often.

 

Thanks guys for the info, though honestly I don't see any difference in these ideas and the small plastic mesh (like oranges come in - but smaller holes). It lets more thru than panty hose or a sponge would, and still clobbers up the tank. Things like little tiny pieces of plant matter that the fish break off, small/tiny pieces of zucchini and cucumber and peas that they bite off, and little leaf pieces from the plants - these are the things that are polluting the tank, not the water per se. :frustrated:

 

A stocking is very fine and can cause clogging easier. Plus it can easily can get torn and does not last long. On my Marineland 280 and 400 filters, I use netting, but from a fish net. I cut up an old fish net and just wrapped it around the intake and use a rubberband to secure it. I later made it permanent and used aquarium silicone to secure it to make them look like this...

Since it's made from the net, it's very durable and can be cleaned and scrubbed without worries about ripping. Since silicone isn't a permanent bond, I can easily remove it by picking and pealing the silicone off.

On my Eheim and Rena filter intakes, I use a sponge.

 

eddie, that's about what my small mesh cover looked like on my little aqua-tech filter - but it kept clogging up with veggi matter (zucchini, carrots, cucumbers, and peas) along with little pieces of plant roots and leaves (things that were small enough to go into the filter had I not had the mesh on it). It just got nasty looking and I had all kinds of "stuff" floating around in the tank. When I took the mesh off again, it only took about 30 minutes or so to clear up the tank again. I am almost hesitant to put it back on again... How do you keep it from getting clogged up? I know this seems like such a dumb question, but when I would take it off to clean it, everything just turned loose in the tank mucking it up again.

 

I do get some plants getting caught on there, but I just leave it, becuase it doesn't really slow down the flow on my filters. As far as food being on there, eventually, my fish/shrimps pick at it or it eventually breaks down that I don't have to worry about it. If I feel like it, I just suck up the plants that get stuck during a gravel vac.

Since you have an AC filter and the intake is round, tube like, I suggest using a sponge. Many people using the AC sponge media and cut a hole in the middle to insert the filter intake. The best way is to soak the sponge with water and freeze it, then drill the hole. This leaves a cleaner looking hole.

 

Would this then be what I should be getting? http://www.petsolutions.com/Default.aspx?ItemID=32501930

If so maybe the adapters it mentions would make it the right one for a 10g.

 

You can use that, but why not just buy an AC (AquaClear) foam filter and just cut a hole in the middle of it.

 

Well the easy but embarrassing answer would be - because I don't know what that looks like or what type (if there are several choices). I looked at my fav online store petsolutions.com, but they have a zillion aquaclear filter media options, and I don't know if that's what you're referring to. If so, why would it be a better choice since I have to drill the hole vs one that just slips over the intake? I'm not being argumentative here, just totally ignorant!

 

Take a look at the media foam that came with your AC filter and see if it looks like it could fit the filter intake if you cut a hole in it. If not, then look into getting a larger foam insert. What model AC filter do you have?

 

I have had fry in my tank before and my guppie just gave birth again and what i found is that as long as the place were your fry like to stay(mine stay in the live plants at the top of the tank) is away frow the filter intake it will not be a problem at all.
Think about it if your fry are liveing in some floating plants at one end of the tank and the filter intake is at the other than there is no reason the fry should get sucked in.
And by the way i have used the aquatec 5-15 in a 5 gallon tank and i dident think the current was too strong.

 

Eddie, You said, "Take a look at the media foam that came with your AC filter and see if it looks like it could fit the filter intake if you cut a hole in it. If not, then look into getting a larger foam insert. What model AC filter do you have?"

I am confused because all I have is the Aqua-Tech that came with the tank. It' just little "pad" type of filtration, like a scrubbie you would use in the kitchen, and another scrubbie type of material full of charcoal....

 

Sorry, I thought you had an AquaClear filter. Do know what model filter do you have?

 

Oops, my apologies, I thought I put that in an earlier post - probably just meant to... It's an Aqua-Tech Power Filter 5/15. I know that the little slip on round ones will fit over the intake if that is what is a good thing without clogging up the pre filter and slowing everything down... come to think of it, that might not be so bad either... :roll:

 

Actually I'm not "married to" my Aqua-Tech - in fact, I'm not all that fond of it. I am open to any good suggestions on a better filter for the 10g tank who's role here is 1. fry grow out, 2. emergency hospital, and 3. QT tank for new purchases. So something that I can "adapt" not to suck up the fry - but does a really good job of cleaning the tank.

Are internal filters better than HOB for this size tank and it's uses? If so, tell me more???

 

I like HOB filters for small tanks, becuase it's easier to maintain. I actually prefer canister filters, but it's hard to find the one I want. I'm looking for a canister filter for small tanks with a built in heating element.

Some internal filters have suction cups that hold them in place, so they make it difficult to work with when trying to maintain the filter. Plus internal filters just take up allot of space and are kind of ugly to look at, IMO.

 

Looks like I'll end up with one of the hydro-sponge filter using a "T" fitting on the air pump so I can have two of these filters in the tank so when I need the qt tank set up, I already have a seeded sponge filter. It's my understanding when I do this, that I don't have to use an air stone. Any suggestions/thoughts/criticisms or other comments on this idea?

 

Looks like I'll end up with one of the hydro-sponge filter using a "T" fitting on the air pump so I can have two of these filters in the tank so when I need the qt tank set up, I already have a seeded sponge filter. It's my understanding when I do this, that I don't have to use an air stone. Any suggestions/thoughts/criticisms or other comments on this idea?

Not a bad idea but it's my opinion. At least, two sponges would allow good filtration although one is already good.

 

What about cramming a bunch of plants and other structure on one end of the tank, and then have the filter in the open end where the babies will be to afraid to venture? You could also just use an under gravel filter. I know that lots of people hate these, but they should still do the job without sucking up your little fishies. Just cut back on the vegetables. If the fish aren't eating them, what's the point of putting it in your tank only to have it mess up your water.

 

Actually I'm not "married to" my Aqua-Tech - in fact, I'm not all that fond of it. I am open to any good suggestions on a better filter for the 10g tank who's role here is 1. fry grow out, 2. emergency hospital, and 3. QT tank for new purchases. So something that I can "adapt" not to suck up the fry - but does a really good job of cleaning the tank.

Are internal filters better than HOB for this size tank and it's uses? If so, tell me more???

HOB always beat internal. Here is my list from the worst to the best

Internal with one type of media that is changed monthly
HOB with one type of media changed monthly
Box filter (very rarely used nowadays)
Normal flow undergravel
Internal with two different medias, one gets changed monthly, the other never changed
Reverse flow undergravel
Sponge
HOB with bio-wheel or a media that doesnt get changed
Canister
Canister with bio-wheel
Wet/dry trickle

There are more types of filters like fluidized bed filters but i dont know much about them

 

Also

Whenever my pregnant guppies start to "show" I isolate them in a side tank.

 

Yea, I accidentally killed like, 5 or 6 of my guppy fry with the filter. The best solution i have to offer is to get rid of the filter and buy an algae eater or some algae eating snails.

Another solution would be to get a wire mesh and section off the area were the filter is so they can't get sucked in.

 

Perhaps you went ahead and purchased a sponge filter???

I have an old AquaTech 5/15 on my 5 gal fry tank. I use a Fluval Pre-filter sponge on the inlet tube. To reduce the output flow, I just raise the inlet tube slightly and put a piece of sponge material under the bend to keep it up.