[volco]

I was wanting to use a sand substrate for my fish tank but after reading up on it I have been hearing that sand is known to hurt the impeller?? Is that really the case and if so is there anything I can do to prevent it or a low budget solution? Please help!

Thank You!

 

[Austin]

Maybe keep the intake tube far enough from the filter that it won't suck up sand.

 

[volco]

Not sure what that means exactly I am a noob when it comes to fish tanks sorry lol XD

 

[JDM]

Ditto.

Cleaned well there is no reason that grit will get in there... but in an HOB it can and will sit in the bottom messing with the impeller. Just turn it off when cleaning and stirring up the bottom.

Jeff.

 

[Boredomb]

Ditto.

Cleaned well there is no reason that grit will get in there... but in an HOB it can and will sit in the bottom messing with the impeller. Just turn it off when cleaning and stirring up the bottom.

Jeff.

Either you can do that or you can get a sponge and place where the screen is on the bottom of the intake.

 

[Austin]

***I meant keep the intake far enough from the sand... Haha sorry. I just mean keep the tube that sucks up the water a few inches above the sand. Maybe more f you have fish that will stir it up. And the other suggestions are great too.

 

[volco]

***I meant keep the intake far enough from the sand... Haha sorry. I just mean keep the tube that sucks up the water a few inches above the sand. Maybe more f you have fish that will stir it up. And the other suggestions are great too.

ah okay gotcha and yeah all suggestions sound good. And with the sponge you mean put it in the tube? wouldn't that clog it up?? or maybe i am misunderstanding. A simple turning it off during water changes makes sense also lol forgot about that.

 

[JDM]

ah okay gotcha and yeah all suggestions sound good. And with the sponge you mean put it in the tube? wouldn't that clog it up?? or maybe i am misunderstanding. A simple turning it off during water changes makes sense also lol forgot about that.

Funny, I knew what Austin meant but didn't catch the error.

Sponge goes around the outside of the intake, not inside as it would clog up faster inside. A little care and attention goes a long way with something like this.

Jeff.

 

[jentralala]

Take the screen off, and put a sponge there instead (try the fluval prefilter, it may fit). Just take it off and rinse it in the tap at every water change after you've turned off the filter.

 

[Boredomb]

Yes sorry, on the outside like others have said. You can simply turn it off when messing with the substrate ans then wait for it to settle before turning it on but if you have super fine sand and a fish that likes to mess in it I would recommend a sponge.

 

[volco]

I am wanting to get cory catfish and from what I have seen they like to mess around on the bottom so yeah a sponge might not be a bad idea just hope it wouldn't slow down the water flow. This may sound silly but how about some pantyhose around the inside where the water goes through and use a thin rubber band or something to keep it in place?

 

[Boredomb]

That will work as well. Just need to make sure when you do a water change that it isn't clogged up with debris.

 

[volco]

That will work as well. Just need to make sure when you do a water change that it isn't clogged up with debris.

Yeah very true just take it off or something. I think I got some good ideas for a fix now thanks

 

[jaysee]

Getting a heavier sand like pool filter sand will go along way to keeping your filters running smoothly.

 

[volco]

I have heard that before. Why does pool sand make a difference? and is it a specific kind of pool filter sand??

 

[Sanguinefox]

I see a few things in here that need to be clarified.

First and for most it doesn't matter how clean you make the sand by rinsing. Sand can and will get kicked up. The possibility is always there. Now there are a few things that you can do to avoid it such as turning the filter off(which you have to do anyway) when doing a water change.

However if you have any fish who play in the sand, that sand will get kicked up. Placing a sponge over may or may not be a good idea. The pros are that if it's big enough and it doesn't fill while you are away it prevents sand from getting in. It also throttles the current and can cause problems for cheaper units. That can be a con. If you don't catch it before the sponge clogs completely your filter will run dry and then run hot. You end up with a dead motor, and or possibly a fire hazard.

Now if you hike the intake you can help avoid some of the kicking up of sand getting into the motor. The side effect is your no longer have a proper current in some set ups. That in of itself can become it's own issue with still water or dead spots.

That's my input. If you go the sponge route don't get a dinky one. Or...get a different filtration system where it won't be an issue.

 

[spreadtoothinly]

I have heard that before. Why does pool sand make a difference? and is it a specific kind of pool filter sand??

It has to do with how big the grains of sand are. Some sand is smaller grained, and some are smaller grained. The smaller grains get picked up much more easily than the larger grains. And pool filter sand has larger grains, and therefore, is harder for the fish to kick up, so less likely to get in your filter.

 

[jaysee]

It has to do with how big the grains of sand are. Some sand is smaller grained, and some are smaller grained. The smaller grains get picked up much more easily than the larger grains. And pool filter sand has larger grains, and therefore, is harder for the fish to kick up, so less likely to get in your filter.

Exactly right. PFS will not get carried away by the current, so even if the fish kick it up, it will immediately sink back to the bottom.