Steve wrote:
Andy Slater wrote:

Hi Folks

I have a 3 foot tank (with a Fluval 2 filter) containing 3 telescope
eyed black moors, some Canadian pond weed, some moss balls and half a
dozen snails. It alternates between two states:

1. The filter is clogged with vegetable matter such that the water flow
is reduced to a trickle. The fish are lethargic and spending their time
near the surface. When it gets like this I clean the filter.

2. The filter is flowing freely and the fish are spending most of their
time going around the tank shredding the plants, apparently in an effort
to block the filter. Aaargh!


I'm having to clean vegetation (and it IS shredded vegetation) out of
the filter 2 or 3 times a week and it's driving me crazy.

I feed the fish twice a day with pellet food, each time giving then as
much as they can eat in 10 minutes. I clean the filter with water
siphoned from the tank. Once a week I change about 20% of the water. I
always replace water with water that's had conditioner added and left to
stand over night.

I'd appreciate any comments and suggestions. The best I've had to date,
from other sources, a

1. Replace the plants with plastic ones.

2. Keep the plants and treat the cat to a fish supper.

3. Just accept that I have to clean the filter 3 times a week.


Can't say I'm happy about any of those. Surely there's another way?
Maybe some kind of filter that isn't such a pain in the bum to clean?



Try putting some kind of pre-filter over the filter intake.

I've used two pond plant baskets fitted together to make a cage, and
held together with turkey skewers. I cut a hole in the top basket to let
the (large Fluval canister) filter intake pipe in, and still using the
filter's intake screen within the baskets/ cage.

On Aquaclear hang-on-the-back filters, I've successfully used foam as a
pre-filter, placed/ rubber banded over the intake. I've used foam
sleeves sold for use in Fluval in-the-tank filters, and also carved a
foam sleeve out of filter foam.

These techniques, especially the baskets, greatly reduced filter intake
screen clogging, which was my problem. A lot of livebearer and other fry
began to survive, too (not filtered out).

Good luck!
Steve

Another trick, which I use now, is to cut the filter intake tube
shorter, so it's up to 6 inches above the tank bottom. The filter seems
to pick up less large debris that way.
Steve