Filters and fry!

[daydreamer4186]

Forgive me if this is posted somewhere else. I may have overlooked it. I currently have a bunch of fry in a seperate tank without a filter (oh the water changes...sigh). Although they are doing just fine, I'd like to get a filter to make their life better and save me from the insane amounts of water changes. I don't want any of them to get sucked into the filter and I've heard about sponge filters. I don't have a whole lot of cash lying around (yay for college students) so is there an easy way to make a recular power filter safe for the fry tank? I heard somewhere to put a clean nylon stocking over the intake tube but wouldn't that still suck them up against it (just not up into the filter) and kill them? I hear that gaze and things like that make the tank cloudy too. Any suggestions?

 

[DeFeKt]

heres what ya want,
http://perth-cichlid-forums.ipbhost.com/-Diy-Ice-Cream-Filters-t1002.html

but ignore the coral media and fill it with filter wool.
I'd also suggest using a smaller container.
hth

Matty

 

[Skyrmir]

I've used nylons and it works, the nylon cuts down the flow so the little guys can get away from it. After a few experiments the best result was from a large sponge, cut a hole in it and stick the filter intake inside the sponge.

The only down side I had was I did that in a bare tank and after about 2 weeks ALL of the bacteria were in the sponge and nothing was in the filter. So taking off the sponge started me on a mini cycle. With substrate and a few plants it wasn't a problem though.

 

[trotty]

Ive used nylon stoking and its worked just fine. that was on a canister so i imagine you could put it ova a power heads canister. it will cut down flow, and as far as pullig the fry against the filter only the weak may have problems.

 

[celeste]

I have a stupid question. How do you keep the nylon on the filter? Can you use a rubber band in the tank with the babies?

 

[RoK]

A rubber band is fine.

 

[daydreamer4186]

Yeah I have a nylon held with a rubber band on the filter in my adult tank just in case a female drops without my knowledge to give the fry a better chance at survival...ya know...with all the other fish hunting you the last thing you need to worry about is a filter!

 

[partrep]

Here's what I use. I just put them over the intake. Haven't lost on fry to the filter yet. There's also the added benefit of more bio and mech filtration.

http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=24733;category_id=3847;pcid1=2181;pcid2=

I've also tied on small fine mesh media bags with fish bag rubber bands. The sponge pre-filters seem much better as it softens the suction and the fry can easily get away.

 

[woodsplace1]

I actually purchased a cheap net (0.99), cut it from the wire holder and placed it around the bottom of the filter with a zip tie..."getto rigged it" if you will, quick and very easy, it also allows smaller peices of food to get through the net and won't gunk up the tank, won't catch the little fry in the filter...HTH!

 

[mobiusnu]

I cut a hole down the center of a cheap sponge for my fry tank. I've never had problems with fry getting stuck to it.

 

[Jarred Darque]

I ahve done the nylon, the pre-filter and the net before I prefer the net. but the tanks I did them in also had sand or clay substrates so the sand particles or loose clay would clog up the nylond and prefilters to useless ness. in a bare bottom, they could prolly all work. just have to clean them once in a while

 

[daydreamer4186]

Would an undergravel filter be safe enough for them?

 

[PsiPro]

Theseare my personal favorite:
http://cgi.ebay.com/2-Aquarium-Baby...754336074QQcategoryZ46310QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[mobiusnu]

Theseare my personal favorite:
http://cgi.ebay.com/2-Aquarium-Baby...754336074QQcategoryZ46310QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

You can do the pretty much the same thing by buying a cheap filter sponge (like the ones you'd get for a small Aquaclear filter) and cutting a hole down the center with a knife.

 

[studmaster]

Just as mobiusnu said, I used an old filter sponge and used a dremmel and cut a hole down it then stuck it on the end of the intake. Works well and it cost me nothing.