Filter Intake And Sand Substrate Question

[julielynn47]

I am, as most of you know, setting up a 75 gallon tank.  Okay, my question is this... is it better to have the intake only about halfway down if you use sand? Or is it okay to go pretty much to the bottom of the tank?   Should I go as far down as possible with it and just put a piece hosiery over it to keep the sand out?
 
The intake will not really be that close to sand even if I take it almost all the way down. I plan on having some rocks around the area that the intake will be.  So I am thinking that maybe nothing will be required to keep out the sand.  But, depending on how powerful the canister filter is, it might still suck some sand?  I have no clue on this because I have always had HOB filters up until now.
 
Any thoughts would be appreciated. 

 

[Byron]

The filter intake should be minimum 4 inches above the substrate, and can be 5 and even 6 inches.  I always like to have a chunk of wood or rock in the rear corner where the filter intake is positioned, a couple inches out from it.  In addition to hiding the tube, it pretty much eliminates any sudden eruption of sand.  The water will flow around the wood/rock but not suck up sand, and not many fish will stir it up with the wood/rock right in front.

 

[julielynn47]

Okay, good, Thanks!