Filters And Fry

[Keithoms]

Ok. my fry are about 1.5wks old now, getting quite big . I have a very small filter that came with my 14l tank and am able to set it to its lowest speed. How much can fry take? (Note, the intake is justs straight into a sponge, they wont get sucked in anywhere, just sucked onto the filter.

 

[drobbyb]

What kind of fry? Rainbow fry would likely be sucked in until they are 3 weeks old whereas convict fry would be perfectly safe.

 

[Keithoms]

What kind of fry? Rainbow fry would likely be sucked in until they are 3 weeks old whereas convict fry would be perfectly safe.

Swordtail

 

[drobbyb]

What kind of fry? Rainbow fry would likely be sucked in until they are 3 weeks old whereas convict fry would be perfectly safe.

Swordtail

You could get some pantyhose and cover the intake tube. With it you will probably be fine.

 

[OldMan47]

the best approach that I have seen to keeping fry out of a filter is to cover the filter inlet with a piece of sponge filter. In addition to helping keep the fry out of the filter, the sponge becomes a working part of the filter. The panty hose will work and so will a filter bag like you might use to hold loose carbon. I have used the filter bag in the past but found it plugged completely very quickly. On the other hand, the filter sponge jammed onto the end of the filter inlet stays fairly clean and passes a lot of flow for a long time. I just cut a slit in the sponge and push it onto the filter inlet. Here is an example of what I mean.
This is a raw uncut filter sponge

This is the same type of sponge in place

You can see the filter inlet tube in the top of the sponge next to the apple snail. The bit of plant matter and dirt on the surface of this sponge would be enough to stop all flow through a pantyhose cover.

 

[drobbyb]

That will work too. Makes your filter a power sponge filter at the same time.