# Inflow mesh filter guard



## Barbara Turner (10 Apr 2019)

Hi All
I'm just wondering what people are using for inflow filter guards.

I started off without but found a collection of half dead cherry shrimps wedged into my glass lily pipe. That were impossible to get out whole. I'm running reasonably high flow 4000lph through a 16mm lily pipe so they got stuck solid.

Next thing I bought was a stainless mesh guard for £2 off flea bay but it dropped to bits in a couple of days.





I then changed to a really course foam filter, this worked well but when I came to clean out my canister filter it was mixed with baby cherry shrimps,  some of them surprisingly large making cleaning the filter very time consuming.

Finally I've switched to using a pair  of fine foam filter, this works well but with the high flow and large stocked tank I have to clean it every few days.  If I forget my pump cavitates and the temp plummits (inline heater)





Looking online I came across these, has anyone tried them.

Any better options?


----------



## three-fingers (10 Apr 2019)

You could get an A4 sheet of stainless steel mesh on eBay pretty cheaply and make our own intake. You'd get to choose the size of the mesh too.

I did this and just wrapped it around the top part of an old Fluval intake, wrapping the bottom with a small piece of stocking and securing everything with cable ties and superglue. It was super easy and has held strong for a few years now. 

In my other tanks I also use those cheap £2 ones (somehow 84p delivered on Amazon). The glue used to make them doesn't last long, but I like superglue .


----------



## Tally (11 Apr 2019)

Hi
I use these from Aqua essentials. Well made and used them for years


----------



## zozo (11 Apr 2019)

I use grey color polyester mosquito net over any kind of inlet. Cut off a piece snuggly wrap it around it. Depends what i have at hand, using thread and needle to saw a sleeve or overlap and use a bit of superglue to glue the seam together. If its well enough hidden out of sight i don't bother aesthetics and use tie raps..


----------



## Oldguy (11 Apr 2019)

Barbara Turner said:


> stainless mesh guard



Had no problems with stainless steel mesh guards from flea bay, mine came spot welded. I use them two at a time by removing the grommet end and gluing them with solvent weld to a 3/4" 'T' piece connected to the pump inlet. Just clean them once a week with a toothbrush under the tap. I run two sets of pumps with these twin inlets to delocalise flow. Cherry shrimp graze on then despite combined flow rates of about 600gal/hr.

Foam prefilter guards would clog very quickly unless they were very large. Used to run foam pond elements on a 1&1/4" plastic tube with a power head in fish tanks in the past.


----------



## Barbara Turner (12 Apr 2019)

Oldguy said:


> no problems with stainless steel mesh guards from flea bay, mine came spot welded



Mines definitely never been near a spot welder, I think they went for the cheaper option of using school pva glue. 

Just looking through the various options on flea bay in the hope to see some weld marks and they all look glued??  Am I missing something? 

Are any two part epoxies aquarium safe if I want to re-glue it.


----------



## Oldguy (13 Apr 2019)

Barbara Turner said:


> Am I missing something?



Microscopic dents in the two ends. I was surprised by the construction, only apparent when I came to pry the grommet end off, so that I could glue the mesh over 3/4" plastic pipe. I used solvent weld glue, the type that is used to glue plastic pipes together. Just put on several generous coats. 

I have used two part epoxy resin  without ill effect in aquariums.


----------



## Fisher2007 (3 Nov 2019)

Barbara Turner said:


> Hi All
> I'm just wondering what people are using for inflow filter guards.
> 
> I started off without but found a collection of half dead cherry shrimps wedged into my glass lily pipe. That were impossible to get out whole. I'm running reasonably high flow 4000lph through a 16mm lily pipe so they got stuck solid.
> ...



Hi. Can I ask what you finished up using and were you happy with it in the end?  Having similar problems and looking for a solution 
Thanks


----------



## zozo (3 Nov 2019)

Barbara Turner said:


> re any two part epoxies aquarium safe if I want to re-glue it.



Yes, basically they are all inert when fully cured.. That is if curing time is taken into respect and this is days +/- 7 at least. And obviously, since it's 2 part resin + hardener, the proper concentration is required to make it fully cure.
Slightly overdosing hardener will be less of a problem, it makes the curing/applying period shorter. Overdosing resin could be problematic because it will not fully harden be too soft and leach back into the water.

Read the description carefully. some 2 part epoxies need to be mixed by weight others by volume.

Steer away from the dual syringe epoxy products especially if previously opened and used. Then it can mix inaccurately with tiny amounts. Caused by clogged syringe nozzles and may not properly cure and not be a good idea for aquarium use.

Not sure if its a very practical idea to use 2 part epoxy for such little repair jobs.  Since it is mesh i personally would go for a curved needle and thread and tie the mesh back together. Hop into an angler shop and ask for 0.06mm braided Dyneema fishing line. It's stronger than steel and as thick as a hair and it doesn't rot away submersed. Be careful not to cut your finger with it.
Also ideal for tying plants and mosses to hardscape.  In dark green color it looks like a part of the plant.

I made my own mesh filter guard with Grey Nylon fly mesh and needle and thread. Works like a charme.


----------



## Millns84 (3 Nov 2019)

Aquael Turbo 500 sponges fit on most inlets and are quite coarse so only need cleaning weekly.

Used to be a pair for a fiver from Pro Shrimp, still using them nearly three years on.


----------



## Barbara Turner (3 Nov 2019)

These are great, my sponge started blocked every couple of days. 
I still clean it when I do my  water change, it also got modified slightly as was slightly too small. I put a fine slot in the clear plastic top to allow it to open.


----------



## Fisher2007 (3 Nov 2019)

Thanks.  I've seen those on Amazon so will get a couple ordered


----------



## Barbara Turner (4 Nov 2019)

Fisher2007 said:


> Thanks. I've seen those on Amazon so will get a couple ordered



If your intake is like mine and too large, I put a fine slot through the plastic with a junior hack saw, I then popped out the plastic moulding and opened up the hole in the stainless. 
Mine is still a reasonably tight fit, but the water flow is also holding it on.


----------



## Aqua sobriquet (4 Nov 2019)

Your throughput sounds very high for a single 16mm pipe. Increasing the diameter of the inlet would help or maybe you could split the inlet into two pipes, is that possible?


----------

