Loss of algae eating shrimp due to filter intake?

I just have a quick question regarding the topic.
I have about 4 algae eating shrimp and 3 black phantom tetras in my 20Gal tank. Right now I have a small mesh strapped onto the tip of the intake, in fear of having the shrimp or possibly the tetras sucked into the canister through the filter intake. I lost 2 aquatic frogs this way, but I dont have any in there anymore. This would all be fine, but the tank is heavily planted and lots of loose debris clogs the mesh on the intake, the filter looses its ability to suck water in, I have to clean away the debris on a daily basis now, when I get home the filter hardly has any water going into it.

So my question is, will the small shrimp be silly enough to stray in front of the intake, and will the intake be powerful enough to suck that thing into the canister. Its a fluval 204 filter, the intake tube is about an inch in diameter.

If the shrimp WILL get sucked in than my question becomes. Are there any alternatives other than wraping the intake with mesh, I dont want the tank's filtration to suffer because of it. I was thinking maybe a bio ball?

All suggestions and comments welcome.

Cheers

at the fish store, they had a bio ball that was sucked right onto the tip of the intake, water got through, and perhaps so would plant matter, but possibly not a shrimp.

If anyone has had experience with this sort of thing your suggestions would be great. I'm a worry wort, what can I say

I have tons of plants in there, it clogs with little bits of plant that are floating around. I imagine the same would happen with a piece of foam...
I can't belive fluval or someone doesnt make an attatchment for such a thing, I would assume this is a pretty common problem.

Cheers

I don't want to buy another filter, the filter I have is more than enough for the size of the tank, But I would think someone makes an attachment to prevent fish from being sucked in there and still doesnt clog with plant matter.

Cheers