sand is my arch nemesis!!!

[y0bailey]

aqarium canister filter
alright so i made the worst mistake ever and went with sand as my aquarium substrate, and my cichlids are hellbent on destroying all of my filters. picking it up and spitting it near my filter, and then i get to watch the sand go strait up it. awesome!

i am using a penguin biowheel 330 that i have had forever, and sand keeps getting in the impeller magnent area and really causing some serious issues. i've already lost one older filter to the same thing. i really don't feel like changing substrates.

anywho i am about to lose my 330, and i'm wondering if getting a canister filter would avoid the sand suckage problem? i know it would go in, but would the filtration remove it before getting near the impeller?

the canister i am looking at getting is here
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium...nal.asp?CartId=

anyone have any idea if this will solve my problems?


EDIT: i'm not paying that much for it, so dont worry!

 

[cdawson]

The only thing that would prevent this would gravel, or a shorter intake? Shorten it so that it's out of reach of the digging. Maybe, a foam cover to the intake?

 

[FishKeeper-16]

You could try a foam cover but the sand may go right through it.

 

[Harlock]

I would go with a fine nylon mesh cover. You know, like some women's hose cut and rubber-banded around the intake. I should think the mesh would be fine enough to prevent sand intake as well as not to inhibit flow of water. You know, just in case you want to save that 330.

 

[RTR]

Nylon mesh clogs too easily. Get a FilterMaxIII prefilter for the end of the intake tube, rinse weekly. Your canister will need cleaning less often and the sponge will block the passage of sand without clogging itself.