Intakes

[mdq]

What is your opinion on placing sponges, filter floss etc... over the intakes of powerheads or filters. A friend recommended doing this to prevent the animals being sucked it, but to me it seems like its just a place for junk to back up and then dissolve into the water.

[Geoff]

it is a great idea if cleaned very regularly. i used to do this on my intakes for my CLS's. i would change them twice a week regardless of whether they looked like they needed it or not. if not cleaned regularly you will increase the phosphate levels in your tank because of the detritus releasing it when decomposing in the sponges. it is quite amazing how much detritus those sponges will accumulate. the more the sponges grapped the less i had to siphon.

G~

[wharyat]

I don't like putting anything that will catch detritus on inputs or outputs. I just keep a decent sized plastic strainer on my inputs that works well with keeping every thing from being blended up. I'll post a photo of my DIY CLS strainer when I get home.

On PH's or power filters there usually are no problems, unless you have anemones. Fish and other faster moving inhabs can normally get away fast enough before major damage occurs.

[Twitterbait]

I agree, there are species that need protection (seahorses, puffers, pipefish, etc...) but most fish don't need the protection.

[Tasher80]

I put sponges like that. Or rather I took a large pad of the filter and cut it up and wrapped it around the powerhead and zipped tied it on. It actually looked fine. I would change it out at least twice a week also. I only did this when I had a feather star and I was worried about it getting into the PH. Now I don't I just have the large strainer at the bottom.