# Any way to keep food out of the filter?



## YMS_1975

This has probably already been asked, but a search for "food+tank+clean" didn't yield any results that answered my question.

I noticed that whenever I feed my fish, there are flakes flying throughout the tank and a good portion is getting sucked into the filtration system. Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening?

Maybe a more solid food, like pellets? One of those little white cones (I think they use them for tubifex worms)? 

Anybody?


----------



## pyrrolin

some people turn off the filter for a few minutes during feeding, one solution that is easy.


----------



## Y2KGT

You can use a sponge prefilter on your intake. You'll have to remove it once per week to clean it but it'll also keep your filter cleaner for a longer period of time which will allow you to clean the actual filter less often.

http://www.bigalspets.ca/biological-pre-filter-cartridges-for-2227-2229-2-pk.html
http://www.bigalspets.ca/maxi-jet-pre-filter-sponges-2-pk.html

You can also feed your fish less food but more often. For example Eheim makes a great auto feeder that you can program to feed twice at each meal time with a pause between feeding. This allows the fish to eat most of the flakes before more flakes are dropped into the tank on the second revolution.

http://www.eheimna.com/products/detail/Everyday-Fish-Feeder
--
Paul


----------



## Zebrapl3co

Or you can get floating feeder tray. That's what I use for my overflow tank.

*Never pay again for live sex! | Hot girls doing naughty stuff for free! | Chat for free!*


----------



## Rigio

Y2KGT said:


> You can use a sponge prefilter on your intake. You'll have to remove it once per week to clean it but it'll also keep your filter cleaner for a longer period of time which will allow you to clean the actual filter less often.
> 
> http://www.bigalspets.ca/biological-pre-filter-cartridges-for-2227-2229-2-pk.html
> http://www.bigalspets.ca/maxi-jet-pre-filter-sponges-2-pk.html


I second the pre-filter, if you have shrimp they will love picking the food off the pre-filter if your fish don't show an interest. Otherwise makes it easier to clean the uneaten portions stuck to the pre-filter.


----------



## dock

Y2KGT said:


> You can use a sponge prefilter on your intake. You'll have to remove it once per week to clean it but it'll also keep your filter cleaner for a longer period of time which will allow you to clean the actual filter less often.
> 
> http://www.bigalspets.ca/biological-pre-filter-cartridges-for-2227-2229-2-pk.html
> http://www.bigalspets.ca/maxi-jet-pre-filter-sponges-2-pk.html
> 
> --
> Paul





Rigio said:


> I second the pre-filter, if you have shrimp they will love picking the food off the pre-filter if your fish don't show an interest. Otherwise makes it easier to clean the uneaten portions stuck to the pre-filter.


The Eheim pre-filter cartridge is for 2227/2229, will it work with the classic canister filters? Any chances that either the Eheim or Maxi-jet will fit the Aquaclear filters?


----------



## Fishfur

I usually turn off my filter for a bit, particularly if I am feeding the fan shrimp. They are slow and need time to eat. 

So I have a tap switch.. it's just a plug with a switch, that allows me to turn off the filter, rather than unplug it. You can even plug a whole power bar into the thing, they are grounded, so have 3 prongs. Grounded ones are very hard to find here, I got some from the US.

I have extras I can sell if you want to try one.


----------



## Y2KGT

dock said:


> The Eheim pre-filter cartridge is for 2227/2229, will it work with the classic canister filters? Any chances that either the Eheim or Maxi-jet will fit the Aquaclear filters?


I've used the Eheim pre filter on the 2213 Classic as well as the Aquaclear 20/Mini filter.
--
Paul


----------



## dock

Y2KGT said:


> I've used the Eheim pre filter on the 2213 Classic as well as the Aquaclear 20/Mini filter.
> --
> Paul


Thanks, so the pre-filter thing is that small. I thought it was big. Do you think it will also fit bigger filters like 2217 and ac 70 and even 110?


----------



## Fishfur

Sponge pre filters can often be modified to fit if the tube you want to put them on is a bit larger than the one they were designed for. Scissors or a sharp narrow knife blade can remove a bit more of the sponge material from the centre hole to accommodate a larger tube. 
If the tube is smaller, you can cut a small length of sponge and stuff it in the hole, and it will provide enough friction to keep the prefilter on the tubing. You can even make a prefilter, out of a sponge. Cut it to a useful size, cut a hole in the middle, and slide it onto the uptake tube. I've made a couple of them this way. I'd advise not using very fine pored sponge for it, they clog much too quickly. Coarser foam is better.

I wanted a fair size one for a tank and ran across a pond prefilter. It's quite large, very coarsely pored, so it hasn't ever clogged up, or slowed down the filter. Because of the diameter, I had to slice a piece off one side so it would fit in the space between the uptake tube and tank wall. Looks like an ordinary sponge filter and works like one, pretty much, and does not need a huge amount of cleaning either. Kind of expensive compared to a regular size prefilter but I liked it so much I put one on the other tank too, as it works so well. It has a hole right through it, so I used some of the cut off sponge to stuff the hole at the bottom, so as to prevent fish getting sucked in from below. Very happy with the way these things work, worth the ten bucks BAs charged me for them, though I think I got one on sale, so it was less than that.


----------



## TorontoBoy

I also really like sponge prefilters, as they reduce maintenance of your filter's sponge and excess food gets stuck and then eaten.

My method to cut a hole is to saturate the sponge in water and freeze it. Then use a drill bit to hollow out the hold. Cutting with scissors was uneven for me. The freezer method takes more time but the result is better.


----------



## Riceburner

freezing and drilling is a great idea.

+1 on the prefilter and shutting off just after feeding for a few minutes.


----------



## tijuanatoad

You answered your own question. Pellets are a lot cleaner than flakes. You can try New Life Spectrum or Northfin. NLS tends to float longer and Northfin tends to sink after 2-5 seconds. Free samples of Northfin can be ordered from Angelfins and it's Canadian. You will need to feed a certain pellet size depending on the size of your fish. Don't feed your fish for 1-2 days and introduce the pelleted food. 
Also, don't overfeed flake or pellet food, we all do it.


----------



## solarz

TorontoBoy said:


> I also really like sponge prefilters, as they reduce maintenance of your filter's sponge and excess food gets stuck and then eaten.
> 
> My method to cut a hole is to saturate the sponge in water and freeze it. Then use a drill bit to hollow out the hold. Cutting with scissors was uneven for me. The freezer method takes more time but the result is better.


Awesome idea!


----------



## monk21

YMS_1975 said:


> This has probably already been asked, but a search for "food+tank+clean" didn't yield any results that answered my question.
> 
> I noticed that whenever I feed my fish, there are flakes flying throughout the tank and a good portion is getting sucked into the filtration system. Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening?
> 
> Maybe a more solid food, like pellets? One of those little white cones (I think they use them for tubifex worms)?
> 
> Anybody?


If you feed only as much as you need then you will never have problems. I NEVER have food in my filters and I never turn them off. Since I do that for a living too, I feed hundreds of fish every day and from my experience, fish should eat their food in SECONDS. Yes seconds. So, I would only suggest feed as far away from the filter as possible and ONLY what your fish can eat in seconds.


----------



## Kimchi24

monk21 said:


> If you feed only as much as you need then you will never have problems. I NEVER have food in my filters and I never turn them off. Since I do that for a living too, I feed hundreds of fish every day and from my experience, fish should eat their food in SECONDS. Yes seconds. So, I would only suggest feed as far away from the filter as possible and ONLY what your fish can eat in seconds.


I turn off my filter but I also do this method. Feeding takes a while for me because I add a little and wait for my fish to finish before I add more. I do this for a total of 5 minutes unless they seem really hungry. I'll go maximum 7-8 mins. I learned this from my experiences with betas. They take forever to eat because they lunge at their food and take in a little at a time


----------



## Jung

$15 for brand name sponges 

just go on ebay and do a search for aquarium sponge filter and you'll get tonnes of sponges. Here is what I use as prefilters for all my filters (eheim/fluval canisters and aquaclear/aqueon hang on back filters)










They go for around $2 shipped, the whole thing breaks down into pieces and to fit them onto various filters, you just need rubber hose pieces and hot water


----------



## mistersprinkles

Just take some reticulated foam (ie, aquaclear sponge. They also sell it in blue and black at BA's) and cut a little square of it, cut a slit in it and slide it over your filter intake.

Any prefilter will reduce the flow-rate of your filter. Keep that in mind.


----------

