General Care Discussion :: pre filter

[Shelby Craig]

is there anyway to make a homemade prefilter? i tried using a sponge but it just completely cuts off the water flow, any suggestions?

[VeipaCray]

it depends on what you are trying to capture with the pre-filter. You can use filter floss...aka polyfill...aka pillow stuffing which is available at many stores and is very inexpensive.

You can use a brand new pot scrubber. The water flows through them but the mesh will capture some of the larger particles.

You can use plastic screening from a screen door.

New cheesecloth.

Anything that will trap large debris and allow water to pass will work.

[Shelby Craig]

im just needing it so my ghost shrimp and turtle parts arent sucked up into my filter when i have to shorten the return hose because im changing to sand

[Zorce]

pantyhose works great

[Shelby Craig]

yea i thought of panty hose and it works, even traps the sand

[VeipaCray]

You can tell I'm a guy... panty hose didn't even cross my mind as an option heheh

[Shelby Craig]

im a guy but it came up after the sponge failed horribly

[marisa]

I vote for the panty hose.

[SSMcLeod]

Its a bit past subject now... however My local grocery store was giving out these bags (double layered -designed to keep fruit longer in your fridge). Over all these visits I accumulated quite a few and have been using them in my filters more than for fruit

They are about as cheap as pantyhose here, but are a bit finer and are double lined...

[Shelby Craig]

well about once or twice a day it gets clogged up from leaves that have fell off my anacharis and just stretch it out and it starts flowing good again