Plants stuck in filter?

by **adehaan86** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 11:30 pm

I have a 55 gallon planted tank and I have to have over the back filters. They keep getting plants stuck in the filter? Any way to help stop this? I do not have enough room for a canister filter behind tank and the tank is on the floor?!

Thanks

by **dizzcat** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 12:31 am

The whole plant or the dead leaves? If the plants you should anchor them better to the bottom. I always have leaves that get stuck to the intake hose, I just pick them off when it gets too bad.

by **zambize** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 2:46 am

Need more details. I always get dead plant leaves and such stuck to the intake tube, too. I just pull it off when it gets bad. Is it more than that?

Z

by **adehaan86** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 8:51 pm

your both right......VERY BAD at explaining. My plants are so tall that they have the same height as the filter and when the current is right it gets over to the filter and well it's stuck. Any ideas how to prevent this.

Everyone on this site has too nice of planted tanks... NO FAIR. including you Z. LOL

by **zambize** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 1:18 am

lol I've had this situation before, too. I had to creatively trim the trouble plants. I trimmed the leaves that were at the height of the intake. It wasn't really noticeable because the rest of the plant was leafy so it wasn't obvious that the plant was missing a few leaves in that area. If you can't do that, you'll have to move the filter over, which may make it more visible, but that is better than a clogged filter. If that's not possible, consider using some fishing line to tie the plant such that it won't lean into the filter and get stuck. Careful though...if the plant is delicate and the current is strong, the line can damage the plant. You can also cut out a curved section of plastic soda bottle and tape it to the filter out-flow to change the direction/speed of the current. If none of that works, just remove the damned filter.

Z

by **dizzcat** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 4:03 am

Yeah, what Z said :-)

by **adehaan86** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 1:38 pm

First off thanks Dizzcat, That comment made my day!!!!!

I may have to try fishing light. I thought about buying a black plastic pipe that is about a foot in diameter cut in half then use that as like a overflow kinda thing, but unsure how that would look. Or I may try the fishing line. I don't got much for plants so anything i do is noticeable very quick!!! Thanks for the help

Plants stuck in filter?

7 posts