# How do you keep sand out of an AC110?



## murph247 (Jul 6, 2007)

I just ordered a new impeller and shaft for my AC 110 as it was becoming noisy from sucking up sand over the last 18 months. I was wondering how people keep sand out of their AC's. I have been unable to find a prefilter built for the AC's and I dont even know if it would keep the sand out. I was thinking of maybe taping panty hose/stockings to the end?

Any help/suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks


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## kinesis (Aug 20, 2009)

Mag-Drive Submersible Pump Foam Pre-Filter for Models 2 thru 7 fit perfectly on the aquaclear 110. It helps keep most of the sand out.


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## fred1976 (Jun 18, 2010)

very helpful many thanks


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

I just took a sponge from a smaller AC (300 i think), cut a slit in it, and shoved it over the intake, and zip-tied it there.

-Rick (the armchair aquarist, who notes that this was for an emperor400 filter, but the same concern applies)


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## kuhliLoachFan (May 30, 2010)

It doesn't work quite as well, but next time you get a bag of onions from the grocery store, I find the mesh works pretty well to keep all but the finest silt out of the filter intake.

W


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## 702Cichlid (Feb 28, 2010)

I've heard of using pantyhose and a rubber band. Never tried it myself; my last two aquariums were gravel.


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## FbodyFan (Jun 20, 2010)

Wouldnt covering the intake with pantyhose or anything else, block the mechanical filtration?


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## 702Cichlid (Feb 28, 2010)

Absolutely pantyhose will cut out some mechanical filtration but so will putting anything on the intake with small enough pores to keep sand out whether sponge or pantyhose. Pantyhose will probably limit more than a sponge however it won't impede the water flow as much as a sponge prefilter.


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

FbodyFan said:


> Wouldnt covering the intake with pantyhose or anything else, block the mechanical filtration?


I would think a sponge wouldn't block mechanical filtration so much as move some of it . I'd make rinsing the prefilter sponge part of my usual filter maintenance.

-Rick (The armchair aquarist)


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## FbodyFan (Jun 20, 2010)

Rick_Lindsey said:


> FbodyFan said:
> 
> 
> > Wouldnt covering the intake with pantyhose or anything else, block the mechanical filtration?
> ...


I guess my only concern with that would be whether or not there would be enough suction to really pull the poop and other junk up enough into the sponge that it doesnt just fall right back off it when you go to change it.


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

FbodyFan said:


> I guess my only concern with that would be whether or not there would be enough suction to really pull the poop and other junk up enough into the sponge that it doesnt just fall right back off it when you go to change it.


Sounds like a reasonable concern. You could also vacuum it when doing your water change I suppose...

Another option for keeping the sand out (if you have something more like PFS and less like playsand) is to just keep the intake up high, well off the floor of the tank.

-Rick (the armchair aquarist)


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## FbodyFan (Jun 20, 2010)

I'm using caribsea super naturals. Its really fine. The way I'm setting it up (125 gallon btw) is an AC110 on the left side of the tank (intake relatively high), an eheim 2217 on the right side (intake relatively low) and an AC 110 power head on the right as well. I figure between the circulation and the fish digging, I'll have a decent amout of sand moving around and I'd like to keep as much as possible out of the filters while losing as little filtration as possible.

You make a good point about using the vacuum to catch anything the sponge would drop. :thumb:


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## 702Cichlid (Feb 28, 2010)

With your set up as you describe, your best bet would probably be a decent sized pref-filter sponge. This will perform slightly less mechanical filtration than leaving the intake uncovered, but it will preclude sand getting into the filter.

When using a pre-filter sponge in the past, i cleaned it ever week to remove the detritus that will aggregate in it. The best way i found to remove the sponge without getting organic muck all over your tank was to use a sandwich bag to surround the sponge before removing it..because when you pull it off it WILL be funky as sin. A vacuum or siphon will remove the surface layer, but a sponge will hold much more than just what's on the surface, which you'll find out on your own the first time you squeeze it to clean it!

Good luck!


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

Got to admit not being a fan of pre filters.
Always looked at them as, what is the point of it.
The sand choice is the 300lb gorilla.
If you choose some Ã¢â‚¬Å"light and fineÃ¢â‚¬Â


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## ybmarmot (Jun 15, 2010)

AquaClear recommends the intake be placed 4" above the substrate. I wouldn't pre-filter it. Just clean the sponge in your AC and let 'er rip.....


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

The new Drs Foster and Smith HOB filters look like they might work well with sand tanks... surface skimming HOB's!

-Rick (the armchair aquarist, who is going with PFS to minimize this issue)


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## FbodyFan (Jun 20, 2010)

ybmarmot said:


> AquaClear recommends the intake be placed 4" above the substrate. I wouldn't pre-filter it. Just clean the sponge in your AC and let 'er rip.....


The prob with that is that on the AC, the sand is being sucked directly into the impeller before it goes through the media.

My sand is such a PITA because its so light and fine but man it looks good :thumb:


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