# Stainless Steel Filter Guard vs prefilter



## Soup12 (Nov 10, 2012)

whats the advantage/disadvantage of the 2?

I am contemplating buying one of those for all my filters.


----------



## A.D.D.i.c.t. (Dec 9, 2012)

In my personal experience, the sponge pre-filter clogged rather quickly. Though I've talked to others who haven't cleaned theirs in a month and its fine. The mesh filter guard won't clog easily. I like the sponge for the surface area it provides, and shrimps love to spend time on it, but I've got a SS filter guard coming to me at the moment. It's a personal choice and kind of depends on what works for you. The sponges are cheap, worth trying first to see if you like it.


----------



## TexasCichlid (Jul 12, 2011)

My sponge type pre-filter constantly clogged. I bought a steel from from h4n and it's much better in my opinion.


----------



## A.D.D.i.c.t. (Dec 9, 2012)

My time frame was around 3 days, and then flow was drastically reduced. Han has a number of goodies headed my way in the near future, excited!


----------



## TwoTacoCombo (Apr 13, 2012)

My SS mesh pre filters will clog from time to time, too. It's technically a flat surface with very little area, as opposed to a sponge (especially the coarse ones), which have an extra dimension of storage space for the gunk. The upside is a SS filter is much easier to clean off. Sometimes all it takes is just turning off the flow and let all the debris fall off. I have also yet to have a shrimp sucked into a filter using a SS mesh strainer. I've had less luck with the sponges, especially the filtermax ones.


----------



## Soup12 (Nov 10, 2012)

TwoTacoCombo said:


> My SS mesh pre filters will clog from time to time, too. It's technically a flat surface with very little area, as opposed to a sponge (especially the coarse ones), which have an extra dimension of storage space for the gunk. The upside is a SS filter is much easier to clean off. Sometimes all it takes is just turning off the flow and let all the debris fall off. I have also yet to have a shrimp sucked into a filter using a SS mesh strainer. I've had less luck with the sponges, especially the filtermax ones.


Phew I was about to buy the filtermax ones... I want to try the SS mesh ones (kind of ugly in tank though).


----------



## Soup12 (Nov 10, 2012)

TwoTacoCombo said:


> My SS mesh pre filters will clog from time to time, too. It's technically a flat surface with very little area, as opposed to a sponge (especially the coarse ones), which have an extra dimension of storage space for the gunk. The upside is a SS filter is much easier to clean off. Sometimes all it takes is just turning off the flow and let all the debris fall off. I have also yet to have a shrimp sucked into a filter using a SS mesh strainer. I've had less luck with the sponges, especially the filtermax ones.


You have had shrimp sucked in through prefilter sponges?


----------



## TwoTacoCombo (Apr 13, 2012)

Not through the sponges, but around them. Those filtermax sponges sit on a plastic frame, and there's enough wiggle room at the top and bottom for the baby shrimp to get through if they want to. I pulled at least a dozen shrimp out of my 2217 before I gave up on the sponges and went with a SS strainer.


----------



## Soup12 (Nov 10, 2012)

TwoTacoCombo said:


> Not through the sponges, but around them. Those filtermax sponges sit on a plastic frame, and there's enough wiggle room at the top and bottom for the baby shrimp to get through if they want to. I pulled at least a dozen shrimp out of my 2217 before I gave up on the sponges and went with a SS strainer.


that defeats the purpose of being a prefilter sponge...... SS strainer it is


----------



## Soup12 (Nov 10, 2012)

Fluval EDGE Pre-Filter Sponge does work well to save fry for the smaller filters like ac20-50 and I just squeeze them out every couple months. Plus it has extra bio filtering being a sponge.

the ac70-110 = SS strainer


----------



## acitydweller (Dec 28, 2011)

i found my ac110 derived sponge prefilter clogged much less than my newer Stainless Steel strainer. 

The round fluval sponge prefilters are garbage. they clogged daily and became more of a problem than a solution. The pores of the sponge are way too small for this application and would only work for a hob filter with less flow, say a azoo mignon or like.

Speaking on prefilters, the ones worth getting are those that offer the rubber lip which would hug the filter tube and create a seal to prevent shrimp and other critters from being sucked into the gap. hope this helps... if using one that doesnt, a series of rubber bands would help fill the gap while also helping to keep the prefilter attached to the filter tube as well. thicker rubber bands prove to be more durable and live longer than thinner.


----------



## Soup12 (Nov 10, 2012)

yeh the fluval prefilter has worked perfect for azoo mignon and ac20. Have not tried on ac30 or ac 50 tho


----------



## TexasCichlid (Jul 12, 2011)

My fluval prefilter clogged every day and I have a really clean tank. Was just garbage.


----------



## Soup12 (Nov 10, 2012)

TexasCichlid said:


> My fluval prefilter clogged every day and I have a really clean tank. Was just garbage.


what filter did u use it on? I use it on my azoo mignon and ac20 and only squeeze it out every couple month.


----------



## Alaskan Fishface (Feb 16, 2013)

I use the fluval filter on an ac20 and 50 and my ehiem 250 and works fine on all of them.


----------



## beginragnarok (Dec 19, 2011)

I have Fluval canister filters and have used the ATI sponges and they do a great job. I now use these as I no longer have shrimp in these tanks. Less blockage from a prefilter but this means the gunk goes into the filter. I don't mind taking the canister to the tub for a polishing pad replacement though, so that's me...

-Zach


----------

