fish getting caught in filter

Hi guys. So, I set up the juwel vision 450. Despite it having a filter, I thought it best to add a canister filter as extra filtration as I normally do with other tanks. This is the first time that I am using the canister filter so I really need some help here.

Whilst I was trying to be clever and not wanting all those fittings in my tank I only put the outlet fittings in so I get water flow and just attached the inlet pipe on the glass with some suction cups. I also attached some netting to the inlet pipe so I hoped know small fish will get caught in the strong suction of the filter.

Unfortunately, while observing the tank, what I predicted happened one of the tetra’s swam to close and got caught in the netting. I was lucky I got him out but, I have know doubt that this is going to happen again. Is their any thing I can do here? I was thinking about getting one of those plastic boxes that internal filters come in and sticking the pipe in to that or some thing equivalent.

Your opinions?

 

Hmm, yes that sounds like the right idea. You'd be looking for anything that would increase the area where water enters the pipe thus decreasing the flow strength. A few other ideas that might work: get some sort of a funnel to attach to the end of the pipe, and put the netting over the end of that; make a lot of small holes in the end of the pipe (only where it will be underwater, obviously) to diffuse the flow; make a netting "cage" for the end of the pipe, so the pipe opening isn't against the netting but a few centimetres away. All those are of course just variations on your idea, just thought I'd brainstorm a bit

 

get this

rather get one of these



http://www.aqmagic.com/products_new.php

 

open cell sponge - acts as a prefilter for the canister and will stop things from getting stuck - the bigger the pore size the better.