Intake Guard

thingiverse

My 15-gallon Betta tank just got a major upgrade, courtesy of two weeks spent building a brand-new pump that finally gave up the ghost last night. Luckily, I had some spare tanks on hand, but instead of trying to MacGyver a new filter, I opted for the path of least resistance and bought a hang-on-back filter - not my top choice, but it'll do. The only drawback is that it doesn't have enough oomph to support a sponge over the intake, which is a bummer. Since I'm planning on adding my cull Neocardiana to the tank soon, I didn't want those delicate little guys to get sucked up and turned into fish smoothie, so I whipped up this DIY filter solution in no time. I made it nice and roomy to accommodate some filter media, just to ensure there's enough blockage for good filtration and a bit of extra mechanical filtering for good measure. If you're looking to give your tank a similar upgrade, I highly recommend using PeTG - it's got minimal impact on water quality, and then you can choose from a range of colors to match your style.