[time4mercy]

I have a 10 gal tank that I'm setting up as a low-tech planted setup for a couple of DP's. It was an AGA complete kit that I got for $30, and ran for about six months with a single feeder goldfish which I had been fish-sitting but apparently adopted (as I had had it since 2003). Unfortunately, the goldfish died last month. Anyway. . .

The filter that came with the kit is a Hagen Elite Hush 20. I'm a bit worried about the DP's getting sucked against the filter intake, and would like to put some foam over it. I've tried looking for pre-filter type sponges, but all I've seen in the LFS are foam inserts for specific filters. I'm not really into paying $10+ for something that I'm going to be cutting up to fit my filter intake and which might not work anyway. What should I use?

Also, do you have any opinions of the Elite Hush? Frankly, I'm not impressed with it at all. . . the cartridges seem poorly designed and do not allow for customization (you can't even remove the AC), and the flow is a trickle compared to the little Whisper in my 5 gal. Am I failing to see the merits of this filter, or should I go with my instincts and get something else?

 

[2wheelsx2]

I haven't seen the Elite hush, but the best filters for the money in that size tank are the Aquaclears and Penguins, IMO. If you can an AC mini, you can get an extra foam block and use that for the intake and if it doesn't work, just use it inside the filter, to kill 2 birds with 1 stone. The other thing you can try is to use an old nylon stocking over the intake.