Fish stuck to filter strainer

[fishRmylife]

I bought the Emperor 400 for my 20 gallon (I know it's a little big for my little 20 gallon tank) this morning for a very good deal, I put it in and left for a few hours, I came home to a guppy and a danio stuck to the strainer, is there anyway I can prevent this from happening, or should I got back to the Emperor 280 I had before?

 

[420Loach]

hhmmmm...smells like a DIY type deal. maybe a screen box that goes around the strainer( a pre strainer strainer? ). it would keep fish away from the suction and not restrict water flow.

 

[kivor]

are they alive?

 

[fishRmylife]

They were for a while after I freed them, but they ended up dying.

 

[tlfphoto]

Get some plastic window screen and wrap it around the intake and tie it off with zip ties or rubber bands.
Good luck

 

[cholula]

throttle down the filter by pulling up the lever in the back....
only problem with that is they get noisey then....

 

[rocketshrimp]

Get one of the aqua clear replacement sponges(the ones for there power filters), i'm just guessing but the mimi/100 might be to small maybe the 150 or 200. Then make a slit in the middle tha does not go all the way through, now see if you can slide it on the intake, this may slow down the gph a little bit, but its cheap.

 

[Somonas]

The emperor 400 is a bit big for a 20, regardless, rocketshrimps suggestion might work but you will have to cut a pretty big slit. I would recommend take the old strainer off and just have the square tube go right into the sponge prefilter...

we really should get a smaller filter on that 20 anyhow.