Large Strainer Basket

Going all the way back to 2005, I've always had a large strainer basket on the intake of my return pump. I have a few, so I can put them through a cleaning rotation.  Originally, you could buy these at Savko, but these days that doesn't seem to be an option.  

The benefit of a larger strainer is less change of restricting flow into the pump itself.  This type of strainer would be great on a closed loop application if you could hide them from sight behind rockwork.  Designed for 1.5" and 2" plumbing, the strainer is made of ABS plastic. If something were to get close such as a fish or anemone, the greater surface area reduces the risk that the animal will be sucked against the screen. Rather, they should be able to crawl across it unaffected and continue to live.  A strainer also keeps smaller critters like snails out of the pump's impeller or intake area.

The primary use for me has always been in the sump rather than the display.  I have two in my 400g's sump. One is on the Abyzz 200a return pump, and the other on the Vectra L1 pump that I use to feed the manifold and Anemone Cube.  I have plenty of space intentionally.  These strainers are 5" in diameter, and 3.5" thick.  Plus you need a fitting to connect it to the bulkhead.  

The strainer itself can be purchased on this website, and it costs about $10 each. 

Depending on the bulkhead you use, you may need a slip fitting or a threaded fitting.  I prefer threaded bulkheads in sumps specifcally so I can install a threaded strainer.  Here are a couple of solutions depending on what you buy: 

Threaded plastic nipple: You can purchase a short threaded/threaded nipple that will screw into the bulkhead, and the strainer screws onto the other side. You'll need to make sure you get the right size, like 1.5" to 1.5" to match the two parts together.

Threaded plastic pipe: If you have a slip bulkhead and an internally threaded strainer basket, you can cut the threaded pipe in half (or whatever length you need) to make a piece that has slip on one side, yet threaded on the opposite side.  And if you get one that looks like this image below, you'd have two pieces to use for two different strainer baskets.

Here are a few close ups of the basket.

And here it is, installed.  No need for teflon tape, silicone or glue; this is simply assembled and placed where desired:

It only needs to be screwed in a couple of twists so it stays in place. There is zero reason to screw it in tight, as that will make it harder to remove for cleaning. I never want the bulkhead to turn when removing a strainer as it might leak past the seal, so I only twist the basket about two rotations - that's good enough to keep anything out.  It won't vibrate loose, if that's a concern.