On the outer 3 inch strainer pipe how are you holding it in place?
Mine just has hydroton around it and I guess that is not good enough, as it appears that it is being pushed up somehow as I have some hydroton in the fish tank, not allot but still annoying.
I placed a screen around the strainer pipe so this is the only way that it can get in that I can think of.
Will aquarium sealer hold this strainer pipe to the bottom or maybe a weight of some type on the top of the pipe?