Selfmade bottom filter system (low budget)

In some tanks of mine I've been being creative making a bottom filter with a low budget.
With some pvc material and a simple plastic cutlery tray .
Made pictures of how to make this...




I've adjusted the size of the cutlery tray to the inner size of the back bottom part of the tank. And put it upside down into the tank.
You have to make a hole in the cutlery tray to put in the pvc pipe. But don't push it in too far. On the cutlery tray I've put some rocks on it and a layer of gravel. On top of the pvc pipe an elbow of pvc is stuck on it with an airstone in it. That's all...
Three tanks overhere are working like this.

Aren’t you a clear little bee. That’s an awesome idea!!

Great DIY project!
Under gravel filters were all the rage in the 60's and 70's. Inexpensive and very effective. They fell from favor as power filters and canister filters came along.
Like any filter, they need to be serviced frequently lest they become nitrate factories. You need to have a sufficient gravel size and depth and it simply must be gravel vacuumed regularly to extract the crud.
Managed properly, the UGF is one of the best biological filters...consider all of the surface area that 2-4" of gravel provides for beneficial bacteria colony(ies).

Looks good!

Like I´ve said: It doesn´t have to be expensive! Just be creative. A bit of an imagination won't hurt...
And this way of a filtration works perfectly...

I have UGF in two of my tanks and still believe in them. I have used it in my 55 gallon tetra tank since the day I bought it in 1994. I was thinking of having something like this in my 10 gallon breeding tank as a way of protecting the fish eggs by allowing them to fall throught the openings and stopping them from being eaten (no gravel) just the trays.

Retired Viking said:

I have UGF in two of my tanks and still believe in them. I have used it in my 55 gallon tetra tank since the day I bought it in 1994. I was thinking of having something like this in my 10 gallon breeding tank as a way of protecting the fish eggs by allowing them to fall throught the openings and stopping them from being eaten (no gravel) just the trays.

Click to expand...

Would that suck up the eggs though?

JuiceBox52 said:

Would that suck up the eggs though?

Click to expand...

I would not be using the lift tubes so there would be no water flow, it would not be acting as a filter only a barrier to the fish from getting to the eggs. I would have a sponge filter for the tank and since tetra eggs need darkness it would serve that purpose too.

Retired Viking said:

I would not be using the lift tubes so there would be no water flow, it would not be acting as a filter only a barrier to the fish from getting to the eggs. I would have a sponge filter for the tank and since tetra eggs need darkness it would serve that purpose too.

Click to expand...

Ahhh I see now