Diy Filter

[chrisbassist]

Anyone know any good articles on building your own filter?

I googled and found a ew but they were awful with no good pictures or diagrams.

what I'm looking at doing is modifying a small internal filter to be used as an eternal using those small clear airline pipes. I'm sure given time/money I'll be able to figure this out myself but it sure would be easier if someone here knows something...

 

[VickiandKev]

If I'm not mistaken the pumps on internals are usually not powerful enough to pump water up from the level of an external to the water level?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong though - I always thought you needed a more powerful pump for that. Also, you need to make sure that your external is fully watertight otherwise you may end up with water on your floor.

The best thing to do is a makeshift sump I would imagine, using an overflow from your tank to a plastic drawer set as a wet 'n' dry component, sat in a tank/heavy duty storage container (think a really useful box is strong enough) and then some more media in the bottom and a submersible pump with hosing back to your main tank.

I gave up on trying to design a full enclosed external simply because of the sealing issue, I didn't want to take the risk.

You can, however, modify an internal, using the pump from it and create your own media box of larger volume so that there is more surface area for bacteria and more biological filtration capacity.

 

[chrisbassist]

my issue isn't the filtration capacity, or surface area, it's tank size.

I wouldn't be able to make a sump which was smaller than the tank. the tank is 0.4 US Gallons. (or 1.4 litres)even the fluval mini will take up ALL of the tank space.

I'm doing all this as a bit of an experiment. NOT to keep fish in really. although, if I successfully make a mini filter then I may see what it looks like with a single scarlet badis. the real experiment here is a mini aquascape (need to decide on a moss or grass carpet which is really short). and thought once finished I could experiment with more parts of the tank. like filtration, I like a challenge, and iltering something that small is a challenge, far too small to put an internal in, externals and sumps are major overkill, plus the regular pipes used on externals would take up too much space ffor what I want...

you never know, the amount of planting I want might be enough to cope with the ish waste on its own...

 

[VickiandKev]

Lol, if it's a teeny tiny tank and the filter would be on the same level as the tank top, I think you could manage it (I wondered why you said you were using airline ) ... you'd need to have an intake from the tank, and you could make a mini spraybar out of a straw

You could do it I would imagine, you just need to make sure whatever box you use for the external is waterproofed (perhaps a tiny tupperware container and seal everything with silicone), and when you prime it, be sure to wait until the external box is completely filled before switching on the pump.

You need to also be sure that the pressure created within the pump from sending the water through airline doesn't break it. Definitely worth a try though.

I'm tempted to go and try now, it sounds like a really cool little DIY project!

 

[chrisbassist]

yeah,it's not your everyday project, but hey, if it'll allow me to put a fish in a tank which will be sat there for a while anyway, then why not?

after I figure the filter out the next one will be a heater....I was thinking about putting a small heater inside the waterproof box to heat water asit's being pumped... not sure how that'd work...

 

[VickiandKev]

yeah,it's not your everyday project, but hey, if it'll allow me to put a fish in a tank which will be sat there for a while anyway, then why not?

after I figure the filter out the next one will be a heater....I was thinking about putting a small heater inside the waterproof box to heat water asit's being pumped... not sure how that'd work...

What about one of those tiny little mat heaters?

http/www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewitem.aspx?idproduct=HD00474&child=HD00474&utm_source=mdcsegooglebaseuk&utm_medium=cse&utm_campaign=mdcsegooglebaseuk&utm_content=HD00474

Don't know whether that is small enough but it could probably fit in the filter box - you'd just need to drill a hole for the wire (then could take the plug off, thread the wire through and re-wire the plug) and then seal the hole with silicone?