Help Making A Small External Diy Canister Filter For Fry Tank?

[jdsworld8]

Hey everyone, I was just wondering if there were any simple instructions on making a small easy external filter for my fry tank? It's for a multi live bearer fry tank. Has to be external. I have the tubing, sponge, pvc, container, airpump/powerhead, gravel, carbon, ammonia, and everything I could need but I can't figure out how to put it together?! Could anyone help me on instructions of building the filter? Also, could you pleaseeeeeee explain to me how such a filter works?

Many thanks : D

Jay

 

[llamalord305]

Well, I had been thinking of a filter for one of my tanks. It has a powerhead, with the output into a container with the hole in the bottom. You put the media in the container. The water flows from the top, goes through the media then goes through a hole in the bottom. IT has to be on top of the tank of course.

Why not make an in tank sponge filter so no risk of losing fry?

 

[bitteraspects]

You're probably better off going with a DIY internal filter with the pieces you have.
Most powerheads are rated at 0 pump head, and are not made to pump vertically. If you have a big enough powerhead, it will work, but it will put excessive stress on the impeller causing it to burn out much faster.
If you were to make a sponge or box filter with the powerhead, you will get the same filtration, without the stress on the powerhead. Check the specs on the powerhead you have to see of its rated to handle head pressure and how much if any. Alternatively, you can get a small submerible pump or even a fountain pump from your local hardware store and build your DIY external filter.

 

[jdsworld8]

Can anyone give me instructions in making a box filter then?

 

[OldMan47]

A simple DIY filter for a fry tank can be found here http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/85297-super-simple-5-minute-sponge-filter/

 

[mini_matt]

the sponge filter in my fry tank never seemed to work very well so what I did is, get a water bottle, small powerhead from an internal filter, my fry tank is only small so it didn't have to be too beefed up and I didn't want my fry getting sucked up into the filter.

take the water bottle and drill a 5mm hole in the top(lid) and the bottom, push some filter floss in to the bottom (i used a chopstick to help) then take some media from your main tank I took a few bio rings and some of that stuff that looks like corral, you could use some gravel from your main tank as this should have a certain amount of bacteria in it, if your using an internal filter take some of that sponge just to start off your bacteria well. then you get a length of airline (6mm) and run that from the powerhead out to the lid of the bottle (it will fit just squeze it in and there you have it! I found mine quite noisy so pushed a short peice of airline in the bottom of the bottle so it just trickles in the tank, oh yeah and the bottle will have to be above the tank here, not sure if it would have the power to push the water back up an airline but it might work, I have my main tank next to my fry bowl so the lip on the neck catches on the rim of my main tank quite nicely, sucured with duck tape just to be sure.

I drew you a picture on paint so u get the idea a bit better

 

[bitteraspects]

Please read my above post about powerheads, head pressure, and stressing the impeller

If your powerhead is not rated to operate against head pressure, then a filter like the one posted above is not a good idea at all. It will work for a little while, but the stress on the motor of the powerhead will shorten the life of your equipment, and can cause a rise in temperature in your tank.

 

[mini_matt]

I did read it, I had a spare small filter lying around, why not give it something to do, ok its not ideal, it would be better to use a fountain pump or something as mentioned above, I still have my air powered filter in the tank if it does break, when I bought the filter it did come with a pipe that lifts the outlet above the surface and out of a spray bar. I understand your point however