I Was Looking At The Pinned Topics,

[Torrean]

I'm trying to think of the best way to do this. I got a little confused by the pinned topic, I'm not really sure how this works. Basically you run a tube to the bottom of a can and put an airstone into the tube, then fill in around the tube with filter floss gravel other media. The air moving up the tube pulls water from the top of the can to the bottom and then up through the tube. This pulls oxygenated water over the filter media.

Is this right.


Ok now here's what I'm thinking of doing, tell me what you think. I'm thinking about making a can with a lot of small holes around the bottom. Then I'll run air tubing down to the bottom of the can to a flexible airstone that would be coiled around the bottom. Then pour gravel in on top of the airstone. When the airstone get's cut on then the bubbles will pull water in through the bottom and out through the top. Would this work and could it be called a filter? Is there any realistic way to tell if it's a good filter or not?

 

[shuhu]

yes it would work, think of the undergravel filter, it is almost the same idea. I don't know what will hold more bacteria though. I've used that sponge filter for fry and it works.

 

[Torrean]

Thanks. I've already made something kinda like that. How deep should the gravel be? I'm thinking if it is really supposed to be a filter it should be 4-5" or more. No worries about anaerobic bacteria not with an airstone pumping air through the whole thing.

 

[shuhu]

well, it depends on the height of your tank, if your airstone is potent you can fill it almost all the way up, just as long as theres air flow it should be just fine, just dont make it with a bottle/recipient too wide, I've made that mistake with the fry tank )

Depending on the size of your tank, you can even set more than one of these filters within a tank, will proly look ugly but it'll do a better job

 

[Torrean]

I'm planning on making them out of the pottery that is in my sig. I'm hoping they won't look ugly. Just need to run the air line tubing in through the bottom, or find some other way to hide it.