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Concept Filter Design! Need input :P

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diy
4K views 24 replies 11 participants last post by  raunch 
#1 ·
So I was going to build a canister filter and then this idea popped into my head. I would just buy a cheap canister filter but I already have an extra water pump and so it would cost my like 10 dollars to make this.

Anyway,

Step 1: Submersible pump at bottom encased in sea sponge acts as sponge filter.

Step 2: Passes through first bottle chamber and filter media of choice.

Step 3: Passes through second bottle chamber and filter media of choice.

Step 4: Second bottle has holes drilled to act as a spray bar

Step 5: Water re-entry into tank.


So drew up the design. Sounds like it could work. Just need to make water tight seals with silicone where tubing meets bottle. Also was thinking of using the "smart water" bottles with the squirt mouth piece and fitting tubing over the mouth pieces and sealing.

Not a very original idea but I put some minor twists on a common concept.

Bottles will be mounted on top of back wall of aquarium. Need ideas for mounting!
Oh and this project is for a 10 gallon.

Let me know what you think. If it would work, pros, cons, etc.
Picture below.

Thanks!
 

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#3 ·
haha yeah it's like taking 3 different filter designs into one. Mounting it on the back is where I'm having troubles. I want it to look like it's floating there so must be minimal. I want it to look "scientific" if that makes sense lol. I was thinking of taking wire hangers and bending them to make something to hold them in a "hook" type thing but the bottles will be heavy and not sure if the hangers will support.

Any ideas would be great! some sort of spring clamp maybe? Hmm
 
#4 ·
That reminds me of a reactor turned on it's side?

Depending on the pump you have, you might be better served running the water over the side, to the bottom of a bottle or cylinder with a diffuser plate at the bottom and letting the water make it's way back up the cylinder through the media to an outlet.

Take a look at the design of these reactors as an example:
http://www.nextreef.com/reactors.html

They all employ the same basic concept, just different containers, etc.

When I was all SW in the fish room it really ticked me off that these things were initially made so huge just to hold about 1/2 cup of ferric oxide in suspension. I eventually made a second diffuser plate and glued it to the middle of the inlet tube so I could run carbon in the upper half. Worked like a charm.

Sticking with the DIY route I would bet that an acrylic spaghetti storage container would do the job. Either a screw-down jar with an O-ring or one of those snap-down types with the rubber seal should work perfect. I'm just thinking you'll have issues with the horizontal row of holes unless you mount it directly over the tank.

Man! You really got me thinking out loud there.
 
#8 ·
Thanks for that link! Those things are so cool looking! That's pretty much what I had pictured in my mind when I first sketched it on paper. It seems like the same concept pretty much lol. Even has a submersible pump. Weird. Everything I invent is already invented lol.

Anyway, I will be proceeding to build this in a couple days of course allowing time also for silicone to dry but yeah, pretty excited to see how badly I can fail lol.

It will be hanging basically on top of the rim. Just gotta figure out how to hang it there without it looking terrible ha.

Well if I put the sponge encasing the pump then wouldn't that stop from clogging? I plan to hide the sponge behind some driftwood.
 
#9 ·
Yes That is definitely an option if one wanted to really improve the idea. I like the idea of seeing inside the filter media. I plan on using a mixture of carbon/small pebbles, cut up small sponge cubes, and maybe ceramic cylinders. And I think using the "Smartwater" bottles wouldn't look bad. They are just a plain sleek cylinder unlike most water bottles. I would love to make this using glass bottles but I have no way of drilling holes in them, plus they'd probably break.

I will probably use the bottles because they're like $1.50, are uniform/same size, see through them and sleek, and it's just more practical for me. Plus the pvc that comes in large diameters is not that cheap really. Well, I'm a cheapskate thrifty nerd. What can I say? Haha

I'll upload pictures soon, maybe even take step by step pictures if anyone wants to attempt this or improve the idea for their needs.
 
#10 ·
Silicone does not stick to plastic very well. Probably will be OK if you absolutely do not flex the pair of bottles, but the least disturbance and the silicone will pop off.

Here is an idea that you will have to research a bit.

My father made a toy for the grandchildren. It was 2 bottles of 2 liters each, connected at the opening. He partially filled the system with water and glitter. You would swirl the bottles and turn them upside down and watch the whirlpool as the water swirled from the upper bottle to the lower.
Here is my point: The system never leaked! There was some sort of tubing connecting the bottles. You might find it in a 'science for kids' sort of store, or a hobby shop. I have no idea even what to ask for. Good luck.
________________________________________________________________________

Next idea: Wholesale irrigation store near me gives away damaged pipe free to whoever wants it. It may have been run over, bent or whatever. For the amount of good pipe you would use, (a foot or so) you might ask at places like Ewing, Horizon, Water Savers, John Deere or who ever is near you.
Yes, you then have to buy the fittings. However, they will not leak, and you can include something that will adapt to the tubing from the pump quite easily. Stock item, not DIY.
 
#11 ·
I remember making those "tornado in a bottle" things in middle school! Maybe it unconsciously inspired me to make this lol. I found a link to how to make them and then found this:

http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/product/1226

It is a small piece that connects the bottles together. Hmmm, this might be worth getting if it doesn't leak! The only other problem is you said silicone doesn't stick to plastic well so maybe instead of relying on only silicone maybe I can get a bulk head to attach at entry point of hose from water pump into first bottle. I would only need one and then just silicone around that to make sure it seals properly. I don't mind scrapping the water bottles, but I still want it to look like clear tubes so the filter media is visible. So pvc is kinda out of the question for me not because it won't work well (it would definitely be easy to make water tight) but just because I have a particular image of how I want it to look aside from function lol. I know I'm hard headed! I would prefer glass tubes of some sort but not sure what is cost effective and easy to manipulate. Back to the drawing board!
 
#13 ·
Yeah I guess it would look kinda bulky. Hmm.. I may have to redesign lol. Keep the concept and just do it with better parts. Or replace second bottle with just a piece of pvc extending from bottle one that will act as spray bar. Only then I'm losing the capability of having media in the second bottle too.

Weeelp, guess I gotta brainstorm more. oh boy
 
#14 ·
I think you'll be disappointing with how hard it is to seal on the bottles. THey flex so easy and it is just going to be a mess. Sealing under pressure is even harder.

Also, if you put the pump at the bottom, it likely means you could drain the whole tank when the seals fail.

If you really want to diy a filter, it'll cost more, but I was happy using whole house water filter housings, pvc pipe and an inline pump. A submersible pump could be used as well.
 
#15 ·
You also have to take into account if that pump has enough pressure to pump water up the height, then through the system to fill it and keep the pressure with the unit full so it can trickle out your spraybar. More than likely, it's going to pump a bit a water into it thats going to leak out the spray bar but not fully pressurize the system.
 
#16 ·
Yeah I believe you guys are right and the bottles will be impossible to seal correctly. Also right about the pressure. It said on the water pump box it pumps up to 2 feet up. (It's one made for fountains) It would probably have enough power to get it up there but I don't think it would properly distribute out the spray bar.

Sooo, I will be redesigning and looking for things to make it out of. I thought about using tupperware containers (the ones with a rubber "o" ring and they snap shut) They are easy to find and cost effective and won't flex that much so I could probably seal a lot more effectively.

lol, so by the time I end up building all of this I could probably get a Zoo Med 501 canister cheaper. I just am not sure if it would be adequate for my 10 gallon. Says "Up to 30 gal" but I've also read that that means a 30 gallon tank if it were half full (for turtles) so that equals 15 gallons. Although I do only have shrimp so it's not like they put off as much waste as fish do.

Input? DIY or Zoo med 501? lol I'm all about DIY with EVERYTHING but sometimes it's just easier and less of a headache than building something. And since it's only a 10 gallon I don't need crazy filtration. Hmm
 
#17 ·
Here's a video that shows whats known as a Wendy filter, a DIY filter popular with turtle keeps but can be adapted. You also use your pump and pump water up and into some sort of trough full of bio media (BBQ lava rock, pot scrubbers, etc to keep it fully DIY) and make a basic kind of reverse wet/dry filter instead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dpt9BqpE9RU

If you're intent on DIY, there are options. The first thing it test though is how powerful your pump is going up 2 feet. If possible, take the pump, rig up some tubing, 2 90 degree elbows into another container that you know the size of, eg, 1gal pail or something then time how long it takes to fill up 1gal of water pumped at the height your filter would be at. Then you'll get an idea on how much flow your filter would get it and if your pump is capable of pumping a decent amount of water at that head height.
 
#19 ·
I like the wendy filter design. I might adapt that design and incorporate it into this design. Thanks for the link! And I finally found the box to the pump and it says it puts out 80gph. That should be good right? Maximum pump height is 2.5 feet.
 
#21 ·
Update

So I went ahead and built a more simple version of what I imagined haha. I drilled a hole in the cap slightly smaller than the hose and jammed it in and then temporarily duct taped it to do a test. I'll silicone it later or find something that will be waterproof and flexible. Also drilled four tiny holes for maximum sprayage! ha

I was surprised at the amount of current, it seems perfect for my 10 gallon. Of course when I add media (rocks, sponge bits, ceramic, w/e) it will slow the flow down a little but so far I'm pleased with it! Now just have to soak the sticker off so it's all clear and waterproof the bottle cap and bingo!

very simple design ha, so that means less can go wrong :p
OH and if anyone has any ideas for how to "pivot" this thing on top of back rim I would appreciate input! I am scratching my head trying to figure out a way that will look minimal and not crappy and on the cheap side (of course.)
 
#24 ·
If you have access to a table saw, cut two sections of PVC pipe and make a cradle of them like this, but rotated 90 degrees )( .

A drilled out tornado tube coupler will hold the bottles quite well.
You might look at Home Depot or a plumbing shop for O-rings that would fit over the mouth of the bottle, but atop the ridge below the threads. That would seal to the tornado tube coupler better.

My complaint would be how difficult it will be to put media inside the bottles.
 
#25 ·
Hey dbosman, yeah I thought it might be difficult to add media but I just have to make sure it's tiny media. I will probably be using a mixture of porcelain tubes, rocks, cut up sponge cubes, and carbon. So most of those are pretty tiny and shouldn't be a problem fitting them in. It will be more of a problem getting them out lol but not impossible besides I rarely change filter media, just give it a good wash every now and then. Thanks for the pvc )( idea.
 
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