[thedood]

This is version 2 of my internal canister filter. I found the original ideas on you tube and am changing them up to suit my needs. My first version is located here: http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/20-diy/1032145-diy-internal-canister-filter.html. I will be updating it soon and incorporating some of my ideas from this new design into that filter.

My original goal was to build a filter to filter my 75g but it was going to be an impractical idea with the design as it was so I ended up with a water polisher. It does a good job but I want a filter that is compact enough to fit inside the aquarium and do it all. SO here is my new design. These drawings were made on paint.net so they are missing a few things like end caps and they are not up to scale but they do a good enough job of showing the design.

Ok all you diy'ers like myself pick this thing apart and lets find the flaws before I build it lol. I also want to mention this is going to filter my 20H and will be the sole filter. This 20H will sit on a home made stand with lockable casters so I can move it if Mrs. TheDood wants to move furniture. If it proves practical all of my tanks will be going on such a stand. This tank will also have a diy canopy with 2 18" 15 watt fluorescent lights mounted in it. The tank will be the new home to my rcs colony and 6 or so oto and some nerites.

 

[thedood]

No opinions on this idea?

 

[WaterLife]

Just bumping the thread. I have to get off right now, but will come back later when I have the time and give some feedback on the design.

 

[MCSLABS]

Can you give me idea of the flow pattern and media used?

Have built this, do you have a pic yet?

I was going to use HDPE resin beads, freely available, too late for that.

 

[Nordic]

Latest one I saw is a thick tube (say about 4 inch) which has a net or grid in the bottom, with some gravel on, then there is a bit of space with just water, and floss at the top. This whole contraption is held a fixed distance off the bottom (depending on the size of fish you want to keep out). It sucks water from the floor and ejects towards the top.

I will see if I can find the youtube vid again.

I still want to try to build an internal fluidized bed canister with washed perlite between two nets.

 

[thedood]

@MCSLABS The water flow comes in through the sponge pre-filter which is item 7 on the first drawing. It goes through the tee which is item 6 where it then flows through either the left or right side. If it goes through the left it flows through floss then purigen and is ejected through the powerheads output. If it flows through the right it flows through floss, then the bio-media which in this case will be ceramic rings and then is eject through the powerheads output. So in essence the left branch will be floss and purigen and the right branch will be floss and ceramic rings. The filter itself will hang on the back of the tank via the 1/2 in pvc hangers with the sponge pre-filter hovering just above the substrate. I havent built it yet, I have been working on building the stand for the tank the filter is going in but I should have it all setup this weekend. As soon as I build the filter I will get a pic of it in the tank. I have all but a couple of pieces of pvc. I have all of the filter media on hand and the bag for the purigen.

The main purpose here is to test this design on my shrimp tank and see how it works. If it works well I am going to incorporate it into my next build which is going to be a riffle tank for north american native species, specifically darters.

@Nordic I was originally setting out to do something similar, an internal fluidized bed of purigen.

 

[MCSLABS]

Let me think on this a while. This is the introduction to internal canister filters I've come across other than a powered UGF. Essentially you are trying to make an enclosed UGF filter.

I can't help to think Purigen is a Plastic resin material used in the mold press industry. Might take some digging to find out.

 

[thedood]

Let me think on this a while. This is the introduction to internal canister filters I've come across other than a powered UGF. Essentially you are trying to make an enclosed UGF filter.

I can't help to think Purigen is a Plastic resin material used in the mold press industry. Might take some digging to find out.

Here is a link: Seachem - Purigen
Purigen works. I will be using it on all of my tanks.
Really it is not an enclosed UGF as none of the filter is under the substrate. Canister I guess for this design is inaccurate. It is more like an enclosed powerhead driven internal hob. A hybrid filter. A mutt of the filter world lol.

 

[MCSLABS]

The pipe, is it something thats on hand or you are going to purchase, 2 inch PVC is some big stuff.

I already looked at the purigen website, no ingredients listed. Have no doubts it works, I was tempted to use PE resin beads in my filter.

 

[thedood]

I have the pipe on hand, most of it anyway. I will run the horizontal pipes up each back corner of the tank. The amount of space I will lose is minimal.

 

[MCSLABS]

I would be more inclined to do something of this nature. Not say your design wouldn't work. This would increase flow and surface area across the media and streamline the whole filter. Just a thought.

I may have to give this a go next tank revamp. You could easily add an insertion point for CO2 near the inlet.

 

[thedood]

Can you explain how this works?

 

[MCSLABS]

The orange area would be your sponge. Water enters there and travels through a 1/2 inch pvc with an end cap. Holes drilled in it would allow the water to escape out through your media into the vertical tube. Holes in the vertical 1/2 inch pvc would allow water to enter the pick up tube, again through your media. No need to glue any joints so it could be easily taken apart to clean and reassembled.

You could further subdivide the media with a plastic barrier around the 1/2 inch pvc and the 2 inch pvc.

2, 90 degree 2 inch, 4, 2 inch end caps, 4, 1/2 inch end caps is all you need.

Still would need a means of connecting the power heads to the 1/2 inch pvc.

Problem with linear flow, from one end to the other, the closet end to the intake becomes the work horse, this way all of the media will share the load.

 

[thedood]

@MCSLABS Any change you have the stuff on hand to build that and test it? I am going to be testing my design this week. I am getting a 55g soon and am deciding what I am going to do for filtration and would like to have a couple of options.

 

[MCSLABS]

I would, but the pipe is 1.5 inch and I don't have any power heads to drive it.