DIY external canister filter!!!!

[1oooop]

So, I was reading(like that is hardly believable, but it is true) this thread about a DIY internal canister filter... and I was wondering why not an external one... so... I wrote down some notes, a few fatal mistakes and a full recycle can later... I have it down to a seal-able bucket with metal ring and a few wing nuts sealing it all together... and then I ran into a problem, how the heck should I make the hose connectors able to swivel?

[ghengis]

Do some Googling. There's heaps of info on DIY canisters. I actually considered the idea myself for a while...then I just bought one. As for swivelling...fish? I think this might be the one limiting factor of a project like this. You'd need (I think) to pick an angle and commit.... Although, thinking about it, maybe a hose fitting (or pump snout) protruding from the canister, with a short length of tube fitted over the end and another 45-or-90* elbow inserted into that. The elbow would then swivel (with a little encouragement) within the piece of tube, offering some positional flexibility...

And remember: Pics, or it didn't happen! :D

[Mgamer20o0]

heck neo has his own too. lots of people make diy filters.

[jmhart]

Yeah man, a pump, bucket w/lid, sponges, tubing, and some silcone sealant and you're done.

You can get fancier than that, but you can do it bare bones with just that.

[1oooop]

yea... I know... LOL... but I want to make mine a little more fancy :)

[owl]

I have it down to a seal-able bucket with metal ring and a few wing nuts sealing it all together... and then I ran into a problem, how the heck should I make the hose connectors able to swivel?
i built an small 3g canister for my 20g and i m buildin another bigger one for my 55g ..a seal able canister with wing nuts and etc is not a MUST have things as u know i think ...
if u wanna get fancy the ugliest part is the DIY overflow :( i donno what to do with it , if u have any idea bout it i ll be happy if u share , i even build a overflow box with plexi glass to look like just like one u can buy from stores but it didn t sealed well cuz gluein it together is too hard cuz of it small size , and after some test the pvc overflow done a very better job than that box anyway ...

[owl]

here s mine , i know it dosn t look good but i ll do a better job for 55g :)
http://d.imagehost.org/0515/oc.jpg

[NeonFlux]

Nice DIY canister filter owl! Is your 2nd picture the that the intake??

[ghengis]

yea... I know... LOL... but I want to make mine a little more fancy :)

Easy fixed! A pump, bucket with lid, tubing, silcone....and a big bag of glitter! How much fancier do you want it? If that wasn't enough, a few pom-poms, some streamers... Dude, that'd be the flashest filter this side of Britney Spears' stage costumes!!

[owl]

Nice DIY canister filter owl! Is your 2nd picture the that the intake??
thnx , yup it s the overflow for the canister intake , and the canister has a 185gph return pump in it ...

[NeonFlux]

Lol it's like a black hole :D jk, I think you should cover it using a metal mesh or somethin. Looks great for sucking in dead leaves of plants.

[owl]

Lol it's like a black hole jk, I think you should cover it using a metal mesh or somethin. Looks great for sucking in dead leaves of plants.
yeah , but first i m thinkin of a way to make it smaller ( not in diameter ) ...

[fwiffo]

well, ive been pondering some ideas on how to put a real live external together. hopefully, around christmas break i can tinker something together.

great idea owl, as it looks similar to a wet-dry filter i saw someone build with a paint bucket and pvc pipe spraying water over the top.

well, it didnt take very long but here are a few ideas:
http://www.petfrd.com/forum/articles.php?action=viewarticle&artid=87&page=1

i think that man beat me to the punch on a diy canister. it looks good!

[Sploke]

Canisters don't use overflows - they work on a closed loop basis, under pressure, which is why they are a little more difficult to engineer than a regular sump or wet/dry, which can be open to atmosphere. Owl I believe you have something closer to a sump if you're using a HOB overflow.

A salt bucket would make a great basis for a canister as the lids screw on rather than snapping on so they would seal very well. Just need a TrueUnion or a hose quick-disconnect to take it apart.

[owl]

Canisters don't use overflows - they work on a closed loop basis, under pressure, which is why they are a little more difficult to engineer than a regular sump or wet/dry, which can be open to atmosphere. Owl I believe you have something closer to a sump if you're using a HOB overflow.
yup , i cant figure out how keep intank and out-tank levels at same in a canister , so here i go an overflow system with a canister , as the mather of fact i use this overflow for a sump intake but the sump crashed !( i donno why maybe cuz of the pressure and pump vibrating ) BTW i think the sump was much better ... easier access lotsa filter media room and easier to install/uninstall ...

[owl]

well, it didnt take very long but here are a few ideas:
http://www.petfrd.com/forum/articles...rtid=87&page=1

yeah i saw it when i was searchin for diy canisters , i donno , maybe i rethink to comeup with somethin that can get me rid of the overflow , but i hate that canisters should be aslways sealed to keep the flow ... :(
mmm somethin like a sump that has lotsa room and easy to use with open surface ( no need to seal ) and don need the overflow ... maybe if we put over ideas together we can come up with something :D

[Sploke]

I have a few sumps - a 20 long tank for a sump on my 55, and a 40 breeder that runs a wet/dry for two 150s, a 55 and a 30. The extra floor space gives a lot more options for pumps, filtration, heaters, etc.