My first DIY canister filter!!

[vinhjamin8302]

Wow so i've been thinkin of doin my first Diy can filter and here it is, the other day i was at Wal mart and seen this Air tight/water tight piece of tupperware, and since i work at Home Depot i wander up and down the aisles occasionally:) but today i was on a mission, to find some sort of plastic/pvc nipples that i can put on the side and top for some tubing, i found those plastic 1/2 nipples that are threaded on one end, which makes for a perfect install (tryin to stay away from using silicone, i like a clean look). First off i drilled holes and rounded them off with the end of my dremel, the sanding bit was an absolutely perfect fit for the fittings!! Lucky!! Its pretty simple and i hope it works well, as of now the pump is going to go inside the tank and pump to the can filter and then out the bottom back into the tank(in theory).

I got the pump at work for $8 (Home Depot)
Tupperware at Wal-Mart $5
Fittings were like $1.50 a piece
Vinyl tubing $5

Any suggestion on what to put in the can?
I was thinkin some gravel on the bottom, filter floss w/ carbon, then pot scrubbers on top, what ya think??

[vinhjamin8302]

Oh i know it looks kinds big in the pic but its only 7''x 5''x 5''

[jackiomy]

Pretty cool, I will watch to see how it works for you. Nice kitty.

[7itanium]

looks sweet.. im a bit confuse how it works tho

I see the one pump (to pump water INTO the can?)

what pumps the water back into the tank?

[vinhjamin8302]

Hopefully the pressure will force the water thru the can and out the bottom hole on its way back into the tank.....Hopefully will test soon just gotta get some media into it first

[7itanium]

Hopefully the pressure will force the water thru the can and out the bottom hole on its way back into the tank.....Hopefully will test soon just gotta get some media into it first

ah I see... that might work-- you could also hook the other end to a powerhead possibly.

just make sure you monitor it-- hopefully the backpressure doesnt pop the lid off and flood your house

[DrNo]

Hopefully the pressure will force the water thru the can and out the bottom hole on its way back into the tank.....Hopefully will test soon just gotta get some media into it first

Commend you on a great DIY! Love the ingenuity. What is the pump rated to (GPH?). Based on the appearance here, I don't think the pump will have enough gas to get the job done and force water back into the aquarium. Adding another unit however on the return could get the job done. I also have concerns re: the true water tightness of the container once it is under pressure. I strongly urge you to test the unit outside first just in case things go wrong.

Keep us updated as this is a great effort :thm:

[vampie]

I'd be worried about the canister as well. It is tupperware after all..

[vinhjamin8302]

Oh yeah no doubt i would test either in my tub or outside, the pump is about 130gph i made this for a small tank ~5g so i dont want to much flow goin through, this is also why i didnt want to silcone anything for ease of reconfiguring.

[thebrandon]

I think this little thing would work out fine with two pumps. One thing you could try and do is just make it so the out hose has a pump, that way if you do use two pumps and the pump on the in line fails you wont have any issues.

[addicted2fish]

interesting .....I will def want to see how this works for ya .

[bobross]

Hello forum,

I just wanted to contribute my $.02 on this DIY project. I actually used the same container as the OP on my DIY canister filter. I chose to use fittings made from the same material.

I would definitely recommend siliconing around any holes that are made in this. A lot of pressure is built up inside of this and you really ought to take that extra step in order to ensure no leaks. I ran a similar design except chose to run the pump inside the container, at the top, instead. Just like the rena xp series.

I opted with the microjet 450. Good flow output control and the intake of the pump is on the bottom. I did have to cut the power cord and hook it back up after it was ran through the lid. Shrink wrap did an amazing job of sealing that cut cord back up.

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh141/vwstarved/diycanisterfilter.jpg


Media (not shown) consisted of alternating layers of polyfil, cut up bendy straws (for bio) and 20 & 30 ppm filter sponge.

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh141/vwstarved/diyfilterspraybar.jpg

Here's a pic of the spray bar. made from plastic hose and plastic pvc parts. The intake for the filter is in the backround. I simply fit an old intake tube to the plastic pvc.

You can sort of see the ripples at the top of the water. I have to aim the spray bar facing the lid otherwise its too strong of a current for my 2 DP's.

You can also sorta see some snail 'shapes' on the glass. I never see these snailss during the day. I just turned the light on real quick to snap a pic.
Sorry for the craptastic pictures but its off my cell. I've been running this filter flawlessly for about six months without any signs of stress.




Any questions feel free to ask. I did a bit of testing on the filter before running it on my 10 gallon DP tank. They're messy little f'ers and this filter keeps their water stats in check for about 2 weeks before a water change is needed.

I've only had to clean the media once since the beginning and everything seems to be going awesome. (knock on wood)

Another cool thing with this filter is that it was tested for a power outage of 4 days and it never lost it's syphon. During water changes, I simply unplug it and plug it back in once the tank has been filled. Whether after a water change or a 4 day outage, once power is back, it turns right back on and keeps chugging along as if nothing even happened.


Cost Breakdown:
Container $7 @ wal-mart
pump - $15 at amazon.com
hoses and media: $20
everything else was stuff I had already
----------------------------------
$42 - not bad for a first attempt.
Thanks again, BobRoss

[pik01]

6 months, that impresses me, and welcome to the forum :)

[Reefscape]

Looks like a very cool project, and one proven to work too, looking at bobross's build..

[Rbishop]

Good idea!

[excuzzzeme]

I am concerned over the attachment of the hose connectors to the box. I don't see that style as being strong enough and think bulkhead fittings would be a better choice.

[wetwillyjoe69]

looks great man. my .02 is to have the pump on the output, pumping water into the tank. the siphoning effect will keep drawing water into the filter. i think the negative pressure sucking water into the filter would be less stressful to the canister than positive pressure pushing water back into the tank

[vinhjamin8302]

yeah im going to work today and looking for some rubber washers and some nylon nuts for the back of the fitting so i can do a make shift bulkhead, i want to stay away from silicone, it doesnt adhere to plastic as well as it should

[vinhjamin8302]

looks great man. my .02 is to have the pump on the output, pumping water into the tank. the siphoning effect will keep drawing water into the filter. i think the negative pressure sucking water into the filter would be less stressful to the canister than positive pressure pushing water back into the tank
And good suggestion....thats why i didnt want to put the pump inside and hack everything up, so i can change anything up in a second without having to worry about silicone or rewiring, good one though!!:thm:

[bobross]

Next time I clean my filter, I will try to take to some better pictures to explain things a little better.

I first tried my filter on my 55g. The pump wasn't strong enough to return water fast enough. Eventually, the water filled the canister and started leaking at the cover. Not anywhere else. Not where my output hose is at. Apparently, the rubber gasket on these containers isn't too strong. So I tried it on my 10g. The water level got up to the bottom of the pump and it stays there. It hasn't gone any higher than that since.

I think the reason it leaked might have something to do with the pressure being built up inside of the filter.

And the fitting i have on my intake to the container is something like a bulkhead fitting. it's like a small bulkhead fitting with an elbow on the outside of the container. My intake hose barely fit inside of this fitting. I think it's pretty snug.

I want to see what kind of pressure build up you get running your design. I'm pretty sure yours will work as long as its not used on a bigger tank. I'm not trying to turn this into a debate over whose is better. I actually think this design is better than mine. But I kind of doubt the strenth in the gasket of these containers.

The silicone is a little flimsy, I will agree. But, the places I used it on don't even come in contact with water. They're siliconed as a failsafe in case the filter messes up and they do touch water. I would recommend you silicone the fittings into the container as a failsafe as well.

Not trying to be a ****, just my opinion.

BobRoss

[Cory Keeper]

yeah, I tried a positive pressure setup with that container, the seal didn't work. Negative pressure would seal far better than a pressure would.

[SuBXeRo]

def seems like a fun project. Possibilities are endless when u do it urself

[Jalo Reefa']

I don't see that thing holding up... the water pressure is going to break the seal. I think in THEORY it would work if the intake went into the bottom and pushed the water out the top... but again, pressure.

that thing may be advertised as "airtight and water tight" but its not designed to be exposed to water pressure from within either.

Good luck. Hope I am wrong.

[vinhjamin8302]

No worries babross not sayin mines/yours is better but will take everyones suggestions and put them into account when i do a test run 2nite after work, do like the negative pressure siggestion though will try that also

[DrNo]

bobross, is that parafilm seal around the edging of the tupperware unit?

[bobross]

I honestly don't even know what parafilm seal is.

I didn't do anything special to seal this thing. Just aquarium safe silicone where the input, output, and power cord are. My container is the exact same as vinhjamin8302 (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/member.php?u=94518)'s. Exactly.
It's just it's a crap picture so it might look weird. Maybe that's why your seeing it that way? I'm not sure what you mean.

The first picture I posted shows a black 'strap' holding the filter in place to the stand. Its just 3 layers of electrical tape taped together so it stay in place. I have cats that are always jumping around on/off my tanks so I taped this thing down so it wouldn't fall off. It looks ghetto but so what. It works. I'm excited to see the OP's filter. I like that design and might have to steal it.:devil:


BobRoss

Not trying to hijack a thread here, but... does anyone else have any DIY canister filters their willing to show?

[vinhjamin8302]

Lol!! Hijack away!! I would also like to see whats being made out there as far as Can. filters...might get some decent ideas!!

[thebrandon]

I am going to be trying your idea or something similar pretty soon I hope, or something along the lines or a filter using those little plastic storage shelves

[vequalsir]

I think this is a great DIY idea. You rubber band the top down to brace it from the internal water pressure from the pump.

[vinhjamin8302]

I think this is a great DIY idea. You rubber band the top down to brace it from the internal water pressure from the pump.
You know what!? Good Suggestion will have to try!! But my only worry is rubberbands do lose tension over time and when that happens...uh-oh!!

[Sploke]

I made something similar out of a 5gal bucket, with a 300gph pump. I ended up needing two nylon straps around it to keep the top from bursting off when it was running. It leaked all over the place too. For DIY canisters, I have had the best luck with 4" PVC pipe. There are all sorts of fittings that can be cobbled together, that are MADE to go together, leak free, and plenty of options for threaded connections to take thigns apart when necessary.

[vinhjamin8302]

Update...ok so i decided to go in a bit of a different direction, since i was gonna be using this for a small tank i didnt want anymore hardware in the tank than necessary, so i put the pump in the filter on the bottom, only thing you have to do before you start is to prime the filter, just fill the can with water before you start the pump and the rest will take care of its self, gonna fill with floss and either bioballs/ceramic rings, oh the previous setup did leak under pressure:wall:

[vequalsir]

keep with the updates!

[thebrandon]

I might go out and buy some things needed to build one today:)

[bobross]

Any update on this? I was curious to see what this looked like finished.

[hailmike]

any updates guys?

[luckydud13]

So on your current setup, will the pump have enough pressure to pull water down from the tank into the input of the filter? I have always wondered this. I want a canister filter so I dont wanna mess with overflow's. Its tricky. Good luck :thumbsup:

[vinhjamin8302]

Sorry guys no updates yet, ive been fighting some high ammonia readings in my eclipse 6, but i did a test run in my sink thats about 3-4 ft high and it seemed to work fine!! Will post when i get it my 10g.

[HrdWodFlor]

looking good there. looking forward to seeing this in action. been wanting to this my self.

[Fishfiles1]

heres what mine looks like 150 GPH

[huffmagx]

OK I have a pond filter that works much the same way. The pump goes in the pond and then the water is returned to the waterfall. I bought mine though but the concept is the same as what you have constructed ( for way cheaper ) although you might have to work out some "kinks" as others have mentioned.

[Matt101905]

So did this DIY can. filter ever turn out good? I've been wanting to build one myself but am waiting for the R&D stages to be over with. Let us know how it turned out!

[tekonus]

Very interested in the results myself. Just ran across this post in a search for DIY filtration. Seems very promising.

[hamster_34]

I've tried these air tight canisters before, in about 4 different shapes and sizes. All leak under postive pressure everntually, and most suck air when used on the suction side of a pump.

What I ended up using? Go to menards, look at whole house water filters. They come with a filter head, and a bottom piece that screws on. 3/4 pipe thread fittings. They are awesome. and you can buy filter elements from 150 micron screens, all the way down to like 5 micron spiral wound elements. Very cheap too. I picked up my first canister for 8 bucks (on sale, usually 14.95). I run 2 now, first one runs a 150 micron washable plastic "sediment" screen, and then I run the 20 micron sprial wound filter. The screen was like 14 bucks, but its washable, so I'll never have to replace it. the sprial wound ones come in a 2 pack for like 4-5 bucks. You can use them under ALOT of pressure, and they wont leak, if they do change the o-ring seal. You can also use them on the other side of the pump (be careful doing this, some have air vents on them to bleed after change the filter, these might alow air in under a vacuum.

[excuzzzeme]

Thank you hamster_34 (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/member.php?u=32447) as you have answered one of my thoughts - using a whole house filter system.

[Sploke]

The trick is finding a pump that will run that kind of pressure. House systems run at 55-65psi usually. A typical mag-drive pump will push maybe...5psi? Just a guess, but I know its not that high.

[rithunder916]

Yea, that's what has been keeping me from doing that myself. What I as going to use is the water pumps from RV's. They push out at around 40psi, so two of them would give me the pressure needed.


MIke

[fwiffo]

try gorman-rupp. they make several models that would easily match the ranges stated. those babies are industrial to residential for water systems and sprinklers and such.

http://www.gripumps.com/products.asp?level=products

[hamster_34]

I've been running dual whole house filters for several months now. No problems. I'm using a quiet one pump, the one that is like 590gph, 1" fittings in and out, running 1" id tubes to feed the pump, and 3/4" id lines coming out of the filters. I get good flow, and crystal clear water, at least what goes through the filter, I'm still trying to find a way to get the cr@p off the bottom of the tank, without stirring up all the sand.

Oh, and I use the 5 micron string wound filters, they are less than 5 bucks for a 2 pack, even cheaper when you buy them by the box.

[Fitzy]

THANX! Hampster_34

Could you please provide more info re your set-up, manufacturer, model # etc.....
That Menards website is the most frustrating I've ever encountered. Can't 'search' for anything (plus I live on the East coast anyway).

I'm green as a bean when it comes to aquariums so I'm doing my research here before I attempt anything. My tank is going to be a 50 gal.

Thanks again.

[stratusfearrr]

thats an awesome idea.