DIY filter?

born2lovefish said:
Actually the pump is cheap. I have a extra one I use to use for automatic water changes at my old house. It was plumped into a 70 gallon water tank. Now I want to use the pump for make a filter. Is it possible to have too high of a flow rate for the bio balls?
Click to expand...

Yes, but w/ 6" ID PVC you definitely won't overwhelm the balls w/ your setup (unless it is some uber-sized jacuzzi pump!). What size hose barbs? (3/4" or 1").

You're using CPVC service drain stuff, right? Or is it ABS? None of that stuff is cheap in that diameter! I would believe chefkeith is right on the dollars saved versus DIY difference in this case.

I've got some unused pumps, too, and I'm just trying to figure out what to do with them rather than have them sit around. We think alike! My problem is that I would end up with some Rube Goldberg or Heath Robinson affair rather than the neat and simple PVC setup you are thinking of, B2L.

On a side note, your idea would make one heck of a CO2 (or ozone, etc) reactor!

v/r, N-A
 
With filters, you definitely won't save money. Most are pretty inexpensive.
Was once thinking about having a friend design something for me if I ever get a big tank...some of the items he builds for small pools are amazingly close to more robust aquarium products (like Ocean Clear filters) in design and construction, but just scaled up in all dimensions. His prices were better than reasonable, and better than I would have expected.

v/r, N-A
 
Walker… My 300 gallon planted has 2 150 gallon plastic tanks working as a wet sump. For a good while it was running 2 300, 4 100, 2 75, and 20 20 gallon tanks. Now what do you think about over kill. At the point I moved everything around I could not see pumping water 120 feet to the sump.


As for using the bioballs in a 6” pipe it will work but what would you use for a prefilter. I do think I would make it about 2 foot long.
 
Native American said:
With filters, you definitely won't save money. Most are pretty inexpensive.
Click to expand...

Depends on what your talking about. Maybe a canister is cheap like my XP3 wich works great for under $100. But if you want a large capacity wet/dry filter than most comercial units are $250-$350. But you can build your own for less than half that price that is alot bigger! You could probably save yourself 200 bucks.
 
You're right, I was on the canister angle. And yes, you can make a great wet/dry for a lot less than anything out there commercially...just go to a well-set up fish store; their homemade wet-dry systems have to be set up on the cheap and durable principle because it's a business.

Of course, I've got a wife to contend with, so it has to look good. I don't mind. Her batting average on these things is way ahead of mine.

Time to go to the local hardware store. I think I'm going to make a CO2 reactor using B2L's methodology.

v/r, N-A
 
Hey I made a CO2 reactor for like $10. works great. Go to like lowes or menards and buy a water filter canister. The ones for like households. I filled mine up with bio-balls and then hooked it up to a powerhead. I injected the CO2 into the air intake on the powerhead. It breaks the CO2 into very tiny bubbles. Cheap if you have the extra parts around.
 
Yes, thankfully I do have an extra powerhead...and, what is a water filter canister? Are they those big white cylinders at Lowe's or Home Depot with replaceable media for filtering tap water?

v/r, N-A
 
Done, and thanks.

v/r, N-A
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom