The Fluval 404 SUPERCART! Drawing

[CWO4GUNNER]

Dear fellow DIY enthusiast, Here is my plan for the super modification of both my Fluval 404's. Please be critical so that I can either explain or make modification to my plan. I hope to complete it very soon in order to start the test phase. I made these modifications as simple as possible with very little craftsmanship required and ready available hardware parts. Yet with a degree of performance and capacity never achieved in a filter this size surpassing even the Magnum 350, I hope. Please tell me what you think?

 

[nc0gnet0]

I would bring the micron filter as close to the top of the canister as possible. Ideally it would be perfect if the cartridge was the entire lenth of the canister, but not much you can do there....Then I wouldn't use the stock fluval pads but use some 20 ppi or 30 ppi pads for your prefilter section to prolong the lifespan of the micron filter.

The only problem I see after that is will the fluval pump have enough umph to draw the water thru the filter. Typically these open impeller pumps have more power at the outflow then they do suction on the intake.

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

I would bring the micron filter as close to the top of the canister as possible. Ideally it would be perfect if the cartridge was the entire lenth of the canister, but not much you can do there....Then I wouldn't use the stock fluval pads but use some 20 ppi or 30 ppi pads for your prefilter section to prolong the lifespan of the micron filter.

The only problem I see after that is will the fluval pump have enough umph to draw the water thru the filter. Typically these open impeller pumps have more power at the outflow then they do suction on the intake.

"I would bring the micron filter as close to the top of the canister as possible":
Well the cartridge is just shy of 10" and the contact point to the intake is just over 12", also the intake is off center by 3/4 of an inch in both right and left of center, deliberately I think to prevent someone from attempting this. So the 2.5 difference in height between the cart and intake helped make the correction using a small piece of 5/8" corrugated FX5 hose. The mating was done via a 3/4" threaded PVC adapter PVC-glued right over the intake opening to the impeller cover and the other end to a 3/4" threaded PVC pipe which is inserted snugly into the top of the cart opening. So every bit of space was used up yet the assembly (hose & threaded pipe) disassemble for cleaning easily.

"use the stock fluval pads but use some 20 ppi or 30 ppi pads for your prefilter section to prolong the lifespan of the micron filter":

The stock sponge insert assembly although a good idea was deliberately designed with way too much bypass, along the top, sides, front and back allowing water to enter the basket side right from the in-flow port and take advantage of all the media basket bypass water channels allowing as much as 60% of the water to simply pass from the inflow port to out-flow port without filtration.

The remedy was the bonding of 6 AC70 sponge filters in 3 rows of 2 sponges side by side lengthwise which provided a bock of sponge which was trimmer for a custom tight fit yet provided the channel necessary for water to be carried down the entire length of the sponge and canister or 100 SI of surface area, large enough to filter without clogging and no bypass.

"Typically these open impeller pumps have more power at the outflow then they do suction on the intake."

Theoretically becasue there is so much more filter surface area especially on the cart about 200 SI, restriction will be very low as if there in no media at all, so I am hopeful and anticipate that when it is ready for trials, (tomorrow maybe) it will work as well as it is put together.

Although the end result is a simple set of parts, it took allot of time and patience to work out the problem details. The most difficulty the reinforcement of the cart against compression from the lid and base, and the coupling of the cart to the impeller cover which had to be both strong and yet easily dissembled for cleaning.

Im still working out the final details and will post photos as soon as I get more feedback as I want to make sure I didn't miss anything so feel free to grill, ask and constructively criticize, and I try and answer every question.

 

[RodInCALIFORNIA]

geez Gunner you are one hard core DIY'er !

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

geez Gunner you are one hard core DIY'er !

I just had 2 filters that were made well with well intended engineering but performed awful. I was going to sell them and probubly could have gotten $50 each. But the more I stared at them on the floor the ore my mind worked out the DIY. Allot of this stuff takes place in my head including the trial and error part. Sometimes I have to make repeated trips to the LHS to get just the right fittings to make that idea work. Although I rarely make mistakes in problem solving, It can takes days even weeks for me to come up with a solution while im doing other things, this one 4 weeks bouncing around in my head.

Anyway I digress, shall we get on with it....

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

The first thing I knew I had to do was prepare the impeller cover for a mating surface that would somehow hook up to the giant micron filter and the little grates that are their to keep that from happening had to go. To I cut and ground them off with mt Dremel tool.

This is the time to ask the hard or easy questions for clarification before I move on to the next step as this is an important mod that can really make this filter a major polishing and diatom filter.

 

[odinthejd]

Cool Idea!

 

[nc0gnet0]

Gunner what size micron filter do you plan on using? I have used these quite a bit so I am curious. I suggest going with the 5 micron at first. It would look like a ball of string. The paper ones tend to clog very easy (although do a great job at first). Second, you can re-use them several times but you will need the original canister that they were designed for hooked up in reverse to "backflush" with a garden hose.

I have a 404 that I was just about to put in service on a 90 gallon discus tank build I am doing, I am going to have to check it out. I had to laugh at you going to town on the impeller cover, a week spot in the 404 design IMHO (replace a few).

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

Gunner what size micron filter do you plan on using? I have used these quite a bit so I am curious. I suggest going with the 5 micron at first. It would look like a ball of string. The paper ones tend to clog very easy (although do a great job at first). Second, you can re-use them several times but you will need the original canister that they were designed for hooked up in reverse to "backflush" with a garden hose.

I have a 404 that I was just about to put in service on a 90 gallon discus tank build I am doing, I am going to have to check it out. I had to laugh at you going to town on the impeller cover, a week spot in the 404 design IMHO (replace a few).

FYI I have started a new thread on the assembly portion. But to answer your question this is the larger "whole house" pleated micron polyester filter just like the Magnum 8 micron filter only 3X larger surface area. These polyester pleated filters come in different micron sizes from 1, 5, 10, 30, and 50 and cost about $13. I like the pleated becasue it corrugated it had a surface area 3X the size of the the non-corrugated ones and becasue the thin polyester membrane either stops or passes dirt on the surface only rather then penetrating the media. This makes it reusable several times by just soaking in bleach-water and rinsing liek new, while the thicker less expensive type trap dirt and have to be replaced.

I decided to start out in the middle of the road by trying the 30 micron pleated polyester filter which I plan to rap in Blue-bond sock as a pre-filter and the new sponge filter prevents bypass and also pre-filters, so I don't expect having it too clog for months, I hope.

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

Update. I had to post these pics of how crystal clear the Supercart 404 is maintaining my Feeder-Goldie test tank. I diden't even bother to clean the glass inside or out and used a flash deliberately rather then window light in order to capture reflective particles with the flash. Even from the side the tank is like a jewel, clarity I did not expect to this extent using a 30 micron filter.

So now Im ordering a 5 micron filter and will adapt my 2nd Fluval 404, but this time without the cartridge caging which I have determined I do not need, and the low profile impeller cover adapter which will allow a longer flexible tube and the use of a Blue-bond sock over the cartridge for more endurance. I may also try and finder pre-filter cartridge sponge.

I plan to inspect the filter in 2 more weeks and depending on how much dirt is getting trapped will determine whether a finer sponge is used and/or pre-filter sock over the cart.

If the Supercart 404 with its non-bypass redesign is yeilding these kind of results with a 30 micron giant cart, I can only imagine what it will look like with a 5 micron cart. Of course the challenge at that pot will be endurance but with 6X the surface are of the Magnum cart and the use of the sponge pre-filter and Blue-bond sock, I only expect great results.