I needed a filter for my 2.5 shrimp tank (homemade), and I didn't want a sponge filter cuz they're too big and ugly and would ruin the clean look of the tank. Also I needed something fast because there are already critters in there and I don't want to do daily water changes. And it needed to be airpowered cuz I don't like plugging too many things in.
So, I went to my big box of accumulated aquarium junk parts, and of course the all important source of ghetto DIY equipment, the Kitchen. The final product is made of PVC, 1/4" tubing, 3/4" tubing, some elbows, a plastic Giants cup (from the game Sunday), a discard-a-stone, and potscrubbers that I stole from under the sink (they where new, but I rinsed them well anyways). All parts that I had on hand.
Here's how it works:
The scrubbies are cut into circles to friction fit in the cup, all the excess is cut in little bits to act as additional biomedia. The bits are placed in the cup first, then the circles over them, about 1/3 of the way from the top. The PVC elbow has a hole at the top thru which the airline comes in (never mind the other peice of of tubing), the airstone is connected near the bottom of the pipe, which is at the bottom of the cup, poked thru holes in the scrubby circles. The grey tube serves as an output and quiets the water, because it's quite bubbly and gurgly as it comes out the elbow. The other plumbing is a simple syphon that draws water out of the tank and into the upper portion of the cup, above the sponges, I had to insert a peice of airline tubing into the syphon and suck out the air to get it started. The water passes down thru the sponges and is drawn up the tube and back into the tank by the bubbles.
If anybody would like more info, I could draw I diagram or something.
Overall, I think it'll work, although I may want to refine the idea in the future, or at least not have it sitting on my jar of food.
If you think you can beat it, please post your ghetto filter!
Any feedback/comments would be appreciated!
So, I went to my big box of accumulated aquarium junk parts, and of course the all important source of ghetto DIY equipment, the Kitchen. The final product is made of PVC, 1/4" tubing, 3/4" tubing, some elbows, a plastic Giants cup (from the game Sunday), a discard-a-stone, and potscrubbers that I stole from under the sink (they where new, but I rinsed them well anyways). All parts that I had on hand.
Here's how it works:
The scrubbies are cut into circles to friction fit in the cup, all the excess is cut in little bits to act as additional biomedia. The bits are placed in the cup first, then the circles over them, about 1/3 of the way from the top. The PVC elbow has a hole at the top thru which the airline comes in (never mind the other peice of of tubing), the airstone is connected near the bottom of the pipe, which is at the bottom of the cup, poked thru holes in the scrubby circles. The grey tube serves as an output and quiets the water, because it's quite bubbly and gurgly as it comes out the elbow. The other plumbing is a simple syphon that draws water out of the tank and into the upper portion of the cup, above the sponges, I had to insert a peice of airline tubing into the syphon and suck out the air to get it started. The water passes down thru the sponges and is drawn up the tube and back into the tank by the bubbles.
If anybody would like more info, I could draw I diagram or something.
Overall, I think it'll work, although I may want to refine the idea in the future, or at least not have it sitting on my jar of food.
If you think you can beat it, please post your ghetto filter!
Any feedback/comments would be appreciated!
