The pump used in this video: amzn.to/2aKdlZS Pump for faster flow rates: amzn.to/2aEgHuL Join The DIY AQUAPRO Team ! FACEBOOK: / diyaquapros TWITTER: / diyaquapros
Your channel is absolutely amazing, thank you so much for doing what you do! I have watched many of your videos now and all of them are so useful. For me you are the best channel dedicated to aquariums and everything that comes with it.
Well done, man this is by far the most useful DIY external I have seen on TH-cam and really cheap too. Groovy - I will put link to this on the Tyne Valley Aquatics facebook page.
Well done . Time well spent looking @ videos . I'm impressed by the amount of stuff I've learned. I would like to see how to construct a sand water fall though.
Great job! Better than the many other 5 gallon bucket versions on TH-cam! Those versions are known to leak, and even crack under pressure, during power outages.
Bravo..my friend.. this is hands-down the best and simplest video I've seen on how to build one of these... everyone else makes it so complicated....I think they do it on purpose to make themselves look more important...
Wow, this is the best DIY canister filter I've ever seen built for aquariums! Hats off to you buddy! Would like to see a spray bar attachment for this! Also, another cool thing to add would be a purge valve at the top to let air out from time to time. Love this though, found to build on this week or next for sure! Amazing channel man, simply amazing!
Thanks man, its way cheaper that using PVC (which i've made a lot of) haha. I need to make a few new spray bars, and yes a purge valve would be a good idea! Thanks again for watching, appreciate it!
You are a lifesaver!!!! I have been looking everywhere for a filter water pump like this one that has an option for prefilter sponge or intake. I also heard this one was pretty quiet (in water) from other sites as well, BONUS FOR ME! I am going to use it for a corner HMF filter for my new 75 gallon aquarium. Should work perfectly with the outtake leading to a waterfall that extends on the back of my tank to help circulate the water throughout the tank better. Great project by the way! I may try that if I get interested in canister filters, heard good things about them.
Wow 8 years ago it's been a long time watching your videos . give us an 8-year update are you still using the pump canister combo or upgrades . what issues have you encountered if any or smooth sailing hopefully.
this video is great! it is a few years old so I am wondering if there is any changes to your design you would recommend? ie filter materials or pump etc?
Hi Nick, excellent video, I followed your instructions and made one for my self i have a 29gall an the wster is crystal clear but 2 weeks later I am having problems with a leak in the lid , what can I do??? Please help...
I like it, I am building a bit of a similar filter except the feed is at the bottom with a cavity and a false bottom above that so solids can settle to the bottom, the output will siphon off of the top of the filter with bio media of some sort in between. I've been toying with the idea of either above water level or on the floor but think I am going to go with above since this is an indoor aquaponics experiment. Aq to Filter above, gravity flow to the grow bed then dump back into the tank. I got some good ideas from your video. Thanks
First off, thanks for the very informative video...it is very handy!! I am in the process of building a similar canister filter with for my 75 Gallon tank for my Mud turtle (Head pressure: 3 foot drop & flexible tubing). I know you suggest the Eco Plus 396, but I'm not sure if this would work for my purposes or not, I have also seen The Sicce Syncra 3.0 & the Jecod DCT 4000. Any suggestion/constructive input would be much appreciated!
This is fantastic! Great job!!! I'm getting a 110G shortly and am canister shopping. I don't love the prices and want to experiment with this set up. Problem I'm having is figuring out how to take your set up, and be able to take off the lid for cleaning. I can't unscrew the lid without tangling the hose and making a mess so I would want to disconnect the input hose from the lid. If I disconnect hoses from the hose connectors every time then eventually the hoses will be stretched and leaky at the connections. I was thinking I could add a ball valve to the other side of the flexible connector at the bottom so I could halt water flow there as well to disconnect from the pump and output hose. To easily maintain the filter I would want to disconnect the input hose from the cooler and disconnect the output hose preferably from the point where the flex hose is (if I add a ball valve so the water in the output hose doesn't flow down) so I could take the cooler full of media to the bathroom or outside for cleaning. Any ideas?
ideas what to build next; Overflow system with wet dry filter? love to hear what your take is on the overflow system because I read and see too many different builds that make me hesitant to make one myself :)
Thanks for responding to my question. I keep African cichlids. About 10 or so so this would work great. Keep up the great work love the information on your channel
It is really wonderful tutorial. I have a question though. According to ADA ES-300, it has specs as follows Flow Rate 6.0L/min Maximum Pump Head 1.5m. It means 360L/H. But you use 1500L/H. It sounds way to powerful for making the similar ADA product. Or, could you give some calculation to determine what flow rate for which tank size?
Mike I have recently got SunSun Hw 603 from my friend but thats all he have he dont have the pump and piepes can you guide me how do I make it proper canister filter.
Gents, I am having difficulty finding the necessary parts in Canada online as well as in Reno/Home depot. Does anyone here had better chances finding the bulkheads as well as the male hose adapters etc.? I have shown up your video in the stores and it seems extremely easy to understand what I need but nothing can be found... I would appreciate if any links or store names can be provided.
Thank you! Loved the video! Subscribed and liked! But a few questions... I'm new to this. I've always used a carbon filter on the back of my tank. The ones that you can buy at like Petsmart. How does this differ in filtration? And how is this better? Is it more efficient? Do I have to clean the tank less often? What are the benefits basically?
Activated carbon is used to primarily bind and reduce carbon based compounds that cause odors and discoloration of your water. Activated carbon will not bind NH3 NO2- or NO3- which is a common misconception. I dont use carbon in any of my tanks out of personal preference. Some swear by it, others such as my self, stay away from it. Carbon does have a very high surface area, but since it purpose is to bind and not necessarily release, over time it will be come saturated and will need to be replaced. I would only use it if you have a strong organic odor or tannin leach that wont go away with water changes.
First, thank you for this amazing video! Second, I am having trouble on the intake portion. Everything was working well until I changed/cleaned the media within the 2 gallon container. Before, I had alot of sponges but they began to decay and breakdown so I use 2 sets of bioballs a few steel wool pads, and a few sponges. The filter would work for a few hours then the intake will stop drawing in water. i checked all the intake pieces to make sure they are air tight. Do you think media is getting stuck anywhere within the canister? any help would be greatly appreciated!
A man I met in the pet store yesterday told me about this video. It sounded great, but I was concerned that it might be too complicated. Thanks for a clear cut, easy to follow how-to. I will use this design to filter a 55 gallon, indoor turtle pond. My only question is, is it not necessary to use active carbon? I watched a couple other videos from people who used your design, but made some changes. You did not use carbon, but some of them did. Are there pros and cons to using carbon in the filter?
Can you revisit this DIY project? I'd like to know if you figured out any better fixes for leaking. Or a better setup. I tried this build and it leaked all the way around the lid. Plus, how do you open the canister to clean?
I really like this idea and design. I set this up today and ran into a few problems. Stopping the water from filling the container when I want to service it, too much pressure building up, and my flexible male riser. The solutions I came up with were: an extra ball valve on the top of the container for the filling issue, adjusting the flow out of the container with the ball valve near the pump for the pressure issue, and a plastic male riser for the flexible male riser issue. Although I am going to look for another container to serve as my canister. I'm not a fan of the cooler with all the pressure that is building up. Does any one have any thoughts on other suitable containers? I saw the homer bucket idea, but not sure how well it would handle the pressure.
I'm always looking how to make filters and this is a good idea. I would also put those Eheim quick disconnect valve on the end of the input hose to hold the water in the tube to clean the canister. I gave you a *thumbs up* I like this.
where did you get that transfer pump? all we can find is submersible powerheads, water pumps like for a Koi pond and sump pumps, but no small dry transfer pump that won't be crazy loud.
Mike, I built this 2 weeks ago and its running great. I'm building another one soon but, I'm having a problem finding the 1/2" connectors with barbed ends. The ones at Home Depo and Lowes have 1/2" thread but smaller barbed end which will constrict the flow. Do you have a location to purchase the exact ones on the video?? Seems like the connector's you used in your video work perfect. Also thank you for making these do it your self projects. Maxxmann
great vid guys i liked and will most def try this one for my baby turtle.. at first i thought you were going to put the intake from the bio-media below then you put it from the mechanical filter on top thats what i want to do.
Thank you for the great video! I built this filter as specified (same pump and everything) however found that the pressure in the canister was too high and resulted in water escaping from the top of the cooler. I ended removing the bulkhead and separating the pump. I then sat the cooler and pump unconnected in a 25 gallon plastic container ($4). Essentially, this created a perfect sump for my 55 gallon tank. As an added benefit the cooler stands taller than the container's water level and I found a drainage cap at Lowes (see link below) that sits perfectly about 5 inches from the top of the cooler. This allowed me to fill the top 5 inches of the cooler with bio balls creating a super simple wet/dry and sump system. All in all the system cost me $40; $50 if you count the massive 1.5in PVC overflow intake I built to feed the cooler. My overstocked 55g african cichlid tank has been running quietly on this system for 6 months now with perfect water parameters. Thanks again! www.lowes.com/pd_21588-676-10_4294612448__?productId=3132545&Ns=p_product_price|0&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_price%7C0%26page%3D2&facetInfo=
+Steven Tasker The way I had this system set up was to with filter floss on the top most layer under one of the grates I mentioned in my previous comment. I then had a circular cut filter pad under the floss. I change the filter floss every 2-3 weeks or so (costs next to nothing so why not). I only changed the filter pads if they start getting clogged; perhaps every 2 months. I maintained that system for over a year with 20 cichlids in a 55g with no parameter problems and very little maintenance. I have since altered my system from the one described above due to excess water pressure producing leaks and a wheezing sound from the top of the igloo cooler. Because you cannot drill a larger output on the cooler due to the insulation, I simply replaced the cooler with a 5g bucket ($4) and lid from Lowes. I then put a 2g bucket ($3) in the 5g bucket and cut the bottom of another 5g bucket so form a filter tray. Cut appropriate sized holes in the bottom of each bucket and you have a very similar system.
Would I be able to split the input and output into 2 tanks using a Y adapter? And if so, what kind of pump power would I need to be able to split the canister between 2 side by side tanks? The head is 4.5 foot.
I used the same canister and the lid leaks, not the best one to use for this project. Also, using the vent hole as indicated caused more issues as the drilled hole as the whole due to the curve in the lid in that area makes the o-ring less effective. Silicon can be used to plug the water input connector but for the lid this becomes impracticable as it would need to be redone every time the media is cleaned. Looking for a better canister.
I have a Rio Plus 2500 HP that I wanted to use for this diy project but it is not threaded like the one in video.....do you think that would be a problem? If now what parts would I use instead of the threaded ones?
DIY AQUAPROS Imvery excited to start the building of this canister filter. My question I would like a pump just like this one but with more gph flow considering the height of head pressure will have to be about 3 ft for me. Can you reccommend a pump like this that would work in the 1000 - 2000 gph zone. If so would this be 2 strong. If so could i make something to hold the stuff down. i have this identical pump i use for water changes and fine theres not a strong flow. Any help bud love your stuff. DIY IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO.
Craig, you are free to use any pump that works best for your set up. 1000 to 2000 gal/hr may be over doing it but you can go wrong with more flow, I understand your thinking. Eco Plus makes a 1000 gal/hr pump that you can find here: amzn.to/1yEGxZq I cant tell you what the input/output dimensions are exactly but they may be mentioned on the product listing. Good luck!
Hi DIY AQUAPROS Nice tutorial, I'm definitely going to try this. But I have one question: Is the link to the powerhead the right one? It looks kinda different. Grtz from Belgium
Hi. I made the carnister filter like your video showes the difference is i ised 30l blue barell instead a bucket. Problem i having is that when the filter wokrs for about 2 to 3 hrs the sides of the barell start to sink in so there is some wacume in the batell as when take the intake pipe of it paps the sides back :( I fild the barrel to the neck 100% before starting the pomp. The pomp is 3000l/h pomp with 15mm hose out to tank and 22mm hose from tank to the filter. Can you please help me sort this problem out. Kind regards. Arek
How effective is this filter with a 20 gallon turtle tank? Mines filled up 5 inches. I was also thinking of using this filter for mechanical and then use a Skippy/Wendy filter for biological. Will it work?
Would this work on a 55 gallon tank? Can you please put a list of things need for this on my post, so I can be sure of what I need. I am having a hard time understanding some of the info you are saying here. Maybe you should put list of what is needed for projects where the description goes. Are these filters pretty quiet? My aquarium is my headboard.
I really appreciate the speed with which you get to the point. Easy to understand without being long winded.
Hey thanks a lot!
Your channel is absolutely amazing, thank you so much for doing what you do! I have watched many of your videos now and all of them are so useful. For me you are the best channel dedicated to aquariums and everything that comes with it.
TheWaterwhispers hi
Well done, man this is by far the most useful DIY external I have seen on TH-cam and really cheap too.
Groovy - I will put link to this on the Tyne Valley Aquatics facebook page.
Thanks Richard!
AQUAPROS
What pump are you using?
Dale Bryan Ajero look at description
Well done . Time well spent looking @ videos . I'm impressed by the amount of stuff I've learned. I would like to see how to construct a sand water fall though.
Great job! Better than the many other 5 gallon bucket versions on TH-cam! Those versions are known to leak, and even crack under pressure, during power outages.
Bravo..my friend.. this is hands-down the best and simplest video I've seen on how to build one of these... everyone else makes it so complicated....I think they do it on purpose to make themselves look more important...
I really like the fact that you did this with a cooler. It absolutely has to help with maintaining temperature.
I did something similar when I first started my tank. Nice how to
That was brilliant. So simple yet effective 👍🏻
Excellent DIY video.
one question now, what canister filter size you recommend for a 40 GL aquarium
Nice DIY canister filter. Easy for me to understand and when I make one I will shout out to you Mike!
This is a major $$$ saving project. Sweet. 😊
Wow, this is the best DIY canister filter I've ever seen built for aquariums! Hats off to you buddy! Would like to see a spray bar attachment for this! Also, another cool thing to add would be a purge valve at the top to let air out from time to time. Love this though, found to build on this week or next for sure! Amazing channel man, simply amazing!
Thanks man, its way cheaper that using PVC (which i've made a lot of) haha. I need to make a few new spray bars, and yes a purge valve would be a good idea! Thanks again for watching, appreciate it!
You are a lifesaver!!!!
I have been looking everywhere for a filter water pump like this one that has an option for prefilter sponge or intake. I also heard this one was pretty quiet (in water) from other sites as well, BONUS FOR ME! I am going to use it for a corner HMF filter for my new 75 gallon aquarium. Should work perfectly with the outtake leading to a waterfall that extends on the back of my tank to help circulate the water throughout the tank better.
Great project by the way! I may try that if I get interested in canister filters, heard good things about them.
Wow 8 years ago it's been a long time watching your videos . give us an 8-year update are you still using the pump canister combo or upgrades . what issues have you encountered if any or smooth sailing hopefully.
Great video! I love making stuff for my tanks! Thank you for the great content
Been searching for diy canister filters, best design so far..
Seriously love this Filter that you have made
this video is great! it is a few years old so I am wondering if there is any changes to your design you would recommend? ie filter materials or pump etc?
another outstanding DIY project. Boom
Hi Nick, excellent video, I followed your instructions and made one for my self i have a 29gall an the wster is crystal clear but 2 weeks later I am having problems with a leak in the lid , what can I do??? Please help...
Awesome build! Great idea
I like it, I am building a bit of a similar filter except the feed is at the bottom with a cavity and a false bottom above that so solids can settle to the bottom, the output will siphon off of the top of the filter with bio media of some sort in between. I've been toying with the idea of either above water level or on the floor but think I am going to go with above since this is an indoor aquaponics experiment. Aq to Filter above, gravity flow to the grow bed then dump back into the tank. I got some good ideas from your video. Thanks
Easy and simple. Thanks for the share!
great project! Gonna make me some...so expensive the ones you buy off the shelf around 200$$$... Thanks Man! Nice vid and to the point!
How is it that you have just 250k subscribers? I just love your channel.
Thanks for the tutorial. I tried the same setup but the male flex raiser is leaking from the inside (on both ends). Do you have a solution for that?
hey Mike thank you so much for this design. I've built one myself just not like this. your design is much better. thank you.
im going to try this with my 85 gallon turtle tank. My one question that I have is what size of container should i use?
Thanks mahn!!! Can't wait to try it out
How do I figure out what size canister I need for my tank or does it matter? Great video btw. Thanks!
Great idea!!! Thanks for sharing
Awesome stuff!!! What makes the water crystal clear? Is it the bigger the pump? or the bigger the bucket? Thanks for the info...
Amazing video on canister filter. U solved my problem.. I had a question. Can we use a submersible pump in this design. Please advise.
Excellent video bro, Fantastic.!!!
brilliant man you are... thanks for sharing!
I'm thinking about either making one these or replacing parts or the my entire emperor 400 filter which would be better
Great vid can all submersible pumps be used out of water
Very clear, very easy. Thanks!
First off, thanks for the very informative video...it is very handy!! I am in the process of building a similar canister filter with for my 75 Gallon tank for my Mud turtle (Head pressure: 3 foot drop & flexible tubing). I know you suggest the Eco Plus 396, but I'm not sure if this would work for my purposes or not, I have also seen The Sicce Syncra 3.0 & the Jecod DCT 4000. Any suggestion/constructive input would be much appreciated!
This is fantastic! Great job!!!
I'm getting a 110G shortly and am canister shopping. I don't love the prices and want to experiment with this set up. Problem I'm having is figuring out how to take your set up, and be able to take off the lid for cleaning. I can't unscrew the lid without tangling the hose and making a mess so I would want to disconnect the input hose from the lid. If I disconnect hoses from the hose connectors every time then eventually the hoses will be stretched and leaky at the connections. I was thinking I could add a ball valve to the other side of the flexible connector at the bottom so I could halt water flow there as well to disconnect from the pump and output hose. To easily maintain the filter I would want to disconnect the input hose from the cooler and disconnect the output hose preferably from the point where the flex hose is (if I add a ball valve so the water in the output hose doesn't flow down) so I could take the cooler full of media to the bathroom or outside for cleaning. Any ideas?
I like the idea. Thank you for sharing.
A truly great DIY 👍🐟🐠
Thanks!
ideas what to build next; Overflow system with wet dry filter? love to hear what your take is on the overflow system because I read and see too many different builds that make me hesitant to make one myself :)
Thanks for responding to my question. I keep African cichlids. About 10 or so so this would work great. Keep up the great work love the information on your channel
Anytime!
It is really wonderful tutorial. I have a question though. According to ADA ES-300, it has specs as follows Flow Rate 6.0L/min Maximum Pump Head 1.5m. It means 360L/H. But you use 1500L/H. It sounds way to powerful for making the similar ADA product. Or, could you give some calculation to determine what flow rate for which tank size?
Nice build .
this is soooo cool. I canuse the same concept for mt 700 gal pond outside. thanks
Do you have a link to the .5 in bulkhead or you know if I can find that at Lowes or Home Depot? Thanks and awesome vids
Mike I have recently got SunSun Hw 603 from my friend but thats all he have he dont have the pump and piepes can you guide me how do I make it proper canister filter.
Can you prime the pump by filling the bucket with water so it has a minimum run time with no water.
Bro sump tank or cansister filter which is the best
Gents,
I am having difficulty finding the necessary parts in Canada online as well as in Reno/Home depot. Does anyone here had better chances finding the bulkheads as well as the male hose adapters etc.? I have shown up your video in the stores and it seems extremely easy to understand what I need but nothing can be found...
I would appreciate if any links or store names can be provided.
I think it's the best system I met hasat now. It is very easy to assemble, and is very practical.
Thanks Juan!!!!
Thank you! Loved the video! Subscribed and liked! But a few questions... I'm new to this. I've always used a carbon filter on the back of my tank. The ones that you can buy at like Petsmart. How does this differ in filtration? And how is this better? Is it more efficient? Do I have to clean the tank less often? What are the benefits basically?
Activated carbon is used to primarily bind and reduce carbon based compounds that cause odors and discoloration of your water. Activated carbon will not bind NH3 NO2- or NO3- which is a common misconception. I dont use carbon in any of my tanks out of personal preference. Some swear by it, others such as my self, stay away from it. Carbon does have a very high surface area, but since it purpose is to bind and not necessarily release, over time it will be come saturated and will need to be replaced. I would only use it if you have a strong organic odor or tannin leach that wont go away with water changes.
PERFECT THANKS FOR YOUR TIPS !!
First, thank you for this amazing video! Second, I am having trouble on the intake portion. Everything was working well until I changed/cleaned the media within the 2 gallon container. Before, I had alot of sponges but they began to decay and breakdown so I use 2 sets of bioballs a few steel wool pads, and a few sponges. The filter would work for a few hours then the intake will stop drawing in water. i checked all the intake pieces to make sure they are air tight. Do you think media is getting stuck anywhere within the canister? any help would be greatly appreciated!
Did you event solve this issue?
@AQUAPROS How many gallons is this filter good for?
all power heads will work although not submersed in water?
we can stick the powerhead to the external wall of the canister to save space?
I really like tgis. Thank you for sharing. Subbed.
Thanks bro!
Ingenious and effective.
A man I met in the pet store yesterday told me about this video. It sounded great, but I was concerned that it might be too complicated. Thanks for a clear cut, easy to follow how-to. I will use this design to filter a 55 gallon, indoor turtle pond. My only question is, is it not necessary to use active carbon? I watched a couple other videos from people who used your design, but made some changes. You did not use carbon, but some of them did. Are there pros and cons to using carbon in the filter?
Can you revisit this DIY project? I'd like to know if you figured out any better fixes for leaking. Or a better setup. I tried this build and it leaked all the way around the lid. Plus, how do you open the canister to clean?
I really like this idea and design. I set this up today and ran into a few problems. Stopping the water from filling the container when I want to service it, too much pressure building up, and my flexible male riser. The solutions I came up with were: an extra ball valve on the top of the container for the filling issue, adjusting the flow out of the container with the ball valve near the pump for the pressure issue, and a plastic male riser for the flexible male riser issue. Although I am going to look for another container to serve as my canister. I'm not a fan of the cooler with all the pressure that is building up. Does any one have any thoughts on other suitable containers? I saw the homer bucket idea, but not sure how well it would handle the pressure.
just subbed and liked looking forward to seeing more of your videos
Thanks James, posting a new science vid later today!
I have a 55 a 40 and 2×29.
what is the best and most efficient way to filter all together
Hi Mike! I have submersible water pump will it pump water back into the aquarium if i keep filter below the tank?
This is awesome
I'm always looking how to make filters and this is a good idea. I would also put those Eheim quick disconnect valve on the end of the input hose to hold the water in the tube to clean the canister. I gave you a *thumbs up* I like this.
Thanks Ruben, the quick disconnects would be a good idea.
nice video, I'm definitely gonna do this, i subbed!
Hey thanks!
where did you get that transfer pump? all we can find is submersible powerheads, water pumps like for a Koi pond and sump pumps, but no small dry transfer pump that won't be crazy loud.
I would love it if you had put in the description what materials you used and your measurements.
Mike, I built this 2 weeks ago and its running great. I'm building another one soon but, I'm having a problem finding the 1/2" connectors with barbed ends. The ones at Home Depo and Lowes have 1/2" thread but smaller barbed end which will constrict the flow. Do you have a location to purchase the exact ones on the video?? Seems like the connector's you used in your video work perfect.
Also thank you for making these do it your self projects.
Maxxmann
joe Ortiz jr check out the water irrigation plumbing section for those thread to barb connectors
wow wow wow.. Does GPH depend on the size of the pump???
sir do we need a overflow for this diy canister? how the water run into the canister from the tank?
Now that was awesome!!!
Огромное спасибо! Очень интересный ролик. Хоть я и не понял не одного слова,английский практически не знаю но видео говорит само за себя.
Hey if I did something similar with a 5 gallon cooler how big of a tank could it in theory filter?
Hey Mike, i'm trying to figure it out how you guys can use a submersible pump outside the water? Is it safe to do so? please help!
I have a question, Can it work with an aquaclear 70? Or I will need an special power head?
great vid guys i liked and will most def try this one for my baby turtle.. at first i thought you were going to put the intake from the bio-media below then you put it from the mechanical filter on top thats what i want to do.
InfinitelyFocused Heard that! You can make a similar filter in a lot of different ways, thats why I like this one so much!
Love this idea will one day make one
How many gallons is this good for? If i used a bigger bucket and stronger pump would it be possible to make one for lets say a 300 gallon tank
Nice to see you using the Biohome media. It's best to promote the growth of anaerobic bacteria which is a must-have to lower nitrate levels.
Thank you for the great video! I built this filter as specified (same pump and everything) however found that the pressure in the canister was too high and resulted in water escaping from the top of the cooler. I ended removing the bulkhead and separating the pump. I then sat the cooler and pump unconnected in a 25 gallon plastic container ($4). Essentially, this created a perfect sump for my 55 gallon tank. As an added benefit the cooler stands taller than the container's water level and I found a drainage cap at Lowes (see link below) that sits perfectly about 5 inches from the top of the cooler. This allowed me to fill the top 5 inches of the cooler with bio balls creating a super simple wet/dry and sump system. All in all the system cost me $40; $50 if you count the massive 1.5in PVC overflow intake I built to feed the cooler. My overstocked 55g african cichlid tank has been running quietly on this system for 6 months now with perfect water parameters.
Thanks again!
www.lowes.com/pd_21588-676-10_4294612448__?productId=3132545&Ns=p_product_price|0&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_price%7C0%26page%3D2&facetInfo=
How often do you clean/replace the filters on this?
+Steven Tasker
The way I had this system set up was to with filter floss on the top most layer under one of the grates I mentioned in my previous comment. I then had a circular cut filter pad under the floss. I change the filter floss every 2-3 weeks or so (costs next to nothing so why not). I only changed the filter pads if they start getting clogged; perhaps every 2 months. I maintained that system for over a year with 20 cichlids in a 55g with no parameter problems and very little maintenance.
I have since altered my system from the one described above due to excess water pressure producing leaks and a wheezing sound from the top of the igloo cooler. Because you cannot drill a larger output on the cooler due to the insulation, I simply replaced the cooler with a 5g bucket ($4) and lid from Lowes. I then put a 2g bucket ($3) in the 5g bucket and cut the bottom of another 5g bucket so form a filter tray. Cut appropriate sized holes in the bottom of each bucket and you have a very similar system.
Would I be able to split the input and output into 2 tanks using a Y adapter? And if so, what kind of pump power would I need to be able to split the canister between 2 side by side tanks? The head is 4.5 foot.
I used the same canister and the lid leaks, not the best one to use for this project. Also, using the vent hole as indicated caused more issues as the drilled hole as the whole due to the curve in the lid in that area makes the o-ring less effective. Silicon can be used to plug the water input connector but for the lid this becomes impracticable as it would need to be redone every time the media is cleaned. Looking for a better canister.
Can this work for a container/patio pond ?? Thanks ☺
Nice video 👍👍
I have a Rio Plus 2500 HP that I wanted to use for this diy project but it is not threaded like the one in video.....do you think that would be a problem? If now what parts would I use instead of the threaded ones?
Great video!! For a tank with 370 liters i need to change de powerpump right?
Thanks! The 633 model would be a great fit! amzn.to/1tY4oRM
Would this work for a shallow 8" deep stream? To clarify, will it siphon if the water is shallow?
I wonder what happens if you place both intake and outlet hoses where the lid is. That would make it so much easier for my setup.
DIY AQUAPROS Imvery excited to start the building of this canister filter. My question I would like a pump just like this one but with more gph flow considering the height of head pressure will have to be about 3 ft for me. Can you reccommend a pump like this that would work in the 1000 - 2000 gph zone. If so would this be 2 strong. If so could i make something to hold the stuff down. i have this identical pump i use for water changes and fine theres not a strong flow. Any help bud love your stuff. DIY IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO.
Craig, you are free to use any pump that works best for your set up. 1000 to 2000 gal/hr may be over doing it but you can go wrong with more flow, I understand your thinking. Eco Plus makes a 1000 gal/hr pump that you can find here: amzn.to/1yEGxZq
I cant tell you what the input/output dimensions are exactly but they may be mentioned on the product listing. Good luck!
does the filtering items need to be changed out at any point in time to newer fresher items?
Hi DIY AQUAPROS
Nice tutorial, I'm definitely going to try this. But I have one question: Is the link to the powerhead the right one? It looks kinda different.
Grtz from Belgium
It is the same one, the picture on amazon includes the filter input cover. Hope this helps!
Hi. I made the carnister filter like your video showes the difference is i ised 30l blue barell instead a bucket. Problem i having is that when the filter wokrs for about 2 to 3 hrs the sides of the barell start to sink in so there is some wacume in the batell as when take the intake pipe of it paps the sides back :( I fild the barrel to the neck 100% before starting the pomp. The pomp is 3000l/h pomp with 15mm hose out to tank and 22mm hose from tank to the filter. Can you please help me sort this problem out. Kind regards. Arek
is there anywhere I can get a list of everything I need
This video
How effective is this filter with a 20 gallon turtle tank? Mines filled up 5 inches. I was also thinking of using this filter for mechanical and then use a Skippy/Wendy filter for biological. Will it work?
Would this work on a 55 gallon tank? Can you please put a list of things need for this on my post, so I can be sure of what I need. I am having a hard time understanding some of the info you are saying here. Maybe you should put list of what is needed for projects where the description goes. Are these filters pretty quiet? My aquarium is my headboard.