d.i.y filter-any ideas/opinions?

hello guys, girls and all inbetween

Over the past 7 years that i have been in the hobby i have tried lots of different variations of filters. i have spent lots of money on branded externals and internals.
I finally went low-tec and in conjunction with an external filter i made a filter comprising of a powerhead and sponge. As below. I finally got rid of the external and trippled the sponge size and added an extra power head after realising my low-tec filters we're working better than my expensive external!




My water peramitors are better than ever;
ph7.4
nitrate 0
nitrite 0>
ammonia 0

So why the post -
1. to show a low-tech option to you guys
2. to ask if any one has any ideas of how to make this look more attractive
3. to ask if anyone can see any downful to this filtration method
4. to ask if anyone has any ideas how i could add a kind of post-filter on the ouput nozzle (like a pre-filter but the other way round!)

Glad its working out for you. Not to be a downer but not really a new concept. There are many similar commercial units.

You could build a false wall to place them behind. Aesthetics is probably one of the biggest downfalls. Also to get the equivalent filtration as some canisters youd have to increase the size of your sponges and/or the number of units you use. As you increase the size of the sponge you'd probably eventually run into a point where the filters become inefficient as you don't have the same flow characteristics. As you increase the number of units you run you increase your cost in electricity. Either option would also take away from your tank interior and become harder to make look good.

I wouldn't put an outlet filter on. You'd just end up reducing your flow through your filters.

helllo there- lol no downer knew it wasnt a new concept just new to me
what you have said is totally on gthe wave length i was on... they are working a.o.k, only reason i am interested in making them more efficient is because i am looking at keeping discus.i have been toying with the idea of a sump (again)

Discus keepers have long used air driven sponge filters. They simply rely on low sticking rates and frequent water changes. Discus have been kept with all sorts of filters. Unless you're keeping wild caught discus they really aren't all that touchy.

Hi all,
I've DIY'ed a lot of internal filters. I always used to have a HMF <http://www.swisstropicals.com/Web%20pictures%20600%20dpi/HMF%20flyer.pdf> and I also like deBruyn filters <http://www.aka.org/UserFiles/File/debruyn_filter.pdf> and if you don't mind the look of them, and the noise of trickling water, they are absolutely excellent.

These days I mainly use a Maxijet, venturi and sponge. <http://www.plecoplanet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11109&highlight=maxi-jet&page=2>, as an internal and an Eheim external as well.

If I had a fish house I would use a single large air pump and air powered sponge filters instead, and if I was really serious about maintaining high water quality and aeration levels I would use a planted wet and dry trickle filter. <http://www.plecoplanet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9141>

cheers Darrel

ok dw what fantastic links- i had never thought of planted wet and dry trickle filter. i am going to have ago at this- maybe the same scale!!
cheers
cc

also , you said..
''If I had a fish house I would use a single large air pump and air powered sponge filters instead''
can you show me an example-i've never seen one!

ccole said:

also , you said..
''If I had a fish house I would use a single large air pump and air powered sponge filters instead''
can you show me an example-i've never seen one!

Click to expand...

Do you mean you've never seen a sponge filter?

One like this in Ausplec's tank (on the left)

I have seen a sponge filter but not one powered by an air pump- guess i dont understand the concept. A lesson would be greatly received

Air-driven sponge filter pre-dates the powerhead driven ones. Air is pumped into the core of the sponge, as the air rises it carries with it water which creates a flow of water through the sponge. I'll see if I can find a cross-sectional picture.


From: http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/sponge_filtration.html

thanks for that
How affective is this type of pump?
respects
cc

Pump or filter?

ok after a goods nights sleep, restarting my brain i will try and aska question without asking it backwards! so...

i ment how well does the filter work ?

respects
cc

Welll, let me ask how well does your filters work? Its basically the same concept. The capacity will be reduced slightly as it uses air instead of a pump to move the water but biologically it works well. Its long been a staple of discus keepers and pet shops around the world. It won't pick up a lot of debris as the flow rate through it is diffused by the large surface area of the sponge but that's probably a good thing so that the sponge doesn't plug as quickly.

cheers for that and everything else..will add that to my new things lernt list.
respects
cc

Hi all,
Have a look a this thread for building a centralised system for a fish house running from a single pump. <http://www.britishcichlid.org.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=3462&sid=ca98df61cb2f8c638ce87864898cdf9c&start=10>.

Over-tank planted trickle filters can be very simple, say just a house plant (like Spathiphyllum) in a 2 litre plastic plant pot, looped on to the tank edge with stainless steel wire and filled with hydroleca, with the water entering via a spray-bar and exiting via the drainage holes. Ikea used to do some nice acrylic shower caddies, which would be more aesthetically pleasing, but would probably need something better than suckers to remain fixed onto the aquarium glass.

Even a small planted trickle filter has a huge biological filtration capacity, mainly because you have the plants removing NH3, NO2 and NO3, and an unlimited supply of oxygen nitrifying bacteria converting ammonia to nitrate.

The plant roots are another advantage over a simple "wet and dry" as they both provide extra area for bacterial colonisation, and act as conduits for gas exchange, both internally in the root and by physically creating channels in the media.

cheers Darrel

darrel that is just what i needed, i havent got a sump and although i am in the process....a slow process of building one, its great to know i can do an overtank filter system without one.

In theory i could do this with a length of drain pipe....four five plus plants with bio-media with water being pumped from tank into drain pipe and back into the tank again via a spray bar...?

the mind boggles...and the great thing is my dad is a builder and always has excess guttering!!! yipppppeeee

that is if my theory is right?

cheers
cc

ccole said:

hello guys, girls and all inbetween

Over the past 7 years that i have been in the hobby i have tried lots of different variations of filters. i have spent lots of money on branded externals and internals.
I finally went low-tec and in conjunction with an external filter i made a filter comprising of a powerhead and sponge. As below. I finally got rid of the external and trippled the sponge size and added an extra power head after realising my low-tec filters we're working better than my expensive external!

My water peramitors are better than ever;
ph7.4
nitrate 0
nitrite 0>
ammonia 0

So why the post -
1. to show a low-tech option to you guys
2. to ask if any one has any ideas of how to make this look more attractive
3. to ask if anyone can see any downful to this filtration method
4. to ask if anyone has any ideas how i could add a kind of post-filter on the ouput nozzle (like a pre-filter but the other way round!)

Click to expand...

only downside I can see there is the sponge clogging up as there are no gaps like in the plastic cased unit internals. Is the sponge not too spongy lol if you know what I mean. Once it gets clogged the powerhead will basically suck the sponge in creating a vacuum and block it, I think , my head isn't any better at solving stuff really.

How easy are the sponges to take off to clean? I suppose it is similar to the pre-filter sponge on my HOB filter except water leaves the tank and goes back in. That sponge gets clogged quick but easy to remove and the rubbish doesn't go all over before you take it out the tank unlike some commercial internal filters, why I wont use them anymore.

The only way you could add a post filter would to have a box with airline attached or the output nozzle but that wouldn't work that well that way I don't think. My external has that concept and works well, water goes through sponges then through the 4 different trays which you can fill with what you want. I use ceramic media in all of them. You could add different foam/sponges that are finer if you want or nitrate removers or even cattappa leaves or peat, whatever you want really. I think I prefer externals. You can raise the output nozzle above the water to push in more oxygen or move the surface but most or all internals unless there is a spray bar are difficult to raise above the surface much.

I have tried covering internals before because of shrimp but found it too much of a faff and fiddly, clogged too quickly. A plain sponge filter is better if you are covering filters for safety. I have seen some units that are plastic that have space in the bottom to add ceramic media for the air to run through for the extra bacteria. Sponge filters may not pick up dirt but if it is to keep fry / shrimp safe or if you are growing fry you need to change the water daily anyway so dirt won't be an issue.

As long as there is oxygen and access to ammonia etc and a large surface area you will have lots of bacteria colonising and the bigger the available area the more bacteria.

You could make a huge HOB running from one end to the other of your tank, fill it to the top with ceramic media, not sure what i mean. section part of the back as if a 3d background and have sponge in one layer and the other ceramic then some how you could have water running through from above like a hob. A lot of tank have this system built in now, you would be able to have loads of surface area for bacteria. Unless that has already been mentioned here, I have lost myself lol.

Not even going to preview this just going to go with it, whatever. : )

hi jess
thanks for the feed back
The sponges are cleaned once a week alternatly and really do suck some poo up but this is great for me because it keeps the bottom really really clean, which meanw all i have to do it swosh the sand up to make sure no bacteria spots start up.

Really easy to clean just turn off pump- pull pump off- using tank water - give them a squeze.

I have been toying with the idea of putting the sponge in upve round guttering tube with 1inch holdes cut into it...

I have a powerhead on the waters surface that creates the water movement and oxygen you where talking about.

Totally use cappa leaves- havent had any illness since and gives the water a lovely tea colour.

Totally not loveing hobs, though i understand the concept/ pros/cons or externals (as mentioned). Low-tech is best. lol.

and last but not least I am (today) starting to add an over-tank trickle filter using plants etc....so looking forward to it!

thanks again, any opinons greatly recived
cc

Hi all,

darrel that is just what i needed, i havent got a sump and although i am in the process....a slow process of building one, its great to know i can do an overtank filter system without one.

In theory i could do this with a length of drain pipe....four five plus plants with bio-media with water being pumped from tank into drain pipe and back into the tank again via a spray bar...?

Click to expand...

We used to use guttering, I haven't got a picture of my ones when they were set up (it was in the lab), but have a look at this thread:
<http://www.plecoplanet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9142&highlight=trickle+filter+darrel+loaches>

cheers Darrel