how to make a fully homemade filter?

hey guys ummm I was just wondering is there ways to make a home made filter at the moment I have 2 filters for both my tanks but I just wanted to know is it possible to make one if the needs arrives?? I have heard that some people make them out of coke bottles but I have no idea how...

 

All you need is an air pump, some filter floss or open cell foam, some gravel, airline tubing, an airstone, some rigid 1" tubing, and a container.

The air pump doesn't need to be large. I'm running a filter like this in a 40 gallon tank with a pump fit for a 10 gallon tank.

The foam is easier to use but harder to find. Your craft store will have the polyester floss for very cheap. I bought a huge bag for $2 US. It'll probabyl last me a decade or so. LOL

Gravel is anything you have or want to use. This is the biological component, so smaller is good, but what ever will work.

Standard airline tubing key. It's how the air gets into the filter and the air stone.

Air stone...yeah, enough said, just use one.

1in rigid tubing. This should be available from your pet store. Just cut a piece that's longer than your container. I also add some cuts and flod over bits to hold up the air stone. That's how it stays in there.

The container...well, that's up to you. I've used 64oz gatorade containers for 29 gallon tanks all the way down to food containers for 2.5 gallon tanks. As a reference for you, I use a peanut butter jar for a 10 gallon tank.

If you need exact directions, with pictures and such, on how to build it..let me know and I'll throw something together for ya.

 

I've used nearly that same design to build filter barrels (out of ink barrels from newspaper printers) for large fish ponds also, its a good one. Of note, most plastics breakdown a little bit over time and will impart petroleum molecules to your water - you should choose your container well.

 

yea dude that's great but the photos would really help if its not to much hassle and if possible can u show me a photo of the air pump or just a example plz..

 

Some examples of air pumps.

 

thx dude helps out alot!!!! now I know what and how these air pump thinks work

 

I'll take one apart and take some photos for ya.
















Step 1: Decide how long you long want the tube and cut it. The bottom is some cuts and fold over part of them to hold the airstone.




Step 2: Put the air line tubing and the air stone through the rigid tubing.




3) Put the parts in step 2 into the container.




4) Put some gravel into the container.




5) Put the filter floss in. You want to ensure that you can hook up the air pump.

 

Can you substitute anything (aka spare filter cartridges) for filter floss? also do you fill the tube with gravel+filter floss?

 

If you want to make the filter cartridge fit...that's up to you. The beauty of this is that you can change it to what you want.

I wouldn't put gravel and floss in the tube. I can't think of a purpose behind doing that. The tube is how the water gets back into the aquarium (See the drawing above)

 

dude ur a legend I would like to honor you for using up ur time to help me out looks great and now I perfectly know how it works. x

 

. Thanks. But...that's why we're here...to help each other out.