Show Off Your Diy Filters

[rainbowsprinkles]

This air driven filter has kept my 25 g tank parameters perfect with no fish deaths for over a year. Floss, carbon, basalt pebbles. Show me yours.

 

[Heron]

This is an external filter I made from 10mm acrylic sheet. The water runs over bio balls above the water line, then it flows over an anaerobic zone filled with fine gravel to house nitrate eating bacteria. Next it passes through a compartment housing ceramic rings, then floss and foam and the final compartment carries a bag a carbon and a bag of zeolite. The water then flows to the end chamber which houses the heater, an airstones and the pump that returns the water to the tank. This is my own design and I am pleased to say it gives near perfect results even with a heavily stocked tank

 

[rainbowsprinkles]

This is an external filter I made from 10mm acrylic sheet. The water runs over bio balls above the water line, then it flows over an anaerobic zone filled with fine gravel to house nitrate eating bacteria. Next it passes through a compartment housing ceramic rings, then floss and foam and the final compartment carries a bag a carbon and a bag of zeolite. The water then flows to the end chamber which houses the heater, an airstones and the pump that returns the water to the tank. This is my own design and I am pleased to say it gives near perfect results even with a heavily stocked tankView attachment 569830

Wow that’s amazing

 

[Heron]

Thanks, Yours looks sweet too. It took me quite a while to build but it was good practice in cutting and welding acrylic before I started on the large expensive sheets I bought to make the main tank. It probably cost more than buying a state of the art filter but it's satisfying to watch the fish in a set up you built entirely from scratch. If you fancy trying to build an acrylic tank there are lots of videos on you tube to show you how.

 

[LDan]

This air driven filter has kept my 25 g tank parameters perfect with no fish deaths for over a year. Floss, carbon, basalt pebbles. Show me yours.
View attachment 569716View attachment 569717

Is this a glass jar? I made one just like it for my bettas tank. Worked dynamite but I got paranoid for some reason about it not filtering enough and switched it for plain sponge. Your post makes me want to go back to it

 

[rainbowsprinkles]

Is this a glass jar? I made one just like it for my bettas tank. Worked dynamite but I got paranoid for some reason about it not filtering enough and switched it for plain sponge. Your post makes me want to go back to it [ ]

Yes - a glass jar! I have a smaller version in all the Betta tanks too. Works great.

Thanks, Yours looks sweet too. It took me quite a while to build but it was good practice in cutting and welding acrylic before I started on the large expensive sheets I bought to make the main tank. It probably cost more than buying a state of the art filter but it's satisfying to watch the fish in a set up you built entirely from scratch. If you fancy trying to build an acrylic tank there are lots of videos on you tube to show you how.

What do you use to weld acrylic?

 

[Heron]

To weld the acrylic I used a solvent called weld on 4. Although the process is referred to as welding it is not like welding metal with heat. Basically you fit the pieces together with dress makers pins between to create a fine gap. Then you squirt the solvent into the gap, then remove the pins and let the gap close. The solvent melts the edges of the acrylic so they become one an after half an hour or so the solvent evaporates leaving one piece. As with many things preparation is key, if you get all the edges flat and smooth and dry fit everything first to make sure it all fits then the actual welding is quite easy.

 

[rainbowsprinkles]

Cool thanks!

 

[MissNoodle]

It was a temporary one until we got a stronger HOB one from the store lol

Bottle with sponge and at the bottom was bio media taken from my other tanks filter.

 

[rainbowsprinkles]

It was a temporary one until we got a stronger HOB one from the store lol

Bottle with sponge and at the bottom was bio media taken from my other tanks filter.

That is an upside down plastic bottle with holes in end?

 

[kallililly1973]

Not exactly a diy filter but I use a marina air driven breeder box as a filter in my 5.5 Cory fry tank by putting polyfill on the return side to catch all the waste

 

[MissNoodle]

That is an upside down plastic bottle with holes in end?

Upside down bottle with holes up top to let bubbles out and holes in bottom in the "lid" with a sponge cap over the "bottom"

I followed a DIY YouTube video for it

 

[ArmoredFish]

Building my first corner filter out of a 1 liter water bottle! Just a simple air driven ceramic filter.

 

[MissNoodle]

Ah should update. On top of HOB I made new sponge filters. Took this photo during a water change. You can see water spouting out of the exposed part up top to see it actually works.

 

[MissNoodle]

This one is a modification of the one above, simply for biological filtration.

It in use.

 

[rainbowsprinkles]

I love the look of this one. What are your layers?

 

[MissNoodle]

I love the look of this one. What are your layers?

Carribsea Cichlid sand for the bottom (to help buffer my water since I have high pH and the tank its in has driftwood and leaf litter)
Second lower layer is large size biomedia, I think from fluval.
Next is standard biomedia
Then last is river rocks/larger gravel pieces.

I have an anubias plant sitting in the top rim.

One could get creative and put mosses like marimo on top as well.

 

[rainbowsprinkles]

I like the plant addition might have to try that