My original idea was to built a wet-dry filter. However, the end result was something different.
This is not nearly as expensive, time consuming and big as my first DIY filter project, but this works very effectively with smaller to medium sized tanks.
The idea is simple, siphon water down to the sump, through the filter media, and back to the tank via a water pump. If setup correctly, it would work just as well as any commercial filter (whether it be power filter, canister filter, or sponge filter) at a fraction of the price.
Materials needed:
You will need an overflow, the overflow is what siphons the water from the main tank down to the sump (same concept as a gravel vacuum). Now traditionally, you should purchase the overflow (also called Pre-Filter) that is already made. However, in the interest of saving money (Pre-Filters run anywhere from $50 to hundreds of dollars each depending on the Gallon Per Hour rate) I made my own. You can copy the design and built one yourself easily using small acylic sheets (you can also use plexi-glass) but you will need acrylic cement, which is not available to me, so I didn't have the time to order it online, so I simply designed a "ghetto" overflow consisting of vinyl tubes. One thing you have to keep in mind is that you need to know the Gallon Per Hour (GPH) of your overflow, which needs to closely match the GPH of your pump
Filter medias should include what I've listed above, but depending on the size of your sump, you can add just about anything you want in there with very little modification. Usually the water first passes through the sponge, as it traps large debris, then the water can pass through the filter pads which further traps smaller debris, then the water flows through the chemical medias such as carbon and ammonia chips, and lastly, you can add biological media, such as the ceramic ring at the end, right before the water reaches the pump. I also keep my heater in my sump.
The water pump is the workhorse behind this filter system (also the most expensive). After the water has drained into the sump and passed through the media, the pump will do the job of delievering the water back into the tank. However, the GPH of your pump needs to match that of your overflow. It doesn't have to be exact, however, as you can easily attach a valve to adjust the water flow. Keep in mind that the higher your pump has to pump to send the water back to the main tank, the higher the head pressure, which means the GPH of your pump decreases.
This whole system requires the basic knowledge of plumbing and some basic materials. For larger systems, you need more material and more knowledge. In my case, I only needed an elbow and a T-connector. Unfortunately I couldn't find an elbow that is small enough to fit the vinyl tubes.
Here are some pictures:
Please excuse the mess, the sump was way too small for further modification, so I'm stuck with it. Noticed the "overflow" is just a bunch of vinyl tubes.
The water is returned to the tank via the T-Connector, attached with small vinyl tubes.
The pump (I used a big powerhead) is very strong, almost too strong for my 20 gallon tank.
This is not nearly as expensive, time consuming and big as my first DIY filter project, but this works very effectively with smaller to medium sized tanks.
The idea is simple, siphon water down to the sump, through the filter media, and back to the tank via a water pump. If setup correctly, it would work just as well as any commercial filter (whether it be power filter, canister filter, or sponge filter) at a fraction of the price.
Materials needed:
- sump tank
- overflow
- filter media (sponges, carbon, ceramic rings, filter pads, etc)
- water pump
- vinyl tubes
- pvc pipe (elbow, T-connector)
You will need an overflow, the overflow is what siphons the water from the main tank down to the sump (same concept as a gravel vacuum). Now traditionally, you should purchase the overflow (also called Pre-Filter) that is already made. However, in the interest of saving money (Pre-Filters run anywhere from $50 to hundreds of dollars each depending on the Gallon Per Hour rate) I made my own. You can copy the design and built one yourself easily using small acylic sheets (you can also use plexi-glass) but you will need acrylic cement, which is not available to me, so I didn't have the time to order it online, so I simply designed a "ghetto" overflow consisting of vinyl tubes. One thing you have to keep in mind is that you need to know the Gallon Per Hour (GPH) of your overflow, which needs to closely match the GPH of your pump
Filter medias should include what I've listed above, but depending on the size of your sump, you can add just about anything you want in there with very little modification. Usually the water first passes through the sponge, as it traps large debris, then the water can pass through the filter pads which further traps smaller debris, then the water flows through the chemical medias such as carbon and ammonia chips, and lastly, you can add biological media, such as the ceramic ring at the end, right before the water reaches the pump. I also keep my heater in my sump.
The water pump is the workhorse behind this filter system (also the most expensive). After the water has drained into the sump and passed through the media, the pump will do the job of delievering the water back into the tank. However, the GPH of your pump needs to match that of your overflow. It doesn't have to be exact, however, as you can easily attach a valve to adjust the water flow. Keep in mind that the higher your pump has to pump to send the water back to the main tank, the higher the head pressure, which means the GPH of your pump decreases.
This whole system requires the basic knowledge of plumbing and some basic materials. For larger systems, you need more material and more knowledge. In my case, I only needed an elbow and a T-connector. Unfortunately I couldn't find an elbow that is small enough to fit the vinyl tubes.
Here are some pictures:
Please excuse the mess, the sump was way too small for further modification, so I'm stuck with it. Noticed the "overflow" is just a bunch of vinyl tubes.
The water is returned to the tank via the T-Connector, attached with small vinyl tubes.
The pump (I used a big powerhead) is very strong, almost too strong for my 20 gallon tank.
I love Ghetto DIY projects 
