Anyone diy a canister filter?

BullyBee

Exodon
MFK Member
I was just curious if anyone diy’d a canister filter? I am up for the task, I am just paranoid the uniseal won’t hold the pipes in place. (I know I know)

I asked this on another forum and got into a long discussion as to why I don’t want to run a sump, even though it might be easier to make a sump than a canister filter.

I just want enough bio media for a full cycle on a 120gallon. I would also use a Fluval fx6 or something as well
 
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FLA

Polypterus
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Feb 1, 2017
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It is a cool idea, but I would never be able to sleep worrying it would fail. While they aren't cheap I think I would feel better buying one if it was going in the house. What is the motivation to build over buy on this? If I was going to do something similar I might repurpose a pool canister filter.
 
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FLA

Polypterus
MFK Member
Feb 1, 2017
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You could replace the sand in here with beads and make it a bead filter. That would definitely be overkill for a 120, and it avoids the fear of a home made canister. If you are keeping riverine species you will definitely get high flow.

 
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twentyleagues

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Apr 5, 2017
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Flint town!
I made one it worked good while it was on. When off it would leak, the pressure was to much for it. I used Joey's ( king of diy......lol) design. In my eyes it's a complete failure. I don't think without a ton of over engineering the design would ever work as shown.
 

BIG-G

Goliath Tigerfish
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Dec 12, 2005
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Sooner or later, no matter how well you think they are sealed, they leak.
If you do get it to seal, then when you have to do maintenance, you can never get it to seal the same.
If at all possible, a sump would be 100 times better or just save up and buy an FX
 

DRUKENMUNKY

Piranha
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Dec 25, 2018
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I have made and its been running for years....I made it from 4 inch pvc pipe....its about 5 ft tall so it holds alot of media....its fed with a 1000 gph powerhead inside the tank......I used a 4 inch clean out before the media and fill with poly fill......only hassle is I have to replace the Teflon tape every time I change the poly fill but it only takes a min. It holds about a 5 gallon bucket worth of ceramic rings..
 

BIG-G

Goliath Tigerfish
MFK Member
Dec 12, 2005
3,856
4,653
179
NC
I have made and its been running for years....I made it from 4 inch pvc pipe....its about 5 ft tall so it holds alot of media....its fed with a 1000 gph powerhead inside the tank......I used a 4 inch clean out before the media and fill with poly fill......only hassle is I have to replace the Teflon tape every time I change the poly fill but it only takes a min. It holds about a 5 gallon bucket worth of ceramic rings..
I can see how this would work.
I’ve actually done something similar, I made a Co2 diffuser with a section of PVC and some bio balls threaded cap on each end mounted vertically. Co2 and water are fed in on the top and the water returned to the tank out the bottom.
Never dawned on me that technically it’s a canister filter.
My mind went straight to the five gallon bucket DIY filters.
But a large enough section of PVC, a clean out and prefilter. You got yourself some extra Biological space.
 
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