Bio Wheel upgrade...

[jlennon]

I have never posted a DIY project that I tried to make so humor me. What I really want is for feed back from you guys. I have been dealing with high nitrates from the tap and my Os don't like it. I have also read a lot of negative things about carbon. There is the theory of carbons contribution to HITH. I have had enough of that. I am also working on a budget so a canister is not in my future to soon.

I will be taking a Marineland BioWheel 350 and hopefully creating a better means of filtration.
Items used:
Seachem De*nitrate
Ceramic filter rings
nylons
Rite-Size bonded filter pad
egg crate
bamboo
some wire

Cut the egg crate to fit in the bottom of the filter. This will work as the bottom of the insert so I can pull It all out just as convenient as the cartridge.

Once I cut the egg crate to fit in the chamber i used some wire to make handles to pull the insert out of the chamber.

Got the handles wired up and then cut two pieces of Rite-Size bonded filter pad to fit on top of the cut egg crate.

After cutting the pad I took a nylon sock cut to size and filled it up with De*nitrate and tied it off.

i did the same thing with the ceramic filter rings.

Then added both sacks to the egg crate and filter pad.

After piling it all together I placed it in the filter chamber then placed another cut piece of egg crate on top and inserted the bamboo shoots.

Let me know what you think please. Thanx in advance. Hope I did this right.

 

[Toxic Fish 9999]

that is neat and cool all at the some time!!!!

 

[Cookie*]

At least I'm not the only guy out there buying/using pantyhose for a filter! I dig the bamboo coming out of the filter as well, I have some bamboo I've been ignoring that is now about to find a new home in a filter. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Darth Scohin]

LOL trying to make it like an AC clever I'm not a fan of the bamboo though but still very neato

 

[MChorse13]

why not just get an aqua clear??? what kinda of wire is that???
still a great good idea just curious.

 

[jlennon]

why not just get an aqua clear??? what kinda of wire is that???
still a great good idea just curious.

Because when I started the hobby I though the BioWheel was the greatest thing in the world so every time I saw one that was cheaper then the last store I bought it. Now I have four or five and no money. I would very much like to get an AC 70.
The wire is 12AWG with a polythene coating. With that in mind I have read the theory that stray electricial current in the tanks water may also contribute to HITH. If you use the wire such as I did you use it as a grounding rod for your h2o. Just strip off a 1/4" of the coating(show some copper)make sure that it will be submerged, attach an equal piece (12AWG) of sheilded wire that Leeds out of the filter and to a bonding point. I mean just a thought.
I was shooting to eliminate the carbon form my tanks, do it so I don't have four or five BioWheels laying around collecting dust, and I like to tinker.
Thanx for the feed back.

 

[Racersk]

Won't the bamboo eventually start growing into the nylons? This could be an issue when trying to maintain and replacing that filter pad material.

just a thought.

 

[tbonewarrior]

Exposed copper is very bad for your water and can kill fish in a hurry when it oxidizes...

 

[jlennon]

Exposed copper is very bad for your water and can kill fish in a hurry when it oxidizes...

Well there is no exposed copper and that was just a random thought. Good looking out I will nix that idea.
So with that in mind you can replace the wire with plastic wire ties.

 

[Valous]

Dig it... now lets see if there is some results.