Build canisterfilter from a petrolcan

[Raven_]

Hi, my external canisterfilter is failing so looking for a cheap replacement.
One cheap solution would be to use a 10L or 20L petrolcan and put it on the aquarium, its made of HD-PE which is safe to use and has a rubber seal around the opening.

Would have one brass fitting on one of the short sides near the bottom, another brass fitting at the top of the other short side with a cover to prevent filtermedia to flow out.
Filled with 5-6liter of used coarse sponge and topped up with unused coarse sponge.
A 1000L/H / 1.4meter pump be used to push water through the petrolcan.
Could it work?

Would a short(3-4 days) pressuretest run in the bathroom do any good or is it the longterm work and pressure that breaks it?
The petrolcan will compress alot if i mount the pump so it draws water through it, is that a problem when using coarse sponge?

Instead of having the petrolcan above the aquarium i could place it below and draw water through it, would probably flow enough water through the intake to prevent the petrolcan from compressing, would it work better than letting the petrolcan stand on the aquarium?

I know its generally not a good idea to push water through but the petrolcan is made of sturdy plastic and have a rubber seal around the opening.
Been using a 5L for my bike for a couple of years and has worked good, i refuel it outside which can be below -15 celsius and store it indoor in 25celsius so the pressure can rise alot but no leakage despite showing signs of wear and tear.

Regards.

 

[Dr Joe]

Only concerns I see are:

1) Getting the fittings tight as the material is soft and can strip out (consider bulk head fittings instead).

2) Cleaning the filter. If you have the space I'd suggest a filter sock on the input of the filter.

3) Trying to convince visitors that your fish really grow faster on premium fuel, and your landlord that your not keeping that much petrol in the house.

I'd like to see this one come to fruition, keep up the good work.

Dr Joe

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[Raven_]

1) Getting the fittings tight as the material is soft and can strip out (consider bulk head fittings instead).

Will use this kind of fitting, perhaps even made of stainless steel.
http://www.nordenab.se/images/catalog/bordsgenomf.jpg

Will also use rubber gasket on both sides and possibly a dab of epoxy on the threads.

I have used fittings like this made of nylon, they where a bit flimsy but it worked on a weaker canister for 5months, then the lid broke and water started to leak out in the middle of the night, why does stuff like that ALWAYS happens when sleeping?

2) Cleaning the filter. If you have the space I'd suggest a filter sock on the input of the filter.

Not so sure its a problem, the filter can be in use for many months before it needs to be cleaned and when it does i disconnect the hoses and go to the shower and rinse it thoroughly and shake it around and rinse some more.

Done it with another filter of similar design and took perhaps 3-4minutes to get most of the dirt out, have a thermostat so i can rinse without worry about temperature rising.

The sponge could be threaded on a nylon string so it can be pulled out.
The only filtersocks i have found in my country are 40L and its a tad big but can probably get it from ebay or similar.

3) Trying to convince visitors that your fish really grow faster on premium fuel, and your landlord that your not keeping that much petrol in the house.

Well, that could be a fun little adventure.
My landlord claims that she can have me evicted for having flammable liquids in my apartment