got lots of questions lol. ive been looking different canister filters for a while now. by looking at their design and reading about them ive come to understand the basic concept is to pull water out of a tank to the bottom of a canister. as the water level rises in the canister it passes through multiple types of media and when it reaches the top it is then pumped back into the tank. my uneducated thoughts. a submerssable pump is place in a tank with a line from it to the bottom of a five gallon bucket. in the bucket is layers of filter floss, charcoal, and fine filerfloss ext. if the bucket is sealed with the pump in the tank constantly pushing water into the bucket eventually push it back up the outlet and into the tank again or should there be a pump at the top of the bucket? if so how do you keep these to pumps in sync. i thought even if they \do pump the same gph it would be hard to keep them continually running ...........just an idea id like to look into thanks in advance.
DIY canister filter ?
- Thread starter rjssniper
- Start date
rjssniper;4970978; said:
I don't think you would be able to sync up two pumps like that (at least for cheaper than what you could buy a canister for). If you are into the DIY thing, then think of building a sump. It's a lot more filter than a canister and there are tons more articles about them online. I just built a sump and an overflow, and have been really happy with it.
I agree, a sump is a much better option with loads of info on here and the net. A Fuval 405 would also work great on your tank.
something i cannot figure out is that based on articles that i read and videos i watched. sumps are fed by syphon from tank. i dont understand how this works....if your pump is to strong then it runs out of water....to weak and water runs all over. im very unfamiliar with this.
water will find it's own level, the idea with the sump what it pump into the tank, overflows back into the sump. so you only have 1 pump. issues with the 2 pump method is that even if you sync the pumps, once the flow changes the pumps are out of sync. You can use gravity to move water down easily by giving it a path. You can also create a sump by either sucking it out of the tank, or pumping it up and out to a sump above the tank and then allow it to flow down back to the tank.
the DIY canister you are describing is more commonly called a bucket filter. Mostly used on ponds so the water just spills out a bulkhead at the top the bucket and into the pond. only practical on fishtanks if the bucket sits above the aquarium.
Diy cannister filters usually cause more harm then good. Difficulties in sealing, in getting back at the filter media, etc. If your stuck on a cannister, go buy one. It will be cheaper in the long run, and much more efficient. Research the sump idea. For your tank, you will not need a huge sump, something around 20 gallons would work great.
talked ot the guy at the lfs to get a better idea ..............is this right? i also need to know what size "u" pipe to get for the overflow box and what gph pump to buy if this is right. o and there is a outlet on the side of the bucket forgot to draw it. anyhow that was his interpretation of a sump
Heres a link to a thread showing some homemade sumps - http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=142347
Heres a link showing how to make an overflow - http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219465
Heres a link to the DIY Filters section where you can find plenty of threads with info on how to make them - http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=337
Check this stuff out and if you still have questions then start a thread in that section where you should get plenty of help.
Heres a link showing how to make an overflow - http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=219465
Heres a link to the DIY Filters section where you can find plenty of threads with info on how to make them - http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=337
Check this stuff out and if you still have questions then start a thread in that section where you should get plenty of help.
I'm curious if anyone's ever tried an in-tank sump - by 'sectioning' off a part of the tank to be just used for filtration so it just flows back into itself?