DIY canister?

[KaiserSousay]

plus, usually if something is really faulty with a store bought, you can take it up with the company and get it replaced. with your diy, you gotta trust your work, you know?

It was the $$$$ for materials + the amount of xtra work to clean the thing that killed the deal for me..have been pondering the idea of using a "whole house" filter as the pre-filter for a couple of tubes filled with bio, since I "found" some 4" pvc caps and threaded end adapters..the pipe is cheap, it`s all the ends that cost a bunch.
Kinda cool, that the canisters off the shelf are actually a pretty good value for the $$$

 

[NiceGuyNick]

might as well just build a wet/dry out of a small aquarium, bucket, or other type of containerif it will be that difficult to seal it with all of the various pressure issues. The only added expense would be the construction of an overflow unit.

 

[KaiserSousay]

might as well just build a wet/dry out of a small aquarium, bucket

Sumps are great, no doubt..but for me, the stand only allowed for a container that maxed out at 8 gallons.
Ran it with all diy pvc then skimmer box, then skimmerless overflows. All worked o.k., but keeping them in sync was more trouble than it was worth. Won`t even get into the gurgle-n-slurp issues.

It was space available and the hassle factor that got me looking at canisters.

 

[Ryan_R]

I've been doing a little thinking, and it seems to me that one could save a lot of money building their own canister. I'm curious if anyone has ever built one using a pond pump like this http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=59084-48650-DP330&lpage=none

I love the spirit of the idea, but you could just by a Magnum 350 for not much more.

-Ryan

 

[swede]

WOW! yeah i just did a quick search and saw that exact filter priced from 85 all the way up to 155! what a crazy difference in pricing

 

[KaiserSousay]

but you could just by a Magnum 350 for not much more.

True enough, but..would not be able to stuff the amount of media a 4"tubeX12"long, into a magnum, along with my choice of gph(although gph usually =$$$$). Those pumps just cost..
ViaAqua, Catalina and assorted clones are pretty decent value in the gph per $$$.
So,
$12, for 4"pvc pipe
$20, for whole house filter
$40, for ca3000, 790gph@4`head
$20, for misc.
Less than $100, you get a totaly custom filtration system capable of pretty decent flow, large media capacity, and using the whole house filter, you get easy filter changes(or just cleanings).
As I said before, it was the cost of the 4" pvc fittings that was a deal breaker for me..now I lucked into just what I needed and am starting to get this project together.
After all that, yeah, I`m doing it cause it gets me off putting this kind of stuff together

 

[xboroinc]

i tride some thing like that. it didnt work but i like your idea. it could work just u need to get the right pvc attachments. i think it would work with the orange bucket i used. i am going with a sump now. but i like your idea good luck

 

[ghengis]

There is a Thread over on APC showing quite possibly the best DIY canister filter I have ever seen. I make no claims that there are none better, but this has to be up there for ease of assembly, cost and just sheer brilliance of design. Check it out!

 

[chesterthehero]

for the original question about the pump... mine burned out after about a year..

 

[KaiserSousay]

There is a Thread over on APC showing quite possibly the best DIY canister filter I have ever seen. I make no claims that there are none better, but this has to be up there for ease of assembly, cost and just sheer brilliance of design. Check it out!

Wow
Thanx for the link..who would have thought..even made his own baskets.