DIY filter, hope it works..

[GarNiac]

Why would you say a thing like that?
Anything, with any amount of surface area will provide a home for bacteria.
I`ll give you for space used, there are better alternatives, but bio balls are far from "junk".

I`m starting to be a fan of overhead filter systems.
Lots of benefits with only one obvious con..it`s right where you can see it.
Guess with some plants or other creative maneuvers it could be made to look pretty good.
If your system was mine, I would sure devote one(first)chamber to some media that would trap the crud.
It would be more efficient if the flow was up through the bio media.
Not sure that having all those chambers is a plus, but hey..sure looks nice.
Having the media inside of a mesh bag would make cleaning a whole lot easier.

thanks for the input, this was actually my first time making this kind of filter, what would people call this type of filter? just curious..
I was thinking of having plants inside one of those chambers, but still not sure what kind of plants which would absorb nitrites, dunno yet, as far as I go with this little project, I am still experimenting with it.
cheers

 

[KaiserSousay]

what would people call this type of filter? just curious..

Overhead filtration is what I call it.
Very popular in Asia and starting to make some in-roads in western aquaria circles.

 

[GarNiac]

what would people call this type of filter? just curious..

Overhead filtration is what I call it.
Very popular in Asia and starting to make some in-roads in western aquaria circles.

thanks, for the input.

 

[Spiritofthesoul]

agree, about 80% of SG fish keepers here use Overhead filtration. But I find them a PITA to look at and lots of noise created when water gush out from the last chamber back to the tank. Went sump and never regretted it. But your DIY filter has some difference from the commercial overhead filter we use here.

As you can see, ours are just top-down flow where water simply rains down on various media. yours works like mini sumps flowing into the other chamber. Could do plants with that design

If you are looking at sponges, place them in the first chamber first.

 

[GarNiac]

agree, about 80% of SG fish keepers here use Overhead filtration. But I find them a PITA to look at and lots of noise created when water gush out from the last chamber back to the tank. Went sump and never regretted it. But your DIY filter has some difference from the commercial overhead filter we use here.

As you can see, ours are just top-down flow where water simply rains down on various media. yours works like mini sumps flowing into the other chamber. Could do plants with that design

If you are looking at sponges, place them in the first chamber first.

well, there are so many options on how we could design the filter. I've seen similar filter here just like the one you posted, but it just made me wonder if the water flowing from the tube inside the top chamber is not evenly distributed through out the surface of the media.
Here is the finish pic, compared with the last test I did,

I am going wait for a couple more days for the water to circle, and hopefully the water will clear up soon. I am not really a fan of the overhead filter, but it just an economical way of making a filter. I like sum filter, but I just cant stand drilling an expensive glass tank.

 

[Oughtsix]

I was going to mention that your filter is just begging to have plants in each chamber. Lucky bamboo would be a great start. Pothos - a very common house plant is also supposed to work well too.

I guess if it is going to be on the top of the tank it should look good. Yours looks very nice.

 

[GarNiac]

I was going to mention that your filter is just begging to have plants in each chamber. Lucky bamboo would be a great start. Pothos - a very common house plant is also supposed to work well too.

I guess if it is going to be on the top of the tank it should look good. Yours looks very nice.

thanks for the input, I was thinking of using plants as well, but I dunno how effective the plants be, if they are used to absorb nitrites.

 

[KaiserSousay]

I was thinking of using plants as well, but I dunno how effective the plants be, if they are used to absorb nitrites.

I would look at the plants as a “cover up” first, but if they helped with the nitrate, that would just be gravy on the meat.

 

[GarNiac]

ok thanks

 

[Oughtsix]

From all the research and reading I have done plants are very effective waste removers. Many people are using only plants for filtration in their "Natural Tanks".

Pothos are particularly good at removing nitrogen compounds and converting them into new plant growth. Lucky bamboo is also excellent from my reading. Pothos is a vine type plant and Lucky bamboo has an upright stalk giving you some flexibility as how they would fit into your filter. Both of these are very hardy and would only require light and occasional trimming for maintenance.

I currently have a dozen or so Pothos trimmings wedged between my spray bar and tank. They are all rooting and taking off with no attention what so ever.