Well here we go.
I built a DIY W/D drip filter with some interesting twists.
First is the filter itself. I purchased a 4 drawer plastic set of drawers.
The stand /frame that holds the drawers is 17 inches X 14.75 inches X 37.5 inches Depth X Width X height The Drawer are 13 X15.5 X 7 inches (W X L X Deep)
In 2 drawers I drilled ¼ inch holes aprox every sq inch. My media are layer of floss mat, layer of Jap mat bio balls and on top a plastic egg tray. Where I live they sell eggs singly and they are in the store on a plastic tray that holds 30 eggs tray size is 12.25 X 12.25. This works perfect as a Drip tray.
I repeated this media setup in a second drawer.
I only used the first ( Top) drawer and then skipped the second drawer left it out and skiped the bottom drawer left it out also.
Next, I took an egg tray, covered the bottom with fine plastic/nylon window screen mesh, put in a layer of small gravel (Like you would see in concrete walkways finished as pebble wash. I put a layer of mesh on top of this . I Stiched the mesh to the tray with fishing line. I repeated this 4 times using sand .. fisrt a coarse sand then a finer sand and then a finer sand etc.
This bank of egg trays fits just fine right where drawer # 2 would have gone.
The water inters from the top of the set of drawers coming from an overflow from the tank.
I set the drawers in a plastic bin 15.5 X 22 X 13 Depth (inches) I raised the drawers up from the bottom of the bin with concrete cubes aprox 4 in X 4 in X 4 inch. These cubes I got from a building site.. they make them to do concrete strength tests.
I have a 4,800 liter per hour submersible pump ( Re Sun) for returning the water to the tank (I will set up a spray bar on this return soon.
I like the ability to just pull out a drawer to clean the media. The filter remains working while I clean the drawers one at a time. Simple! Easy!
Above with batch of egg trays removed
Batch of egg trays
My tank is drilled. At one end in the back panel 2 1inch holes. Near the bottom of the tank.
At the other end 2 1 inch holes in the bottom glass near the front of the tank.
I took 2 pieces of 2.5 inch dia. PVC pipe aprox 60 inches long (My tnk is 72 X 30 X30) I plumbed a 1 pvc pipe to connect the 2 larger pipes . Imagine a large H turned 90 degrees so the longer legs are horizontal.
I cut a ¾ inch slot the length of the 2.5 inch PVC but left an inch at each end. I rolled a piece of plastic pvc fence openings about ½ inch X 1 inch. I pushed this inside the 2.5 inch PVC and then repeated that so the layers of mesh are even more restrictive smaller openings as the screens over lap. I then capped the ends.
At the end where the holes are in the back panel I plumbed a one inch pvc pipe thru the back glass and plumbed it to the lower leg of the H so that the lower leg is about 6 inches off the bottom of the tank. The top leg of the H is secured to the tanks cross braces with wire ties. The bottom leg is secured with one of those plastic U holders that hold fluorescent light fixtures. Pipe is tied to the bracket with wire ties, bracket is silicone to the back of the tank.
This leaves a Slot of 1 most of the length of the tank at the water surface and a second slot near the top of the tank sub strait.
This over flow pulls from 2 levels in the tank. One at the surface where it skims off debris ; one at the lower level where it picks up the larger debris.
My water is pristine, crystal clear and 0 N2 or N3 perfect 6.5 ph.
At present I only have 4 smaller fish in this monster, 2 Flag Tails (Semprochilodus, taeniurus.) a rose Barb (temp resident) and a red tail catfish. I am waiting on an Arow .. actually waiting on my pocket book to re fill lol. But soon.
I know this pulls from both slots as I have added Malachite Green and watched it flow thru the intake slots. Also small insects flow to the top slot and disappear into the filter.
I also have an interesting UGF but that is for another post!
Comments / questions welcomed. I am working on more pictures many did not come out for some reason.. most likely my Excellent camera skills lol I am not skilled at using paint or draw programs to illustrait the set up, but maybe I can get one of my daughters to help.. or any volunteers?
Enjoy
Oopps could not figure out how to insert the pic's
I built a DIY W/D drip filter with some interesting twists.
First is the filter itself. I purchased a 4 drawer plastic set of drawers.
The stand /frame that holds the drawers is 17 inches X 14.75 inches X 37.5 inches Depth X Width X height The Drawer are 13 X15.5 X 7 inches (W X L X Deep)
In 2 drawers I drilled ¼ inch holes aprox every sq inch. My media are layer of floss mat, layer of Jap mat bio balls and on top a plastic egg tray. Where I live they sell eggs singly and they are in the store on a plastic tray that holds 30 eggs tray size is 12.25 X 12.25. This works perfect as a Drip tray.
I repeated this media setup in a second drawer.
I only used the first ( Top) drawer and then skipped the second drawer left it out and skiped the bottom drawer left it out also.
Next, I took an egg tray, covered the bottom with fine plastic/nylon window screen mesh, put in a layer of small gravel (Like you would see in concrete walkways finished as pebble wash. I put a layer of mesh on top of this . I Stiched the mesh to the tray with fishing line. I repeated this 4 times using sand .. fisrt a coarse sand then a finer sand and then a finer sand etc.
This bank of egg trays fits just fine right where drawer # 2 would have gone.
The water inters from the top of the set of drawers coming from an overflow from the tank.
I set the drawers in a plastic bin 15.5 X 22 X 13 Depth (inches) I raised the drawers up from the bottom of the bin with concrete cubes aprox 4 in X 4 in X 4 inch. These cubes I got from a building site.. they make them to do concrete strength tests.
I have a 4,800 liter per hour submersible pump ( Re Sun) for returning the water to the tank (I will set up a spray bar on this return soon.
I like the ability to just pull out a drawer to clean the media. The filter remains working while I clean the drawers one at a time. Simple! Easy!
Above with batch of egg trays removed
Batch of egg trays
My tank is drilled. At one end in the back panel 2 1inch holes. Near the bottom of the tank.
At the other end 2 1 inch holes in the bottom glass near the front of the tank.
I took 2 pieces of 2.5 inch dia. PVC pipe aprox 60 inches long (My tnk is 72 X 30 X30) I plumbed a 1 pvc pipe to connect the 2 larger pipes . Imagine a large H turned 90 degrees so the longer legs are horizontal.
I cut a ¾ inch slot the length of the 2.5 inch PVC but left an inch at each end. I rolled a piece of plastic pvc fence openings about ½ inch X 1 inch. I pushed this inside the 2.5 inch PVC and then repeated that so the layers of mesh are even more restrictive smaller openings as the screens over lap. I then capped the ends.
At the end where the holes are in the back panel I plumbed a one inch pvc pipe thru the back glass and plumbed it to the lower leg of the H so that the lower leg is about 6 inches off the bottom of the tank. The top leg of the H is secured to the tanks cross braces with wire ties. The bottom leg is secured with one of those plastic U holders that hold fluorescent light fixtures. Pipe is tied to the bracket with wire ties, bracket is silicone to the back of the tank.
This leaves a Slot of 1 most of the length of the tank at the water surface and a second slot near the top of the tank sub strait.
This over flow pulls from 2 levels in the tank. One at the surface where it skims off debris ; one at the lower level where it picks up the larger debris.
My water is pristine, crystal clear and 0 N2 or N3 perfect 6.5 ph.
At present I only have 4 smaller fish in this monster, 2 Flag Tails (Semprochilodus, taeniurus.) a rose Barb (temp resident) and a red tail catfish. I am waiting on an Arow .. actually waiting on my pocket book to re fill lol. But soon.
I know this pulls from both slots as I have added Malachite Green and watched it flow thru the intake slots. Also small insects flow to the top slot and disappear into the filter.
I also have an interesting UGF but that is for another post!
Comments / questions welcomed. I am working on more pictures many did not come out for some reason.. most likely my Excellent camera skills lol I am not skilled at using paint or draw programs to illustrait the set up, but maybe I can get one of my daughters to help.. or any volunteers?
Enjoy
Oopps could not figure out how to insert the pic's
