filtration design needed using 55gal drum or any other suggestions

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

sumthingfishy

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 1, 2008
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I'm going to build a plywood aquarium (8'x4'x4') and want to know what kind of filtration is going to be the best? i have access to plastic 55gal drums, are there any designs here at MFK to set up a new filter using these drums?
 
I have no idea if there are any on MFK as it stands, but it sounds like a cool idea. I would think you could set up a stand with some egg crate on the bottom of the drum to keep your bio-media up out of the standing water and then drill a hole through the drum and run an inline pump. It would almost be an upside down canister filter, with the water flowing down through the media, the trick would be getting the water to disperse enough to cover the entire area of the drum (multiple drains leading to an acrylic plate with holes in it, maybe?), and then the pump returning the water once it has been filtered.
 
yeah, I've already made a crude version for my pond. i was hoping to fine tune it with better ideas, and to make it more efficient.
 
whats the crude design like? knowing that would help with refining it. how many drums do you have access to?
 
This is from BigRich545's Fishroom build post...


and here is how i made my own filters for the 15' pool that housed the large cats
first i bought 3000 bio balls , then 2 large garbage cans and 2 red tubs from lowes

second i drilled the drain holes in the garbage cans and filled them with bio balls 3/4 way full
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then i cut the bottom 3 inches off of the red tub and then drilled a million holes :) x2, then i
cut a piece of filter material to fit in the new drip tray, i set it on top of the bio balls and cut a hole in the lid to fit a 1" inside diameter hose that i ran to a tetra 1000 gph pump, and were done, very easy and now we can filter 2000 gph with these filters, set up a couple of 2x6 across your pool and set them up there,
View attachment 872827
View attachment 872828View attachment 872825
i hope this helps all the people that pm'ed me about cheap filtration
 
Check out uaru joeys YouTube page. He used them for a K1 filter.

Sent from the black hole that is my world.
 
I just hang a couple filter socks in the barrel, and use it for heaters and the pump.
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And use intermediate planted tanks between barrel and main tank, as bio and nitrate filtration.
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