Intex pool filter as mechanical filration.

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
You can build a sump for really cheap and use polyester fabric from a fabric store as a filter. You could use the canister filter as a pump (and as your active bio filter for now) if you don't have another pump or don't have money to buy one. You can add some bio media (scrubby pads) to add to your bio.

If you have an extra tank to use as a sump than I would use that otherwise just use a rubbermaid container. For a bio tower, use a rubbermaid type drawer unit and drill holes in all the drawers and throw your extra bio media in there. Use the top drawer for a drip tray and put a filter pad (polyester fabric for padding blankets and such) in there. You should put a couple layers of plastic canvas under the filter pad so the water goes through the entire pad and does not just clog up were the holes are in the tray.

I can literally go buy everything mentioned form the Wal-Mart I have here. Some Wal-Marts might not have a fabric section so you may need to go to a fabric store.

Sump = extra tank or rubbermain container.

Bio-Tower = Rubbermaid type drawer unit. They come in several different sizes.

Bio-Media = Scrubby pads or what ever you want.

Filter Pad = polyester padding fabric. This comes in different densities and should be about $4/yard. You just cut to fit your drip tray (top drawer)

The filter pad I am referring to is very economical and is very efficient at making the water crystal clear. The great part about this design is that when it comes time to change the filter, you just pull out the drawer, pull out the old pad and toss a new one in and close the drawer. You don't have to shut down anything and it takes literally less than a minute. That is easy maintenance. All the stuff is easy to find and cheap. You should be able to build this type of setup for a 55g for under $40 (no pump) and it will be a really efficient bio and mechanical filter.
 
I used a 800gph intex on my 330gallon, and a 800gph on my 30gallon turtle tank haha. On the 330 gallon I was changing the cartridge every day though :( On the turtles tank I got 7 days before I needed to change it. Noisy? Eh if you enjoy a pitch quiet room yes. Not no louder than a computer. But it worked great.

I dont run them anymore, I changed the 330 to plant and sponge filtration.



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You can see the 1.5" return on the 30gal turt tank. water was always crystal clear


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HAHAHAHA That turtle looks so confused.Thanks for the pictures, ITHURTZ. Does the new filter work as well as the pool filter? How exactly does the new filter work?
 
bobtatersaladsmith;5154967; said:
I dont have to room to store a sump. How do you think scouring pads like the ones on the link below would do with clearing up the water? The pillow batting is really doing nothing at all.

http://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Clean...OWH6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1306276510&sr=8-3
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I have found polyester pillow stuffing to work OK if the water goes through enough of it but your canister would basically have to be at least half full of it to do a very good job.

I'm not sure about the pads you have linked. I have seen pads like that used as bio filtration but not for mechanical filtration.

So you don't have any room under the tank at all for a sump?
 
bobtatersaladsmith;5155288; said:
HAHAHAHA That turtle looks so confused.Thanks for the pictures, ITHURTZ. Does the new filter work as well as the pool filter? How exactly does the new filter work?
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Id say the sponge filter keeps the water equally clear from my eye site. I use the sponge filter as the mech and some bio, I use a canister for all bio, then the plants I use as a nitrate reducer.


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The canister although used for bio, pumps the water in the container for the plants. I need to make the plant thing bigger because the arrow heads are growing way to fast.


It started out like this Id say 6 months ago


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bobtatersaladsmith;5154555; said:
What are you using now to keep your tank particle free?
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I have a pair of Magnum HOT 250 along with 2 Hydor Nano.
The powerheads are on one end of the tank and the Magnums are on the other end.
I only run the micron cartridge in the filters.
They last about 9 days before needing a cleaning.
The water stays crystal clear with this setup.
I have one spare micron cartridge that is always clean and alternate the filter that gets service.
From start to finish, less than 5 minutes for a cartridge swap.
After the filter is back on the tank, the removed cartridge gets a good rinse and put in a bleach/water bath for an overnight soak.
Next day, another good rinse and then it is left to dry and allow the chlorine to "air" off.
Actually takes longer to write about it, than do it.

I have an overstocked 55g full of African hooligans that are about as messy a mob as fish can get.
They make a mess at both ends of the food cycle.
Seem to take great delight in spewing mouthfuls of food out while dumping a pile at the other end.
After going through most all filter systems, both bought and DIY, what I`m running has done the best job of keeping a balance between clean water and amount of filter service needed.
As long as what a guy wants to remove from his water is particulate and not some sort of algae/bacterial blooming, moving fair sized amounts of water through media capable of removing particles in the sub 20 micron range is the only way I have found to keep my water crystal.
Always a trade off, crystal clear water and filter service.
You just need to find your "comfort" zone for water clarity versus filter service.
Good luck.
 
Thanks for the info both of you! I will be looking into the magnum hot. If I were to get a cf-500, Kaisersousay, what would be a good media? My cf-300 is currently stuffed completely full of pillow batting and isnt able to keep the water clear. It is very cloudy.
earthstudent, my tank is in my room sitting on my dresser. There is nowhere to put a sump. If you say that batting is ok, what, in your opinion, works better?
 
bobtatersaladsmith;5156228; said:
Thanks for the info both of you! I will be looking into the magnum hot. If I were to get a cf-500, Kaisersousay, what would be a good media? My cf-300 is currently stuffed completely full of pillow batting and isnt able to keep the water clear. It is very cloudy.
earthstudent, my tank is in my room sitting on my dresser. There is nowhere to put a sump. If you say that batting is ok, what, in your opinion, works better?
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Honestly, if your canister is full of pillow batting and your water is still cloudy, than I am starting to think you might have another problem, as the pillow batting is not all that great but should clear up a tank relatively well. Is the canister flowing water OK? Its not clogged up? Can you get us a picture of the tank? Have you tried the drops that are supposed to clear up cloudy water? I don't know much about the drops but I know others that have used them on smaller tanks and it seemed to work.
 
pillow batting and isnt able to keep the water clear. It is very cloudy.

Just me, but I never liked pillow batting.
It always seemed to allow too much stuff through it and even little stings of batting ended up in the tank.
Quilt batting worked better. Whatever extra step they use in making it kept all the batting in place, but it still never cleaned the way I was looking for.
First things first.
You are sure your "cloudy" tank water is because of particulate and not a biological bloom or micro bubbles, right?
Many/most new tanks..I call any tank that has not run for a year or more new..have a cloudy time.
Seems to freak people out and they start doing all kinds of things to clear the water, not realizing with all the changes they are making is just keeping the situation going.
Most of the time this will clear by itself if bacterial or a change in lighting/feeding if algal.
If you are sure it`s particles, there are allot of micron rated materials you can put in most all filter systems.
Look at some of the major, online retailers, and make a choice on what would fit your filter.
Whether they list them as polishing pads or just a micron rating, they do the same thing.
They trap really tiny particles as the water goes through them.
Be aware, on a tank with allot of particles these pads will clog pretty quick and media cleaning/changing can be a PIA.
But that shouldn`t go on forever.
At some point the amount of particles removed should let you get into a comfortable filter service routine.
Good luck.
 
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