Large canister build

[Damascus]

Looking to build a canister filter to add onto my filtration. I will be building it out of a 63 gallon barrel and will be using a gravity fed, bottom up method to allow it to flow into my existing sump set up with out any new pumps.

It will be on a small stand to allow me to have a valve on the bottom of the barrel to allow for back flush cleaning, and I plan to fill it with lava rock

Any one have any experience with these? Tips or tricks?

 

[duanes]

I have used barrels in this manner, but didn't really consider them canisters, they were just a different form of sump.
A canister would be sealed and pressurized, which I find has no real value.

 

[e34john]

So you want like a skippy filter? I suggest not using lava rocks, sure they are cheap and work well but a pain to clean. I stopped using them a while ago.

 

[DrownedFishonFire]

I see nothing wrong with water making an extra stop while its working its way around the filter system. It does take up more room and is ugly. The only way i can see is to clean it out is to dig everything out if its the first point of entry for the water in your fiter system before its fed into the sump itself. So its going to be more dirty vs rest of the sump? I read somewhere using beads are easier to clean and inexpensive to replace cant remember where i read that tidbit from vs a lava rock/sponges etc

 

[Damascus]

I am using a brute trash can as my vessel. I plan to install a ball valve in the side at the bottom to allow me to back flush, and have a grate above the pipes for the media to sit on.

I still plan on using lava due to its surface area and cost unless a better economical choice is available.

Any ideas on a diy bulkhead that will fit well onto this?

 

[Damascus]

I am using a brute trash can as my vessel. I plan to install a ball valve in the side at the bottom to allow me to back flush, and have a grate above the pipes for the media to sit on.

I still plan on using lava due to its surface area and cost unless a better economical choice is available.

Any ideas on a diy bulkhead that will fit well onto this?

If it matters, using a 44 gallon brute. The 63 barrel I had would not clear testing and kept returning high levels of TDS, no matter how much scrubbing or rinsing

 

[Damascus]

I see nothing wrong with water making an extra stop while its working its way around the filter system. It does take up more room and is ugly. The only way i can see is to clean it out is to dig everything out if its the first point of entry for the water in your fiter system before its fed into the sump itself. So its going to be more dirty vs rest of the sump? I read somewhere using beads are easier to clean and inexpensive to replace cant remember where i read that tidbit from vs a lava rock/sponges etc

It's mainly serving as an add on to the rest of my system because of my bioload. I can't go any bigger under the stand and want to just build something once. Not my preferred choice at all but it will work. I don't want to go a different style because that will require additional pumps, which may fluctuate in flow, causing a flood or something to run dry somewhere else. This would allow it to continue to run off gravity/existing return pump to ensure nothing floods or goes dry

 

[DrownedFishonFire]

Damascus totally understandable why you want to shoot for that goal

How big is the tank current sump and its inhabitants maybe we can help you add more ideas maybe floating plants somewhere to help you reduce bioload. Ive heard of people doing alage towers with small space available etc

 

[Damascus]

Damascus totally understandable why you want to shoot for that goal

How big is the tank current sump and its inhabitants maybe we can help you add more ideas maybe floating plants somewhere to help you reduce bioload. Ive heard of people doing alage towers with small space available etc

Existing sump is a 75. 1/3 filled with lava rock, 1/3 with a holdback FH, and the other 3rd for equipment. Also running an fx6. Sump is running 2 pumps rated for 880gph each not accounting for head loss.

I have a lot of pothos in there which has kept my nitrates around 15, but my biggest issue is ammonia. Recently I had a tank failure so I had to combine a larger set up of SA fish into an existing 220 already stocked with other SA stuff. The tank is very overstocked.

If I don't feed for a day, it'll trend down, but I don't have what I need to support this bioload until I can get a bigger tank again to separate back out the stock.

 

[duanes]

To significantly reduce ammonia and nitrate with plants like Pothos (or any terrestrial plant for that matter) the plants must greatly outweigh the stocking of fish.
I use plants in this matter, and when I set up the tank below 3 years ago, it never went thru a typical cycle, and still never shows detectable nitrate.
The tank 185 gals, the sump/refugium is a heavy planted 125 gal.
.
When the tank started, it was planted about a month before fish were added, and then I added only 25 mosquito fish another month before adding cichlids.
Ammonia and nitrite were never detectable, probably because the plants used any as soon as it was produced, same with nitrate.
To me, filters like pressurized canisters, are producers of more nitrate than they are worth.
I have two canisters, one came with the 180, one with the 125, they sit as paper weights.
I was able to use the media they came with in my sump.