Has anyone ever tried converting a 32 gallon Rubbermaid trash can into a filter of some sort? I have one that I've been thinking of making into a filter, but I'm not sure where to start because all of the guides I can find are for making aquariums into sumps, wet/drys, etc.
Trash Can Filter
- Thread starter Wiggles92
- Start date
Have you considered overhead filters? Basically like a sump except on top of your tank...feed water with a pump and return to tank through gravity 
If you are trying to make a canister, you wont be able to seal the top properly. If you make it into a sump, remember, the pump will be in the bottom, then the bio-media and finally, the mechanical. This is working from the bottom up, of course. The main problem I have had is plumbing the pump. Exterally plumbed return pump solves this, but be sure to use the proper bulkheads with adequate seals. The material generally used for trash cans and storage containers in general wont except most glues or adhesives. Also, the more water being held in the container will cause the container to bulge outward. Again, if you are going to plumb an external pump, use the proper bulkhead/seal. The only other problem I have had is not knowing "how its doing" in terms of when to clean it or if the media is clogged because you cant see into it. You have to take it apart to know.
Anyway, I have played around with this idea amongst others and it is fun to try and make things work on the cheap. Good luck.
Anyway, I have played around with this idea amongst others and it is fun to try and make things work on the cheap. Good luck.
boldtogether;4924828; said:
brich999;4924778; said:
I was thinking sump or wet/dry. The problem that I was having was finding any guides to using something that is vertically oriented such as the trash can instead of horizontally oriented like most aquariums are. I realize that visual access to the contents of the filter will be very limited, but I figure that inspections on a weekly basis (at minimum) of the different media and parts should help to gauge when to clean/unclog/replace anything.
Freezekougra;4924781; said:Have you considered overhead filters? Basically like a sump except on top of your tank...feed water with a pump and return to tank through gravity
I don't think I'll have room above the aquarium for an overhead filter. This proposed filter is going to be for a pretty big (few hundred gallons) aquarium that I'm going to be building plus I'd then have to build a stand for the filter resulting in more costs.
kendragon;4924805; said:
How did it work out for you? Any strengths or weaknesses that are worth mentioning?
gar man;4924850; said:This fall I plan on making a 262 plywood aquarium. I've been trying to find a type of filter to make for it and I hope you dont mind but I think I'm going to steal this idea.
Go for it. I plan on using this to help filter an aquarium that I'll be building soon, too.
derekp;4924933; said:
Sounds like you made a pretty sweet filter from what I've read so far in that thread!
I'll have to try making this one in a similar fashion minus it being elevated; I plan on making an overflow(s) that get piped into the filter then the filtered water gets pumped back up to the aquarium.
Yeah i took the easy way. But I needed something pretty quickly and I couldn't quite figure out how to make an overflow for it.