Wet/dry filter

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
5 gallon bucket with 2 lids
4 gallons of bio balls
Sump pump
A 1" slip to male threaded fitting.
A 1" female to female threaded fitting.

Drill 1" holes in the outside portion (near the rims) of both lids to thread the return hose through.
Cut the rim off of one of the lids so it fits inside the bucket. Drill many drip holes in this lid. This will be your drip plate.
Drill a 1" hole in the center of one of the lids.
Cut the 1" female to female fitting in half.
Put the 1" slip to 1" male threaded fitting through the 1" hole in the top lid.
Secure the fitting in the hole using the half of female threaded fitting like a nut.
Put the sump pump in the bottom of the bucket.
Thread the return hose through the outside holes in the lids.
Fill the bucket up with the bio balls.
Place the drip plate lid on top of the bio balls.
Plumb the return line from the sump back into the tank.
Put a filter pad on top of the drip plate lid.
Put the top lid with the 1" fitting on top of the bucket.
Plumb the overflow to the fitting on the top lid.

You can spend a whole lot more and get a whole lot more complex but you won't get much more efficient than this.

Edit: Add a bubble wand to the bottom of the bucket and plumb it to a cheap air pump to keep a constant supply of fresh air in the bucket.
 
Oughtsix said:
5 gallon bucket with 2 lids
4 gallons of bio balls
Sump pump
A 1" slip to male threaded fitting.
A 1" female to female threaded fitting.

Drill 1" holes in the outside portion (near the rims) of both lids to thread the return hose through.
Cut the rim off of one of the lids so it fits inside the bucket. Drill many drip holes in this lid. This will be your drip plate.
Drill a 1" hole in the center of one of the lids.
Cut the 1" female to female fitting in half.
Put the 1" slip to 1" male threaded fitting through the 1" hole in the top lid.
Secure the fitting in the hole using the half of female threaded fitting like a nut.
Put the sump pump in the bottom of the bucket.
Thread the return hose through the outside holes in the lids.
Fill the bucket up with the bio balls.
Place the drip plate lid on top of the bio balls.
Plumb the return line from the sump back into the tank.
Put a filter pad on top of the drip plate lid.
Put the top lid with the 1" fitting on top of the bucket.
Plumb the overflow to the fitting on the top lid.

You can spend a whole lot more and get a whole lot more complex but you won't get much more efficient than this.

Edit: Add a bubble wand to the bottom of the bucket and plumb it to a cheap air pump to keep a constant supply of fresh air in the bucket.
Click to expand...

Thank you:)):):):):):):):):):):):)
Also, will that work for a 120 gallon


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Your welcome!

This should work well for a 120 with medium to even high stocking levels. I ran a smaller wet/dry on my 110g and it worked great until my 110 started to leak (Not the filters fault).

Wet/dry filters can be very fancy and elaborate... but they don't have to be. The nature of wet/dry with lots of air/water surface area makes for very productive bio filtration... excellent O2 levels... and good C02 off gassing.

There are any number of containers you can choose for this to suite your needs. Beer brewing supply houses sell 6.5 gallon buckets for a bit more room. I have a ~7 gallon rectangular bucket that works great... it came free with two big bags of dog food several years ago. The rectangular shape utilizes the space below the aquarium better.

You could move the pump outside of the bucket for easier access if you wanted to. A Uni-seal would work very well for this:
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/products/pumps-and-plumbing/plumbing-sumps-drill-bits-overflows-uniseals/uniseal-bulkhead-alternative
 
Rubber made tubs and those goofey plastic storage sliding trays.

Top tray has filter media, and holes drilled in the bottom to let water drain into bio material. I also put florecent light grid 1" above the bottom holes to keep the filter material from plugging the holes when they get real dirty. the filter material sits on top of the flourecent light grid/grate. Below in the next unit is the bio material, and that tray has holes in the bottom as well.
They drain into the tubs, which has a pump under each tray for return.

All 3 of my tubs are connected with bulk heads so water wont over fill one or the other. My middle tub is for trying different things. and next up is a an algae scrubber. But it has had plants in it, deep sand, and whatever else I can't remember. My right side filter gets more water in it then the left side, so there is always some sort of water movement towards the left side via gravity although very slow. It is just the way that it worked out.

I tried out the smaller height trays on the right as in the pics, and found I prefer the deeper ones like on the left. had a few overflow issues with plugging due to filter material catching sand, and plugging the drain holes. which is why I now have the deeper trays on both sides and did the lighting grid 1" above the holes so they cant be plugged. But I dont have any pics at this time.

I also did some other mods, like built some PVC pipes on the entry to the filter towers with holes drilled along the length to make the water spread out as it flows in. I cant remember what they are called right now... spray bars...? My brain is shutting down. Anyhow, this allows me to run a 1" tall piece of foam filter on the top of all my filter media, and a 4 inch hole cut on the very top of the tower for a fan to sit in, and cool the tank in the summer. It works similar to a deltec evaprative cooler. The foam allows more water to air surface time to evap as it gets slowed down.

ry%3D480


ry%3D480


The little FX1 canistor sitting over my middle sump just has carbon in it.

My tank is a 180, and has 3 18 gallon tubs under it... usually filled about half way as long as the pumps are pumping. when off, the water line is usually 4-8" from the tops of the tubs.
 
Oughtsix said:
5 gallon bucket with 2 lids
4 gallons of bio balls
Sump pump
A 1" slip to male threaded fitting.
A 1" female to female threaded fitting.

Drill 1" holes in the outside portion (near the rims) of both lids to thread the return hose through.
Cut the rim off of one of the lids so it fits inside the bucket. Drill many drip holes in this lid. This will be your drip plate.
Drill a 1" hole in the center of one of the lids.
Cut the 1" female to female fitting in half.
Put the 1" slip to 1" male threaded fitting through the 1" hole in the top lid.
Secure the fitting in the hole using the half of female threaded fitting like a nut.
Put the sump pump in the bottom of the bucket.
Thread the return hose through the outside holes in the lids.
Fill the bucket up with the bio balls.
Place the drip plate lid on top of the bio balls.
Plumb the return line from the sump back into the tank.
Put a filter pad on top of the drip plate lid.
Put the top lid with the 1" fitting on top of the bucket.
Plumb the overflow to the fitting on the top lid.

You can spend a whole lot more and get a whole lot more complex but you won't get much more efficient than this.

Edit: Add a bubble wand to the bottom of the bucket and plumb it to a cheap air pump to keep a constant supply of fresh air in the bucket.
Click to expand...

you got a picture of it?
 
I found a pond pump with everything I need except for the plumbing for $80!

That includes all the basic filter media and the pump which sold separately is three times as much.

Total it's about $100 instead of $300.


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