DIY Canister "Filter"

reef_noob · 10-23-2005, 10:43 PM

Ok, so, I have the occasional need to run carbon, and other such granulated media, but I don't want to go buy a canister filter or fluidized bed reactor. I was thinking that I could make one out of 2" pvc with an end cap/hose barb on one end and drilled end cap on the other. I could put some sort of screens on the ends and fill it with carbon. A mj 1200 would provide the flow. The whole thing could be dropped in the sump, or even in the main tank.

Any reasons why this wouldn't work?

wharyat · 10-23-2005, 10:48 PM

Should work great, I made one a few years ago for FW. You can get a 2" to 1/2" bushing and a coupler for one end, then a 2" FPT adaptor and a 2" MPT x 1/2" FPT bushing for the other.

reef_noob · 10-23-2005, 10:59 PM

Hmm, come to think of it, this would make a handy vacuum as well, you could fill it with filter floss, vacuum up whatever crud you want to get out, and then dump the floss. (I'm thinkin flatworms here....

)

Loverotties · 10-23-2005, 11:15 PM

Yep that would do!

reef_noob · 10-28-2005, 10:34 PM

Ok, so I built one today out of 2 inch and 1/2 inch pvc. It's essentially a specialized closed loop system. I had a sun king pump laying around, so I used that although I think I may splurge for a mag 5 because the sun king just seems kinda flimsy. At any rate, not counting the pump, the whole thing cost about $35 in pipe, fittings, glue, etc...

Here's the media chamber, here I will put filter floss(when vacuuming) or bags of fluidized media (carbon, purigen, phosban, etc...)

1/2 way done...

here's the chamber open

All glued together...

The final result. As you can see, this can be used for a number of tasks. I can use it as a vacuum, with the water returning back to the tank, a fluidized media reactor with the water returning to the tank, and a power siphon, for quick water changes. The cap at the top of the media chamber column screws off so that you can prime the system.

VWD · 10-28-2005, 11:45 PM

Thats really cool. Nice job.

wharyat · 10-29-2005, 12:29 AM

Looks good, I'm thinking I have to make one.

reef_noob · 10-29-2005, 12:45 AM

Glad you like it. FYI, (in case it isn't clear)the media chamber side is the intake side.

reef_noob · 10-29-2005, 01:31 AM

Well, the wet test went quite smoothly. The priming works fine and no leaks

Gonna have to test it with media in it next.

Geoff · 10-29-2005, 04:05 AM

Very Nice!!

you might want to turn the pump around. pumps do not work as well under suction as they do under pressure. you will be starving the pump when you get the media in there.

G~

VWD · 10-29-2005, 09:25 AM

what kind of pump is that? And I agree with Geoff,

sls · 10-29-2005, 02:59 PM

great idea! ive been thinking about how to make one also.

reef_noob · 10-29-2005, 03:38 PM

I put the pump that way so that when I use it as a vacuum, the crud gets filtered out before it gets to the pump, that way any silt, sand, etc doesn't break the impeller.

Geoff · 10-29-2005, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reef_noob

I put the pump that way so that when I use it as a vacuum, the crud gets filtered out before it gets to the pump, that way any silt, sand, etc doesn't break the impeller.

the impellers are made to have slop so big things will not hurt them. when you run them starved they can overheat and melt the casing. not a good thing. pumps/impellers cheap, burning things can get expensive.

G~

reef_noob · 10-29-2005, 04:48 PM

Ok, things learned from the first in tank test with media....

1) 1/2" id vinyl tubing tends to collapse under suction.

2) the return should probably point horizontally as it tends to kick up a lot of crud if pointed downward.

3) 2" pvc doesn't hold nearly as much carbon as you might think.

4) wet carbon dust is really messy

5) aqua clear carbon packets will probably work better than loose carbon in a mesh bag.

6) resun king pumps are absolute crap and should only be used as paperweights (the impeller housing cracked.)

7) in addition to a power siphon, when the casing on your pump cracks, this thing becomes a natural siphon.

8) drying a carpet sucks.

9) fishing things out of an open bucket of skimmate sucks.

10) keep intake hose submerged unless you like dealing with cavitation.

In reality, it was much more comical than that list makes it out to be...

However, it does work...the filter floss did a great job of trapping crud and the flow was impressive. The major problem was that in a shallow tank I had a tendency to keep moving the intake hose above the water line and sucking in a bunch of air.

I need to perfect the media loading process and find better intake hose, and I think a mag 5 will be the way to go. The resun king pump worked ok, but the impeller housing had these cheap plastic tabs which snapped off with minimal torque. I might think about ways to reinforce the entire thing, maybe braces between the intake and output columns...