# Looking for feedback on my DIY Filter design



## cburns70 (Oct 28, 2011)

Here's what I think is my final design. Please take a look and let me know what you think. I've got all the components now and I've started building it. Before I get to far along though, please let me know what you think.

Thanks:


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## TypeYourTextHere (Apr 20, 2011)

Is this a closed system? If so, it looks good.


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## cburns70 (Oct 28, 2011)

Yes, its closed. Thanks!


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Use the canister with ammonia media as a 2nd bio media holder. The more bio media you add the better the chance you'll never see ammonia to begin with.


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## cburns70 (Oct 28, 2011)

jrman83 said:


> Use the canister with ammonia media as a 2nd bio media holder. The more bio media you add the better the chance you'll never see ammonia to begin with.


Thanks! I may just add a fourth canister with additonal bio media. 

Charles


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## cburns70 (Oct 28, 2011)

Updated drawing based on comments I've received.


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## cburns70 (Oct 28, 2011)

Ok made some revisions. I'm still concerned about the placement of the pump. Should I be sucking water out of the tank and pushing it through the filter? Or sucking it thorugh the filters and pushing back to the tank?

Any comments gretaly appreciated. I'm actually building this right now.


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## SuckMyCichlids (Nov 5, 2011)

looks like a wicked setup lol


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## hookthefish (Dec 17, 2011)

cburns70 said:


> Ok made some revisions. I'm still concerned about the placement of the pump. Should I be sucking water out of the tank and pushing it through the filter? Or sucking it thorugh the filters and pushing back to the tank?
> 
> Any comments gretaly appreciated. I'm actually building this right now.


You are on the same Idea of what I have now.
I would advise to use either 100- 200 micron first, but I can only find pleated filters go up to 50 micron and you may want to think larger filters with larger pump and pipe tubing because you lose flow rate with these filters.

Check this out. I use a 1800 GPH pump with 1" pipe/tubing,4"x20" house filter housing's and Matrix biofilter stones in an empty cartridge. Matrix has 170 square ft per 1 liter of stone, I can fit 3 liters in 1 empty cartridge.

click on photo for larger view.


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## hookthefish (Dec 17, 2011)

One more thing. 
You will need to drill a hole though the tank, below the water line, use a bulkhead to connect your pipe/tubingto the pump.
Mag drive will not be able to suck the water up and over the top because they can't self prime.


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## hookthefish (Dec 17, 2011)

If you have a glass tank. you may be able to find a glass company to drill the hole for you.

I have acrylic so I did it myself. 2 of them 2" above the gravel line, 1 intake 1 return, and 2 on the bottom for intake for UGF.

I should have made my return near the waterline because it wouldn't slow the flow 
( just a little restriction)


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## cburns70 (Oct 28, 2011)

hookthefish said:


> One more thing.
> You will need to drill a hole though the tank, below the water line, use a bulkhead to connect your pipe/tubingto the pump.
> Mag drive will not be able to suck the water up and over the top because they can't self prime.


Good point on the self prime problem. I was thinking about manually establishing the prime and using a check valve to constantly hold it. 
Unfortunately I can't drill right now. Tank is up and running and the back is against a brick wall. 

I really like your setup. I'm using the 10" housings so I can fit everything in the stand. The whole thing will be mounted to heavy duty drawer roller slides. That will let me slide it out to do maintenance.

The 100 micron filter will actually be before the pump. The 30 micro. Will follow.

Thanks


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## hookthefish (Dec 17, 2011)

Maybe If you put a valve after the pump and before the filters, that would give you a better chance of no loss of a prime.

It may be harder to get the air out of the filter housing when the pump is running but in time the air will get out.

What size tubing are you going to use?

I have 1" and it is very stiff and I would be concerned on movement creating leaks at connections.

You may not need a 2nd BIO filter. Check out the matrix stone.

Seachem. Matrix


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## cburns70 (Oct 28, 2011)

Thanks everybody for the feedback. I've completed the build and after some initial testing in my garage, I made some more design changes.

1. To overcome the priming problem, the pump will be located inside of the tank. 

2. The pump will have a sponge filter on the intake. Also the pump will rest at the bottom of the tank, but the intake will be piped up to within a couple inches of the water line. This way if any leaks develop, I wont pump out the whole tank.

3. I'm using all 3/4" PVC pipe, fittings, and Tubing. 

4. The canisters have air releases and on first startup or filter change I will have to release the air manually.

5. "_Bio filters require oxygen to operate"_ I hadn't consider that the bio may not get enough 02. Thanks to *jccaclimber *for bringing this to my attention. My design and space constraints don't really give space to run the bio filters in parallel. But I'll start checking into it though. 

6. I'm running two particulate filter, 100 micron to catch any sand, and then 50 Micron to catch anything else. I could easily change over to filter floss or something like that If, I had to.

Here's a new diagram:


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