# DIY Filter Advice Wanted Please



## ianryeng (Dec 22, 2008)

Hello,

I currently have a 10 gal planted tank and am not happy with the available filters for affordable prices. At the moment I am using the smallest marineland penguin biowheel filter but it produces a lot of turbulence and the impeller is quite noisy.

My plan currently is to use a two or three sump drinking water filter to implement three stages of filtration using this type of filter shown at the end of the post

Since it is a small tank 3/8 polyvinyl tubing should provide adequate flow assuming approximately 1.5-3 gallons per minute available flow with an inexpensive inline pump.

The first stage is going to be a 5 micron sediment filter, the second stage will be a carbon block, where im not sure what to do is the biological filtration. Should i run the water back to the HOB filter so it goes through the biowheel or add a third sump with some biologically friendly media like ceramic beads or bio balls or something of the like?

I can get the two stage filter for free as we have some that have been returned by customers that we cannot sell and the filters for the first two stages are about $2 and $3 respectively.

Is there any reason not to filter down to 5 microns? I ask because the filter i am currently using seems to only take out large particles...

I am fairly new to the aquarium scene and have been learning a lot quickly but I would greatly appreciate some feedback with respect to this idea before i implement it in case i have overlooked something.

Thank you for your feedback and assistance is the development of this filter,

Ian


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## m-jackson (Dec 23, 2008)

I am just curious why you would even bother with the original filter cartridge. Why not just stuff the first with sponge material and the second with charcoal if that's what you want. If I was going to try this I probably just use sponge in both. What you really are looking for is somewhere for the bacterial to grow. If it was not so expensive I have a couple of aqaupure 802 sitting around. I like to use them in my rental house as they almost never change the filters. If the wall bracket is similiar to these you could even use it to hang on the back.


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## brion0 (Dec 24, 2008)

Thats a good idea, it should work like a normal canister fiter. You wouldn't need the HOB. Id use a filter floss in the first and a sponge in the second.


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## ianryeng (Dec 22, 2008)

Thanks for the input.

I am still debating the project after doing more research. I mean, i can get the canisters for free and the incentive for using the filters i mentioned is i can get damaged ones free but the pump that would be required would completely defeat the purpose of a low cost system since it would require a rather large filter to keep the pressure high enough to get adequate flow rate

I do agree with the suggestions about media, i would need to figure out some sort of riser to get water to the bottom so it would pass through the media...

If i make any progress and am successful i will definitely report back, thanks again for the suggestions!

Ian


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