diy canister filter

[rsteagall]

Has anyone ever tried to build their own canister filter? Using a 5 gallon bucket with a screw on lid such as these:

http://www.pyrosupplies.com/shop/page/product_detail/Product/4aa8000419da8c351a19bb63e11f631e.html

... just might be a good start.

 

[OCDep]

5 gallon bucket? How big of a tank would that be going on? I thought about using some 6" PVC, I think a 5 gallon bucket would be too big. Although the screw top would be nice and convient.

 

[rsteagall]

Well, I got to thinking about this because I'm thinking about doing a nano cube and have been reading:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=707234

I'd use a canister such as he converted his canister over.

Eheim 2128 cannister filter
- Hoses connect filter directly to the bottom of the tank
- Drilled for lights and heater
- 50w Hydor heater in top media compartment
- 5w submersible halogen light growing chaeto 24/7 in the middle compartment
- LR rubble in bottom compartment


With a 7 gallon bucket aka (5gallon tall), you could grow half a bucket of cheato, and probably have 20+lbs of live rock rubble with a footprint not much larger than other canister filters. A mag5 pump could power the sucker easily. There's definitely enough room here to do anything you'd want to do in a canister.

Dood... thats alot of cheato!

 

[rsteagall]

More or less, I guess this would really end up being more of a closed loop sump w/refugium. Might be perfect for nano reefs if everything sealed.

 

[TitaniuIVI]

You could just use the Instant Ocean salt buckets. They have a screw on lid.

 

[rsteagall]

Too bad I just bought a bucket of Oceanic. It has one of those sealed pull off lids. I just wouldn't feel comfortable using something that didn't screw on. Although if there was any plumbing that reached the bottom of the bucket, it might be hard to screw it on.