Attempting to DIY a canister filter

[Jovi]

Hello, so I've been planning to make a canister filter myself for a long time now, but never had the opportunity until now lol. So, basically, I was just browsing through the internet trying to look for clip-on containers larger than like 4 liters, but they're either not available in my country or just simply too expensive. I was wondering if I could use a container that has a screwed-on or just a regular container with a normal lid? They are my only options if I were to go bigger than 4 liters but I'm concerned about the lid not being able to handle the valves I plan to put on it and the incoming flow.

Also, I'm planning to put the pump at the bottom of the canister (because its too bulky and heavy to attach below the lid) and attach an output tube to the pump, then attach the lid to the tube using some sort of adapter. The Fluval FX4 uses this design, and I noticed that their lids have this white thing which seemed to connect to the output tube. Could anyone identify what that is? Much appreciated.

Edited April 20, 2022 by Jovi
Grammar

[Dancing Matt]

I think an issue you would have to solve with a screw-on or normal lid is ensuring a good seal so you could create a vacuum. Please post your results, I am very interested in how this may work.

[Jovi]

On 4/21/2022 at 9:11 AM, Dancing Matt said:

I think an issue you would have to solve with a screw-on or normal lid is ensuring a good seal so you could create a vacuum. Please post your results, I am very interested in how this may work.

Most containers with normal lids that I found online are marketed as "airtight", but most of them are without a silicone seal. Would that work?

[Joexemm]

IMO a DIY cannister is = to a sump which is easier to service however cool build and ill be following!!

Keep in mind your going to need to make this thing water tight 

 

 

Edited April 21, 2022 by Joexemm

[Jovi]

On 4/21/2022 at 10:15 PM, Joexemm said:

IMO a DIY cannister is = to a sump which is easier to service however cool build and ill be following!!

Keep in mind your going to need to make this thing water tight 

 

 

Yeah I agree, but my budget is kind of constrained so I can't really afford to do a sump setup lol

And yes, it will be watertight

[Widgets]

Have you seen this?

 

 

[Dancing Matt]

@Jovi I wouldn't trust anything without a seal...

[Never stop learning]

On 4/22/2022 at 3:46 PM, Widgets said:

Have you seen this?

 

 

If this won't work or if you need it to be under the tank.  Go to YouTube and search king of diy canister filter. I will warn you if you use a pump that is to strong it will start to leak from the seal on the lid after a few months 

Edited May 6, 2022 by Never stop learning
Gramer typo

[Never stop learning]

To me the picture looks like a butterfly valve or a gate valve. 

[AquaHobbyist123]

Hope it works!

[nabokovfan87]

On 4/20/2022 at 6:11 PM, Dancing Matt said:

I think an issue you would have to solve with a screw-on or normal lid is ensuring a good seal so you could create a vacuum

They have some "other shaped" containers used for dog food / dry storage that might be applicable. It's the similar style (almost identical) lid that you'd find on a 5G bucket that you can then screw on and has a rubber seal. There's a snap on lid, then that has threads for the screw on lid. 

My assumption is that while the screw on lid might hold some pressure, the press fit quality would determine the viability.  Definitely an interesting rabbit hole to go down.

https://www.amazon.com/Vittles-Outback-Airtight-Storage-Container/dp/B002Q7SZ2A

[Guppy Guy]

I made my own awhile back, and my biggest issue was the lid's edges cracking, losing the watertight seal. My setup utilized plastic storage containers and an overflow to create a sump contained within the bucket. In theory it should work good, but I haven't had an extra tank to install it on 🤣.

[Dancing Matt]

On 7/15/2022 at 7:08 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

They have some "other shaped" containers used for dog food / dry storage that might be applicable. It's the similar style (almost identical) lid that you'd find on a 5G bucket that you can then screw on and has a rubber seal. There's a snap on lid, then that has threads for the screw on lid. 

You could also do a husky bin and make a rectangular one. Another thing I wonder about is how to ensure complete flow through. Filters are designed with some kind of partition or such that ensure the water moves properly through all the media?

 Husky 20-Gal. Professional Duty Waterproof Storage Container with Hinged Lid in Red 246842 (homedepot.com)

 

[Tom Greiner]

I tried to make my own cannister filter. Basically the 5 gallon bucket with a gamma seal lid as demonstrated the King of DIY.

My attempt failed miserably. While I could get it to work, without leaks, when I tested it with the power off (simulating a power failure) the siphon would have enough pressure to create a leak around the gamma seal lid. No amount of fiddling, Vaseline, new/extra O-rings, or silicone sealant could fix this. What I realized is that King Joey's bucket cannister was at the same level as the aquarium (hence no automatic siphon when power is off). My cannister bucket was positioned below the aquarium in stand. So, 5 gallon bucket cannister was a bust.

What I finally did was to create a cannister out of 6 inch PVC pipe, with a sealed end cap on one end and a screw-off access cap on the other. Since this is real pipe, and originally intended for sewage, there was no leakage on the PVC end. The inflow and outflow pipes required a little fiddling. A uniseal worked for prevent leaks at the inflow connection, but a regular pipe bulkhead was needed for the outflow pipe. I went with an external pump, so there was no need to seal a hole for the electric cord. Flow goes from one end of the pipe cannister to the other. The pipe is mostly filled with lava rock and bio balls, but there are some sponges and a little bit of floss on the screw-cap inflow end. 

I now have a working DIY cannister filter. It's main headache is priming it when I need to restart the system. I learned that adding a small air hose valve on what is the high end of the cannister helps a lot. But, put a small ring of large open pipe around the valve to guard against knocking it off an breaking it (I think I did that three times before I learned to protect the valve).

While I learned several things in the DIY process, my biggest lesson is that DIY is not necessarily the least expensive alternative. I think I ended up spending  close to $500 on this project. I could have gotten myself a damn good Fluval cannister filter, and a couple of cases of beer, for that price.

[Brandon p]

Make sure you have a back flow preventer 

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/29/2022 at 8:24 AM, Tom Greiner said:

My attempt failed miserably. While I could get it to work, without leaks, when I tested it with the power off (simulating a power failure) the siphon would have enough pressure to create a leak around the gamma seal lid. No amount of fiddling, Vaseline, new/extra O-rings, or silicone sealant could fix this. What I realized is that King Joey's bucket cannister was at the same level as the aquarium (hence no automatic siphon when power is off). My cannister bucket was positioned below the aquarium in stand. So, 5 gallon bucket cannister was a bust.

In his vlog, cory positioned his above the tanks.

On 7/29/2022 at 8:24 AM, Tom Greiner said:

What I finally did was to create a cannister out of 6 inch PVC pipe, with a sealed end cap on one end and a screw-off access cap on the other. Since this is real pipe, and originally intended for sewage, there was no leakage on the PVC end. The inflow and outflow pipes required a little fiddling. A uniseal worked for prevent leaks at the inflow connection, but a regular pipe bulkhead was needed for the outflow pipe. I went with an external pump, so there was no need to seal a hole for the electric cord. Flow goes from one end of the pipe cannister to the other. The pipe is mostly filled with lava rock and bio balls, but there are some sponges and a little bit of floss on the screw-cap inflow end. 

I now have a working DIY cannister filter. It's main headache is priming it when I need to restart the system. I learned that adding a small air hose valve on what is the high end of the cannister helps a lot. But, put a small ring of large open pipe around the valve to guard against knocking it off an breaking it (I think I did that three times before I learned to protect the valve).

While I learned several things in the DIY process, my biggest lesson is that DIY is not necessarily the least expensive alternative. I think I ended up spending  close to $500 on this project. I could have gotten myself a damn good Fluval cannister filter, and a couple of cases of beer, for that price.

Nice work.  Someone had to run the test for us!

Welcome to the forum also!