I want a modern-day version of the Metaframe Dynaflow HOB

[Robert Keeney]

The Metaframe Dynaflow filters were the best filters ever made for aquariums. Here is why/

They never leak because there is no hole in the bottom. A magnet drove the impeller.

They pump filtered water. The filter is fed by a siphon that puts the water on top of the filter media. The pump pumped the filtered water from the bottom of the media back into the aquarium. I never had an impeller jam or get clogged up with gunk.

They did not kill fry. If fry got sucked into the filter, they would hang out in the water on top of the filter media until you scooped them out. While they were in the filter, they were the best-fed fish in the aquarium.

Unless the siphons were broken when you had a power failure, they would always restart when the power came back on.

Dynaflow filters don't run over. Because it is fed by a siphon, the water level in the filter can never be higher than the water in the aquarium.

You can always tell when the media needs changing. There was no bypass so the flow would get slower the more the media clogged. When it got too slow, you changed or cleaned the media.

You could use any media you like. I use sponges and filter floss in mine. I used sponges well before there were sponge filters in the aquarium trade. A 1/2-inch layer of foam on top to catch the course stuff and filter floss on the bottom to get the rest.

The tubing on the Dynaflow filters was bent tubing for the returns and the siphons. It was a standard-size tubing that you could buy and make siphon tubes. Combine this with the adjustable returns, and you could almost eliminate refiltering the water that just came out of the filter. I don't know of any modern filter that can do this.  

Curved/bent tubing is much easier to clean.

 

[Patrick_G]

@Robert Keeney, welcome to the forum! You'll find lots of kindred spirits in this thread.

 

[gardenman]

The Dynaflos, Aquakings, and Superkings were all great filters that used siphon tubes and were top down filters. Danner/Supreme made the Aquakings and Superkings. The Aquakings and Superkings used an above water motor with the impeller on the end of a long shaft. They moved a ton of water. One will pop up on eBay from time to time, but they're absurdly high priced ($400+). Siphon tube filters were great and need a revival. You could layer in filter material and just peel off a layer as it became soiled. 

[Robert Keeney]

I never heard of Aquakings, and Superkings until I read about them here. However, from your description I think I have seen them. 

I had one of the big Dynaflow filters that had two outlets on it on a large aquarium and loved it.

They used to make some air driven HOBs the worked quite well.

[wileyfish]

 Aquakings, and Superkings came a huge filter boxes. You could buy just box from the parts list they made great mini tanks. Why did I throw them away.

[Brian]

On 5/24/2022 at 4:45 PM, Robert Keeney said:

The Metaframe Dynaflow filters were the best filters ever made for aquariums.

I loved them…..   and we are both showing our age….  

[Robert Keeney]

On 5/24/2022 at 6:32 PM, wileyfish said:

Why did I throw them away.

I gave mine away. My work kept me away from home about six months out of the year for several years. I gave all my aquariums to a friend.

On 5/24/2022 at 7:49 PM, Brian said:

I loved them…..   and we are both showing our age….  

I'll bet you remember Silent Giant air pumps too. 🙂

[Brian]

Yes I do…..   I also remember the metaframe Hush.   And after that the Second Nature Whisper pumps.    Remember those.  

[Robert Keeney]

On 5/24/2022 at 8:31 PM, Brian said:

Yes I do…..   I also remember the metaframe Hush.   And after that the Second Nature Whisper pumps.    Remember those.  

Yes I do. I had a Supreme piston pump for a long time. It was noisy but it might be the best pump I ever owned. It never failed. It blew away in a storm.

 

[nabokovfan87]

For those that wish to see it in action:
 

As far as how to make one (or have one)

I would think you would take something like this..... but then add the siphon tube similar to the video above.
 

 

[gardenman]

Here's a photo of an old Superking. It's missing the horizontal diverter that would go on the outlet tube, but as you can see it had a big filter box, a tray for activated carbon or whatnot and even a venturi inlet on the top to let you add even more oxygen to the tank. Take that little black piece of rubber off the top of the water outlet and it would suck in air as the water was expelled. They were neat filters with insane water flow (400 gallons per hour if I recall correctly.) If I was designing one today, I'd keep it pretty similar just isolate the filtration section from the pump section having a rectangular box to hold the filter media, then the pumping chamber off to the side. That way you wouldn't have to work filter material around the pump shaft. They were a neat filter though. You could just layer filter media in and peel off a layer at a time as it became soiled. You had oil the motors, but that wasn't a big deal. 

[Robert Keeney]

On 5/25/2022 at 10:04 AM, gardenman said:

Here's a photo of an old Superking. It's missing the horizontal diverter that would go on the outlet tube, but as you can see it had a big filter box, a tray for activated carbon or whatnot and even a venturi inlet on the top to let you add even more oxygen to the tank. Take that little black piece of rubber off the top of the water outlet and it would suck in air as the water was expelled. They were neat filters with insane water flow (400 gallons per hour if I recall correctly.) If I was designing one today, I'd keep it pretty similar just isolate the filtration section from the pump section having a rectangular box to hold the filter media, then the pumping chamber off to the side. That way you wouldn't have to work filter material around the pump shaft. They were a neat filter though. You could just layer filter media in and peel off a layer at a time as it became soiled. You had oil the motors, but that wasn't a big deal. 

Ye, I was right. I have seen them, but most likely in a magazine. I don't think I have ever seen one in operation. If I were designing one of these I would also add some way to control the flow rate so it could be used on a smaller tank.

 

[briancanoles]

I had a Dino flow 350. I totally agree. The magnet underneath ( separate motor slide on bottom ) spin the impeller. The magnet was on the outside. The impeller was on the inside. There was a box and it was filled with the angel hair or whatever and the hose was connected to the box so as the impeller spun, it would suck the water from the tank in through into the box through the box and then it will rise and then flow out best aquarium filter design. Wish I could find one.

how about the Dino flow that had the little stick with the closed cup on the end that you would put around the inlet hose so you would fill it with water and it would actually hold the suction then you would put it into the box so it acted as a siphon as the water spilled out it would send more water back into the box like gravity, fed, or whatever dynaflow made great filters. Of course these were from the 70’s

Ps. Spelling of dynaflow. I was using voice to text. Lol

[Galabar]

On 5/24/2022 at 11:32 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

For those that wish to see it in action:
 

As far as how to make one (or have one)

I would think you would take something like this..... but then add the siphon tube similar to the video above.
 

 

I could swear I remember Cory mentioning being interested in building a filter like this during a podcast (but I might have misheard or be misremembering).  You can see the use of an easy flow in breeder box in one of Dean's videos.

[gardenman]

A lot of the best aquarium stuff was from the sixties/seventies/eighties. The Dynaflow, Aquaking, Superking, Vortex Diatom Filters, and more. Everything started to shift to cartridge or canister filters after that (though canister filters were also around back then.) Wardley even briefly made (1990s?) a HOB that used a fluidized sand bed for  biofiltration (their Sandman filter.) You don't see much new stuff these days and most things seem to be made to throw away and be replaced in a year or two.

[briancanoles]

I looked all over can't find the old dynaflow I had. It was big. I drew a picture. I am not sure artist. The other pic is the type of motor.  

Where would I find the filter box? No they would not have anything to make that design.  Oh well. So I built this filter I can't stop laughing. It works great. I used parts of other filters I had lying around. 

[gardenman]

Putting a pump in the tank solves a lot of issues. No need to prime siphon tubes. You rely on gravity to put the water back into the tank. You just need the filter boxes above the tank waterline. I like having layers of filter material that you just peel off when one becomes clogged.

[face]

This all looks similar to what is called an overhead sump 

there’s a bunch of different kinds but that’s the the idea 

[briancanoles]

I looked all over can't find the old dynaflow I had. It was big. I drew a picture. I am not sure artist. The other pic is the type of motor.  

Where would I find the filter box? No they would not have anything to make that design.  Oh well. So I built this filter I can't stop laughing. It works great. I used parts of other filters I had lying around. 

On 6/12/2024 at 11:23 AM, face said:

This all looks similar to what is called an overhead sump 

there’s a bunch of different kinds but that’s the the idea 

Yes.  That's it. I just can't find the hang on box that is BIG.  THATS WHY I COMBINED 3 filters together to put more pads etc. That pump is a 1050 gph. So it does my 125 8 x in an hour. ( I think it does it like 20 x in hour but that's the math) 

 

[Galabar]

Here's a big one: