This is such a great idea! I can't wait to try it!

ive at last done one just to aid filteration works a treat though if particles ever get blown around by the corys you can see some of them getting sucked down.......do doubt its full of sand though

I emptied out a food container today! I'm going to the lfs tomorrow to get a sponge and I'll set to work on making this filter (I have all the parts but the sponge). My fry tank will love it and I won't have to worry about the molly and platy fry being sucked into the filter anymore (the guppies NEVER get sucked into the filter, but the molly and platy fry do )!

I have a question,

My fry tank is just a small goldfish bowl. Can I just use a small black film canistar instead? And the sponge, can you use the one which you use for washing up? If so, the yellow or green part?

Regards

I doubt that film canister is chemically inert. Go for something food grade.

Right o, thanks.

Hey I got a question
My air pump that I got form a neighbour who moved away blows out air. And in this guide it says to put the tube thingy into the bigger tube, yet, hwo does the air pump work if it blows out air. I mean, the dirty crap would have to be sucked into the sponge right? Not blown out through the air of the pump. And I was kidna confused how the air from the pump is pushed out wouldnt that mean, air is blown out form below instead of sucking dirty stuff in? Just a question. I havent got 5 mins to do it XD. Exams = =

Hey I got a question
My air pump that I got form a neighbour who moved away blows out air. And in this guide it says to put the tube thingy into the bigger tube, yet, hwo does the air pump work if it blows out air. I mean, the dirty crap would have to be sucked into the sponge right? Not blown out through the air of the pump. And I was kidna confused how the air from the pump is pushed out wouldnt that mean, air is blown out form below instead of sucking dirty stuff in? Just a question. I havent got 5 mins to do it XD. Exams = =

Btw: is the blue thing at the end of the tube the lift tube? Like does that make the pump suck in air or something o.o.

just how much filtration does this thing provide? i want to add something like it to my 10 gallon that im having trouble with

It works in the same sort of way under gravel filters work. The airbubbles move water up the tube. If no more water moved up, there would be a vacuum, and vacuums are advioded in nature. So water is sucked up to fill the gap, and it carries on. And the dirt is carried by the water.



It's mainly for bio filtration, so power filters are better, but if you want one for, say, a QT tank, just up the scale a bit, eg, use a coke bottle instead of a fish food container.

This post has been edited by OohFeeshy: Jul 16 2006, 10:53 AM

How do you keep the sponge from floating? I can't seem to make it stay in lol.

Is a lift tube necessary? cos' the LFS doesn't sell them o.o...

I use a Lee's 1 inch thinwall. They are sold in 3 foot lengths. Cut off a foot with a utility knife or a saw (don't use regular knives or scissors because then it would crack and break)

I'm having a small problem... Here in the USA, all food canisters are made like pringles tubes... A cardbaord roll with metal or plastic attached at both ends. I dumped out a container of food then started stripping the outer label then eventually I stripped al the way to the inside of the canister and ruined it.

I have a hikari FD bloodworms container but there's no label. The stuff is printed on the plastic. I'm not sure if thats safe. I called hikari about it and they had no idea.

sososososo creative

a film canister will be fine. TFH magazine had instructions for a DIY Spawning mop and a 35mm film canister was used to hold the yarn together to keep the mop's shape.

I made this filter (twice now). The first time I used Ammo-Carb and placed it in the bottom of the food canister. It worked okay, but some of the carbon came up through the tubing. It still worked great though. The second time I made it, I had a brief moment of genius. I have been using ladie's kneehighs to cover the intake on my filters for the fry tank (to prevent the fry from being sucked in). I decided I'd also use the kneehighs to hold the Ammo-Carb. Here's what I did.

I went to Wal-Mart and purchased a bubble of kneehighs.



I cut off a portion of kneehighs (enough to stretch around the food container with a bit extra for tying) and tied a knot in one end.

I then filled it with the Ammo-Carb and tied the other end.


I rinsed it until the water was clear and then stretched the contraption around the tube.


I then inserted the tube into the food container.



It added maybe two minutes or so to the 5 minute construction time. It prevents the carbon/gravel from floating out of the container. I absolutely love this filter and it works well without the addition of my genius.

Hi there all,

Great post.

I had lost 25 platty fry due to powerful filter, did alittle mod & stopped losing fry but they were still having dificulty with flow near filter. Then I saw this topic.

Made mine with a Nutrafin Cycle 250ml bottle with top cut off, Fluval 3 blue filter element (old style, long round with central hole), 20mm white plastic water pipe & two heater suction clips (lugs cut off & cable tied to bottle). No need for gravel as suckers keep it in place.

Haven't had it set up long enough to see it it keeps the stats right but water flow seems good.

Will be making another for my second tank as that could have fry in it shortly.

Thanks for the ideas.

Norman

Hi all, just want to say thanks, this just may well save my fry which came as a bit of a surprise.

I didnt have time to be able to go my nearest LFS to get equipment, so i used a small food container from asda that i had laying around, with a couple of snippets of mature filter foam and gravel from my big tank (240 litres).

I used a piece of sleeving from an old rounded ide cable that i had kept after snapping a connector off of it.

It works beuatifully, i can see its drawing water in because theres small bits of food trapped on top.

The top of my tube is about 3mm below the water surface and is turned down really low via a inline control valve.

The fry aren't being battered about and hopefully, they'll grow up to be big and strong guppies.

Thanks again, absolutely brilliant idea and thanks for sharing.

Hi. Im quite new to this site. I had a read of this topic and noticed a lot of people asking questions about how the water gets in...
Hopefully this quick pic will help others.
The central pipe is the outlet for the air and filtered water.
When the air is pumped into the central pipe, it rises. When it rises, it pulls some water with it. This water is then replaced with water that has come from the tank, down thru the filter and gravel then up the central pipe again.
Note that the top of the central pipe is below the water line. This makes the water flow out into the tank easier.
Well, here goes.


If this is totaly wrong, please delete this post.

how about just filling it with floss to keep your warter crystal clear (no floties)