Revised Renamed "moodys Slow Flow"

Graeme Edwards · May 1, 2006

Her is the past topic i started.

http

/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=137338

So after countless problems with leaks from joints and air leaking into the filter thus loss of vacume

I decided to make version 2.

So I used a lock and lock tub 1.8l capacity food container like before, but this time i left the "bucket" intact and had all my potential problem spots at the top in the lid.

I found some pond parts for the inn and out.

From the inlet I put a pipe to the bottom of the bucket for the water to pass through the bio media then up through the ( cut to size ) Juel filter sponge then through filter wool finely back into the cube( nice and clear :good:

)

Here is the ends of the inlet and outlet, i would love to have glass but i dont think theres anything out there that would be the right scale.

The pump needed a rubber type bung to give it a good seal, it wasnt permanently fixed to the lid only were the cable comes out of the filter so there is about 6 inches of cable in the filter its self, this is so i could pull it away so i could clean it easier.
The pump is a reptile pump exotera 250.

And here it is in operation, marvelous, no leeks, working like a dream.

The great thing is it doesnt need priming,and i reckon it will filter upto 70L no probs, the bucket holds the same amount of filter media as my Hydor prime10, I dont know how high the pump will pump too

So as it is tonight its going well, ill keep you posted if anything changes.

Graeme.

promithius · May 1, 2006

looks awsome!

Could you tell me a couple of things though?

1) How much was the pump? where did you get it from?
2) where did you get the pond valve things?
3) where did you get the bucket?

andywg · May 2, 2006

I'd say you are filtering backwards.

You want to filter out any particles from the water BEFORE the bio media. Otherwise the gunk and detritus will get stuck on the bio media and reduce its efficiency. You want the cleanest clearest water possible to go to the bio media to increase its efficiency.

I do like the inlet going so far down though, to prevent too much media avoidance.

Graeme Edwards · May 2, 2006

Cheers.

Promithius,
1) The pump i got from an reptile suplies shop but you can get them from here......
http

/www.faunology.co.uk/shop/product.ph...&cat=308&page=1
I paid alitle more than this, so its a good price.
2)The pond valves/nossles i got from the pond section at my local fish shop/garden center.
3)The bucket/ tubs came from here.
http

/www.alacook.co.uk/index.html?target...html&lang=en-gb

Hope thats imformative for you :good:

Andywg,
Point tacken and noted i shall get on it

dylema · May 3, 2006

Hi, Looking good. :good:

I am wondering why you chose to change your design by putting the intake through the top instead of the bottom/side?

I am making much the same thing as we speak and have got a rectangular container because I thought I could seal the bulkhead type fitting better against a flat surface. I am using rubber rings to seal the bulkhead and it seems to be holding well. I tried blowing hard into the intake tube before I drilled the lid and I can't make any water come out. Still working out the best way to seal the outlet though, I can't find a small enough bulkhead fitting.

andywg · May 3, 2006

If you check out the linked thread in the first post you will see Moody did try with a bottom inlet (as this prevents most media avoidance) but as it was a cylindrical container the seal was not very good.

If you are using a square one you should be fine for sealing a bulkhead on there.

promithius · May 3, 2006

Just brought all my items to make one bar the media and the container. what does everyone recon? a round container, a short rectangular container, or a but thin container (spaghetti container). i wasnt able to find any bulkheads round by me, so ive order straight through connectors i will seal with silicone. i have also got a sheet of acrylic, which im going th make a shelf out of with holes drilled into, which should help prevent media aviodance and to break the water up a bit, see the sketch here:

Also, any fishies that manage to get sucked up (its gonna happen eventually) will be able to swim and breath under the little shelf, and can be spotted easy.

Here is the container i am thinking of using for a tall one, would this be okay?
http

/cgi.ebay.co.uk/LOCK-LOCK-RECTANGULA...1QQcmdZViewItem

Graeme Edwards · May 4, 2006

Yer cant see that being a problem.

Iv got a problem with mine, what heppens is the cannister is full when putting the pump on then over say a phew hours the level drops in the filter bucket and the water level rises in the cube.

Theres definatly know air getting into the filter so it must be another problem.
I think maybe the pump has no probs sending water out but having pipes reduce in size until it hits the sponge maybe it slows the flow suficiantle enough to cause the prblem mention :blink:

I dont know, think a little more tweeking is needed.

andywg · May 4, 2006

Sounds to me like the intake is sucking air somehow, or that maybe the container isn't made to handle that sort of pressure (from holding itself full of water) and the seal is slightly failing, though then I would expect water to go out, rather than air to come in.

it's somewhat of a riddle, for sure...

Graeme Edwards · May 9, 2006

Just finalising on my post.

The filter is working fine now, there was a slight problem with air in the inlet pipe inside the filter bucket resulting in the filter pumping out more than it was sucking in, once that was delt with the filter is running really well no leeks ect.
Only hurdle now is making a good even flow over the filter media other than that its sweet as! :good:

Im not sure it was cheaper than buying a new external (probably if i had all the bits to hand).
Crazy thing is iv gone and bought an Aqua vital AV HO 160 hang on the back filter, this is probably best for my aqua cube, but i will most defiantly be using the SLOW FLOW1 in another situation.

So IT WORKS, YES IT REALLY WORKS ,AND WELL