DIY Filters, just checking my ideas

[SynoSteff]

Hi there people.

I want to build some DIY filters in the near future and just wanted to check I had the right idea. Firslty, I want to upgrade my sump. At the moment its just a spare fish tank. All the water runs in one side and there is a pump on the other side. The tank is simply packed with filter brushes. This works but could be better. I want to compartmentalize the sump to make the contact time longer with the media and also force the water through the media a bit better. Here is a pic of what I want to do.

Obviously I'm going to put my filter brushes into the different compartments. Do you suggest I also get other filter media or are filter brushes ok by themselves? I didn't put the glass divides all the way to the top just incase something gets blocked, then the water can still flow over to the pump without flowing over onto my floor

Secondly, I'm thinking of building a canister filter. I have never actually seen one but I have drawn a pic of what i've gathered they should look like.

A DIY one anyways

Am I on the right track. To get this thing going do you just fill up the canister and as much of the pipes as possible and turn it on? Obviously the whole thing has to be pretty water tight, which i'm sure can be pretty tricky. Also, does the pump have to be pretty strong to creat enough pressure or once it's going is it ok.

Hope this all makes sense and i'm lookin forward to any hints and ideas.

Thanks

 

[jsoong]

I think you have the right idea .... But the canister has to be air tight - I had one with a leaky seal & air gets into the canister instead of water from the tank. The whole idea with a canister is that the water coming down the "in" pipe pushes the water back up, so the pump is working at essentially zero head pressure - so you can have a smaller pump. If there is an air leak, you no longer have that "push" & the thing won't pump.

Now, if you hook up the inlet to an overflow & have a big enough pump, you won't need the air-tight seal .... but then you would have just a regular wet/dry/sump placed vertically!