How to Build DIY Aquarium Filter With Waterfall Spillway:
Aquarium filter is very important for every aquarium because it not only traps physical waste particles & other detritus, but also wipes out toxic chemicals released from the fish waste & other decaying matter. Many aquarists prefer building their own filters from household stuff instead of buying them from stores.
Waterfall & spillway are
commonly used in ponds & aquarists rarely use them in fish tanks. I have
setup a filter that uses the idea of a filter with a waterfall effect from
ponds in a fish tank. In this post, you can find a step-by-step tutorial for
building a DIY aquarium filter box with a waterfall spillway. My filter is
built from a planter box & I have used a dustpan lip for producing a
waterfall effect.
DIY aquarium filter is able to
hold over 1 Kg of bio media, & 3 layers of foams. For this project, I have
only used coarse & fine foams. I have just used ceramic rings as bio media.
I have tested my DIY fish tank filter with an 800 L/H water pump that has a lift
of 40 cm.
How to Make DIY Aquarium Filter With Waterfall Spillway:
Step 1: Planter Box:
I am using a planter box as a
container for my DIY aquarium filter box with a spillway. Planter box has
drainage holes at the bottom that allow water to escape. For this filter, I am
gluing a plastic sheet at the bottom of the container to stop water from
leaking through these holes.
Step 2: Waterfall Spillway:
I am using a dustpan lip as a
waterfall spillway. Dustpan lip allows water to flow out from the filter &
gives a waterfall like effect. Waterfall looks beautiful but aquarists hardly
use them in aquariums. Waterfall spillways are mostly used in ponds. I have
designed this DIY aquarium filter for my outdoor patio pond.
Step 3: Heat Gun for Softening Plastic:
Heat gun releases heat & when
it touches the surface of the hard plastic, it softens it. It gets really easy
to have a nice cut through the hard plastic if it is really soft. Heat gun
helped me in getting a nice cut using a paper knife easily in the filter
container. Insert the dustpan lip in the front hole of the container that will give a waterfall effect.
Step 4: Use Aquarium Safe Glue:
I am using an aquarium safe glue
for attaching a plastic sheet at the base of the planter box (container for my
filter). For this project I have used an Ideal Seal MS 290 glue, & I have
used it to cover the holes in the base of my filter nicely by gluing a plastic
sheet. Now my filter will not leak water through the base.
Step 5: Leak Detection in my Filter:
Now I have tested my filter for
any leak by filling it with tap water. There are no leaks in the base of the
filter as all holes have been covered with a plastic sheet that I have glued to
the base in my previous step.
Step 6: Water Spray Bar for Filter:
I have used a water spray bar
from my old filter. It allows water to flow smoothly over the whole surface of
the filter, & gives a shower like effect. Water spray bar is a long pipe
with holes that allow water to flow over the whole surface of the filter which
makes it easier for mechanical media to remove the physical waste particles
& other debris from the water, & bio media has more chances of touching
the toxic water because water is evenly distributed over the entire bio media.
Step 7: Bio Media: Ceramic Rings:
I have used ceramic rings as bio
media for my DIY aquarium filter box with a waterfall spillway. The surface of
the Ceramic rings has many tiny little pores that hold heaps of beneficial
bacteria, which consumes ammonia byproduct. There is a big hole in the center
of the ceramic ring that goes over the entire length of the Ceramic ring.
Ceramic rings allow water to flow over the media & through the media due to
a big hole in the center.
Ceramic rings hold both
nitrifying & denitrifying bacteria. Nitrifying bacteria breaks down ammonia
into nitrites & further breaks it down into nitrates. Nitrates are less
toxic than nitrites, & nitrites are less toxic than ammonia.
Denitrifying bacteria consumes
nitrates. Ordinary bio media only offer nitrifying bacteria but ceramic rings
also hold denitrifying bacteria that live inside the tiny little pores.
Step 8: Mechanical Media: Coarse & Fine Foams:
I have used coarse & fine
foams as mechanical filtration media for my DIY aquarium filter. Coarse foam
collects all big waste particles while small particles that flow through the
coarse foam are trapped by fine foam. Coarse foam should be setup before fine
foam so that water is properly cleaned.
Step 9: Aquarium Pump for Running Filter:
My aquarium pump is able to send
800 Liter of water to the filter in one hour. It has a lift of 40 cm which is
fine for this project.
Step 10: Testing DIY Aquarium Filter:
I have tested my DIY aquarium
filter with a waterfall spillway by setting it up over the top of my aquarium.
This filter works fine in my aquarium. People hardly use the waterfall spillway
in aquariums & I have built this filter for my outdoor patio pond. I have
setup my DIY Patio Pond in my other tutorial so if you want to read that
article then click on the link below:
Step 11: Underwater Color Changing LED’S:
I have used color changing LED lights that look beautiful in aquariums. LED lights change their color automatically & my waterfall seems beautiful with multi-colored lights.
Post a Comment