DIY canister filter done

Hello, this is my version of a canister filter. It is 20 inches high and 4 inch diameter. This was just a test to see if it worked. Now that I know it does I'll get myself some 8 inch pvc pipe that I can get locally (20 feet long though). I will also find a better way to tighten the cap; i was thinking something like an axle nut on a bicycle wheel. The pump is a maxi-jet 1200 power head, but I got a spare magdrive 950 I will use on the bigger version.

The total cost of this filter was 65$ CAN and personally I prefer it to my marineland C-220. I use both on my 33gal tank and the water is CLEAN!


If you have any questions, just feel free to ask

Cleaning is pretty easy, but you need a bucket. You take the intake and outpout out of the tank to break the siphon. Put canister in the bucket, close the ball-valve, unplug intake hose, and open slightly the valve again to drain the canister (I like to reclose the valve after, just because hehe). Once the water in the canister is equal to the valve (which is lower than the top cover) unscrew the wingnuts and take it off. Remove what I like to call the media-sock (which I made from several scrubbing pads sown together) that contains the Seachem Matrix biomedia (it works like a basket ) and you have access to the floss and coarse sponge. Once it's clean, put everything back in, plug intake hose back on and reopen valve. Put intake back in the tank, and with your mouth suck on the output to restart siphon and put it back in the tank also. Once it's full again, plug it in. That's it! I like to shake it a bit to help with the trapped air in the top part of the top cover.

I honestly think it's easier to service than my C-220, which by the way has no valves on the intake and output.

BTW, this filter has been runnig for a full month now, I just wanted to make sure it worked well before posting about it.

There is an O-ring between the top cap and the pipe. the reason I didn't use a threaded cap with a slip X FTP is because the o_ring that came with it was really bad (some sort of hard plastic, and the one that I used was a tiny bit too big to swap in, that's the reason behind the wingnuts. But the next one that I make out of 8in. pipe will be with clips for sure (like the Eheim classic series).

Druu.....the canister fills with the siphon effect and the pump on top returns the water in the tank. I figured it was the best way since most of the canisters are made using this desing. Plus I was afraid it would put too much pressure on the pump once the filter floss becomes clogged.