External filter for the aquarium with their own hands. Option 2

I'll start with a small foreword. Although the aquarium I have a long 140 liters, but I consider myself an amateur. Because he kept the fish purely for the soul (it is necessary to do something). In the winter, I had time to look after my pets, and in the summer, it was not until they used to, so I would launch so that I already had to catch the skeletons. And so, sitting next winter night, I looked at my aquarium and decided it was necessary, something to do so will continue, can no longer. I wanted to get clean water all the time, but only partially. Even when I purchased the more powerful Atman f-104 to replace the internal Atman f-102 filter.

The results of such, which I wanted, did not work. And so I decided or thought visited me, I do not remember, only I went to the Internet and began to look for how to achieve a normal state and found that besides internal filters there are external filters. In short, having read them, I came to the conclusion that this is what I need, but here the prices are a little bit biting (Kiev Internet prices are 800-1400 grams cheapest Chinese Atman CF- 800 ---- 600gr.).

Since I live, in Ukraine, a hundred kilometers from Kherson in a small town, we do not have such filters at all. And to go to Kherson, I was not sure that I would find at the price that in Kiev and what I need. I did not want to order via the Internet, because I prefer to watch the goods, and then pay, and not on turnover. I already began to rack my brains how to come up with something like that and from what, when suddenly I came across a site on a self-made external filter.

After very long deliberation, I came to the final conclusion that it is necessary to do homemade work. Why I decided so, first, the availability of spare parts covered the tap went, bought or even a motor from the internal filter they have available, went bought a filter the motor supplied from it and no problems whatsoever. And so to go to Kherson is there something or not, and this is all the time, fish will not wait. But since we simply do not deliver pipes, we do not use them, only 160 and 100 were in demand. When I got home, I was even a little upset, but measuring the pump from the Atman f-104 filter (according to the characteristics it was, Description: Power - 38 W Capacity - 2000 l / h Water lifting - 2 m) I was convinced that everything should stand very much in the butt. Since the coupler is so long 350mm was not, took a meter piece of 160mm pipe and plugs. I decided to connect everything with plastic connections. He made a list of what was needed, and after buying all that was needed he took up his work.

Once again, having familiarized myself with the internal filters, I took as a basis the Eheim Classic 2213 filter

Specifications: For aquarium: up to 250 l
Productivity: 440 l / h
Water lifting height: 1.5 m
Filter capacity: 3 liters.
Dimensions: 160 x 160 x 355 mm.
Power consumption: 8 volts.
The height of the Atman f-104 pump was 10 cm, then I added it, and it turned out 160x160x450mm. The cuts from the meter tube 45 cm I began to think about how to make the bottom I wanted to cut first with a thick plastic circle to put on a silicone and screw it on the ends to drill, but then it dawned on me, and what if I heat the pipe and insert a plug. I took the cut piece off the main one and went to experiment. On the gas stove (the biggest burner) I began to scroll over the flame (I had to put on the gloves and my fingers were hot), the pipe began to soften with time, it becomes such elastic rubber, and I managed to insert a plug. Realizing that everything will turn out very well, I did the same with the main workpiece too (if anyone wants to do something like that, do not lower it to the flame so as not to hit the plastic, the tube should be scrolled evenly and, trying it for elasticity, the rush here is not needed you will have 50cm of pipe So that will be trained on what)

So the bottom at me is made, has decided to be engaged in the top part, all has turned out, even better than I could imagine, the nozzle from a pump has approached back to the corner in 20 corner, it was necessary to grease plastic with an aquarium silicone and all okay. The engine was behind the ledge, then I decided to make a retaining bar so that the engine hung not only on the nozzle, but also rested against the bar (all too missed with silicone). Since this whole part of the plug had to be incompletely placed in the pipe, Was to pull it out then I cut off the experimental pipe ring with a width of 24 mm department on the plug it will serve as an emphasis.

When installing the crane, Maevsky decided to drill a hole such that when he screwed into the thread, Maevsky himself, with a screwdriver, cut the carving a little bit, and everything worked out (also planted on silicone). The wire fitting was bought on the market (they have different diameters used for street lamps or electric motors)

Since I was not satisfied with the loading of the filter elements, both in the German filter and in the homemade filter published on this site, I decided to make the boot baskets as in Eheim Professionel 2224 filters and so on.

Not finding the right packaging, I decided to make baskets from the remaining pipe. I made them three pieces of 8 cm. And you can do with two under ceramic rings and biological balls and fill up the rest with a sponge if you find a diameter of 160x160 (cutting 8 cm I cut this piece along then stuck it in a pipe and outline how much it is necessary to cut, So that the gap was not large, so that the basket would go effortlessly) first I glued the glue over the plastic, and for the strength of making holes, twisted the copper wire, I drowned it in the grooves made with the burner on wood. Cutting the bottom and drilling holes could be planted on the aquarium silicone, but I decided to be safe (I did not want one day to get rid of the bottom when pulling out and all the filler spilled out).

I cut out a 3 mm strip and put it in. She was put on silicone and twisted by wire from four sides, also made grooves and drowned. After that the silicone planted the bottom. I also made a pen from the pipe. You can use the bolts with a podtaem but I took the rod with a plastic dowel (using them to fix the foam to the wall) cut into 2 cm of barrels and using a heated bolt on the plate, the bonnet was not bad.

Yes, when I cooled off the pipe, I gently tapped the plug from the pipe. In the plug I inserted two plates so that the baskets would rest against it when they were installed. I drowned them flush with the edge. When installing the plug, it is lubricated with a silicone aquarium and planted until it stops.

The bulb from the household filter I decided to buy anyway (a small flask comes with a salt filler and individually I know it is put on cold water in front of a washing machine) I decided to make a motorcycle crane from domestic motorcycles. Water will go into the filter for a turn through the tube to the bottom of the bulb and then through the sponge to the top. The pipe I sawed the size of the bulb at one end drilled holes and the other end was planted on a silicone. Foam bought already ready in the pet store round in the flask comes tightly.

By the way, if you use a household filter, then try taking the Mayevsky crane from the top, and not sideways like for a better air outlet, I had to drill a small hole and screw the screw with an elastic band, I showed it in the photo with an arrow. I screwed the flask on a special clamp of fasteners on the photo that this device is visible, four bolts with lambs were attached to it, which press the top cover from opening. Thanks to this I can separate, open the lid, without touching the flask from the household filter.

To draw water into the filter, I used a plastic bottle of 0.5 liters of a drink, cut off the neck and already prepared a plastic plate with holes (holes drilled small so that the fish did not suck) was screwed with wire. If now I need to clean, then it is easy to unscrew this flask. I filled the filter in this way: the first basket was claydite half-full with plastic rings cut from the plastic corrugation for electrical wiring (they remind the company of the company's filler)

The second basket with a porous sponge for bacteria, a third finely porous sponge and a synthepon pad. You can find out how to fill in the filters on the site

After the start of the filter, there was nowhere to flow, (I threaded all the screw connections and patted with aquarium silicone). The filter works quietly, although when the Atman f-104 filter worked inside the aquarium, there was a slight rattling, which was very disturbing at night, and I had to turn it off to fall asleep, and now I could hear that his pump in a homemade external filter works. As for the cleaning, it's still too early to talk, since the filter works only a week, but the result is already noticeable, the water has become more transparent, the fish have even become more cheerful. The pressure has not changed, the pump pumps well, although the sponge in the household filter is already half full. The cost I had about 500 grams given that the pump from the filter I had and keramzit donated. And then you decide to do or buy ready, if you have them in stores. Well, that's all.