# Building a Nano canister filter.



## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

This is one DIY project where I think it is not worth your time. Why? It's not easy to get this to stop leaking, and the thought that it will start to spray water while you are vacationing on the other side of the continent is just... worth the additional $20 or what for a commercial, proven unit.

I have been looking into building a DIY canister filter using a water filter cartridge, but they are not cheap, while some canister filters are... so there you go.

Let us know how it works out with the bulkheads.


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## Curare (Sep 15, 2004)

Well you can't get a good curare down.

A few hours in the workshop and this time It's a definite useable *SEALED* unit.

Okay, here's the unit in it's "test bed" read the laundry sink, as having things explode anywaywhere else was just too much of a pain...









It worked at this height, but I wanted to test it at the maximum allowable head to see if the additional pressure would cause it to weep.
So the "ghetto" testing rig was expanded to include a test tank as high as possible, also note the magical elixir that makes my projects possible, and the cleanup towel should things go a little awry.









By JOVE!










I left it running for 4 hours solidly to check everything, and no leaks.
Even at maximum extension (and the pump is working hard, I'm still getting 240L/hr, so I figure that's pretty damn good, if not a little too good for a tank of this size.


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## kenneth_kpe (Jan 25, 2005)

acutally this is really interested  Im having a hard time looking for a small canister for my 2.5 gal nano, whats the purple thing over there ? I might create one of these nano canisters myself  hehe
so the biggest of the 4 holes is for the power chord right ? the small ones on the left and right are the intake and outflow the other one is for ?


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## Curare (Sep 15, 2004)

No the biggest hole is for the purple thing, i.e. the heater, that's incorporated into the canister too.

The smallest is for the power cord, and the other two are for inlet / outlet


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## deeplove (Dec 27, 2005)

Here's an Idea.... Make a Nano Filter out of that beer bottle. Magical elixir ROCKS!

:thumbsup:


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

Love that acrylic outlet!! :thumbsup:


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## mjproost (Feb 13, 2006)

> Love that acrylic outlet!!


Me too!! Can you explain/post on how you made that outlet?. I have tried a couple times and ended up with folded mangled looking things!


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## oceanaqua (Nov 24, 2005)

Beautifully done DIY! Any plans for a large one? Maybe an extra hole for a UV sterlizer.


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## Curare (Sep 15, 2004)

Some details on bending acrylic lilly pipes

To be honest, there's no reason why you couldn't go for a larger one, but I think the time spent and just getting things to work, a point would be reached where a commercial unit would be more econmomical.

Doesn't mean that I won't try it. 

This is a MKI version and there are some things in this unit that if I did it again I'd do differently. But we'll see what the MK II looks like


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## Curare (Sep 15, 2004)

Well here it is pumping away quite happily now attached to the tank it will be married to for the next while.










On closer inspection of the cannister, you can see that half is set up as a "swirl pot" for the heater, and the other half is set up as the filter unit. These are divided by a peice of PET clear plastic that goes the full width of the cannister and down to about 9/10 of the length.









it works pretty effectively as the white floss is now terracotta coloured from removing suspended solids out of the water column.


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## acbaldwin (Mar 23, 2006)

Much better job than I did...
Where did you get the bulkheads?


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## garuf (May 30, 2007)

heater in the filter... hmmm how well does it work?


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## tropicalfish (Mar 29, 2007)

Congratulations. You just bumped up an almost 15 month old thread.

As for the heater, you will always need to take risks. I tried a simple one myself, it kept the water pretty good temps, but when there is a leak, you drain part of the tank, destroy or damage your heater, etc.


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## geofied (Apr 10, 2007)

A Lexan bottle might work for this type of thing, might allow for more hole drilling options as well.

<bump>


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## garuf (May 30, 2007)

i realy want to try an external heater on my 10g i just dont dare do it mainly because i dont know how, got all the stuff id need im almost certain just not a clue on how to carry it out


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## Mr.Moe (Jul 2, 2007)

how did u put the electrical cord through the hole


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## tropicalfish (Mar 29, 2007)

You cut it, pull the wire through, strip the wires and connect them properly, and tada!


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## swylie (May 10, 2007)

To add safety, I cut the two wires offset by an inch or two, rather than straight across the cord. That way, if any of my handiwork frays, there won't be any bare wire nearby to touch bare wire. I also soldered and heat-shrinked the connection, but that's overkill. Wire-nuts would do just fine.


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