# DIY Canister Filter Idea



## jcgd (Feb 18, 2004)

At my work they have 5 gallon buckets that sliced pickles come in. They have a lid with an o-ring and the lid clips in eight or so places. Full of water you can kick the bucket over and the lid stays on tight. Liquid tight.

I was thinking if I add a few bulkheads and some dividers and an external pump I have I have a 10 dollar FX5. I was thinking I could take four pieces of shallow strut (metal shaped like a U. Used for mounting EMT pipe in electrical) and some threaded rod and wing nuts to make 'clamps' that would act in a similar way as those on the fluval, tightening the light towards the bottom of the bucket.

I'm just not sure how much pressure the filter would produce. Do you guys think it would blow open? I figure with a good pump the lid would tend to be more sucked on even with the intake gravity fed rather than the water pushing out, since the water is continually evacuated. I even have a few liquid tight connectors I could use to mount a heater inside the bucket.

What do you guys think?


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

I use those buckets for brewing and I would put some sort of clamp on them before pressurizing them for sure. Otherwise I dont see why it wouldnt work with threaded PVC fittings and a few O-rings.


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## jcgd (Feb 18, 2004)

I think I might make a prototype. I have nearly everything lying around but it seems 95% of the people who try this fail hard core. 

I need a better idea for clamps. Something easier/more convenient. Maybe clamps made for woodworking would work.

Should the water enter the top and exit the bottom or visa versa?


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## Indeed (Jan 28, 2011)

water should both enter and exit through the top. on the pump outlet just put a piece of tubing and go up to through the top of the canister and use silicone to seal it, maybe even something stronger. seen this work before hope you can get it up and going.


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## jcgd (Feb 18, 2004)

Indeed said:


> water should both enter and exit through the top. on the pump outlet just put a piece of tubing and go up to through the top of the canister and use silicone to seal it, maybe even something stronger. seen this work before hope you can get it up and going.


I was thinking that but my pump sits nicely on the floor. Is there an issue with coming in the top and out the side at the bottom, similar to a FX5? The water would flow straight down through the media.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

There really isn't that much pressure involved. 
Most all canisters work on a siphon basis with low pressure impeller pumps. Head pressure (tank height) is what's dealt with by the seals not pump pressure.


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## nalu86 (Oct 19, 2010)

Try it and you will see  thats what I do.
Just make sure, on the lid where you put your connectors, make the plastic thicker by glueing or siliconing some more plastic (for stability) and use enough silicone!


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

nalu86 said:


> Try it and you will see  thats what I do.
> Just make sure, on the lid where you put your connectors, make the plastic thicker by glueing or siliconing some more plastic (for stability) and use enough silicone!


I recommend the PVC that screws together with an O-ring for each end still tho. I would like to see you pull this off. It might be a cheap pond filter fix for me.


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## redfishsc (Aug 29, 2010)

Got me to thinking again. 

I have a glass gallon jar somewhere that has a steel lid. I could easily drill it, plumb it with PVC fittings, and design a flow-schematic inside to make it a perfect "quick peek" canister filter. It would sit behind my tank, level with it, so I could probably run it with a Maxijet 1200.


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## bobalston (Nov 8, 2003)

hOW about a picture of the bucket and lids, the inside of the lid and the clamps.

bob


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## Budget aquarist (Feb 1, 2011)

sounds like a souped up version of one of those DIY 5 gallon bucket wet/ dry filters to me.


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## Loop (Jan 8, 2011)

I say give it a shot, but long term test outside. A inside leak while your not home one day would not be cool. But if you like tinkering and playing with stuff whether you think it will work or not like I do, it will be fun just to try. Just don't waste too much money on it incase it fails. Goodluck!


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## Budget aquarist (Feb 1, 2011)

Or just put it in a sterilite container, I do that with my "projects"


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## majstor76 (Jun 11, 2010)

Get 500gph internal pump and let it suck water and sent it up (input put on bottom of barrel). I have it like that and it works nice (well except barrel hasnt got good lid). 500gph pump can easily deform barell so maybe youll have to reinforce it inside


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## Ben. (Mar 29, 2011)

make sure you get a strong pumproud:

any updates?


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## SuperWen (Mar 24, 2011)

COMPLETE PICTURE


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

The best of these (5 gallon DIY canisters) that I have seen called for a screw-on lid, not the snap on style. I think this style of lid can be purchased to retro fit a standard 5 gallon bucket, but they are not cheap. 

Yes, beef up the DIY clamps that hold the lid on, but I do not know how. 

Make sure the intake is protected so there is no way that debris can plug it. Perhaps a long piece of 3/4" or larger PVC, drilled full of holes, then covered by a coarse sponge.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

justincgdick said:


> I was thinking that but my pump sits nicely on the floor. Is there an issue with coming in the top and out the side at the bottom, similar to a FX5? The water would flow straight down through the media.


The rounded sides will be harder to seal.

I end up replacing the spigots on my brew buckets every few months, because the seal is hard to make.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

SuperWen said:


> COMPLETE PICTURE


ACan you give us all the pics? I have no interest in registering with a forum just to see the pics.


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## SuperWen (Mar 24, 2011)

over_stocked said:


> ACan you give us all the pics? I have no interest in registering with a forum just to see the pics.


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