Habitat - Indoor :: My total overkill DIY filter system. ***PICS added***

[KingLou]

Well, I have a pretty small tank (10 gallons). I've got a fairly small turtle, but I know the tank is still a bit small for him....but this is what the guy at the store recommended (obviously didn't know too much, and neither did I at the time). But, we don't have space right now for a bigger tank, and Drippy is doing well so far. We'll get him a bigger tank as soon as we move, which should be within the next year.

The main problem has been w/ the small tank, he scums it up pretty quick. The little filter I had for his tank (which is "rated" up to 50 gallons.....yeah right!) just doesn't cut it.

So, I went to Lowe's to pick up some bits and put together my own. I wanted it to be a simple DIY, and I wanted it to be way more than I needed, so in the future when I upgrade tank size (and if I want to add more turtles, or whatever) I don't have to make or buy another filter.

Anyhow, it's pretty simple in design. In fact, I only had to buy 5 parts:

1) Pump - ArizonaMist professional booster pump for outdoor mister systems



I probably would have been fine w/ a much less.....um...."robust" pump, but it was the only thing they had that came even close to what I was looking for.


2) Filter - 3M Filtrete Faucet Water Professional Filtration system



I like this one because you just twist the filter off, throw it away, and twist a new one on. Kinda saves in the "mess" department when it comes time to replace the filter.


3) 3/8" tubing - a no brainer

4) 3/8" compression fitting to 1/2" thread adaptor - I used this to connect the intake end of the tubing to the bubbler attachment below

5) "Mushroom bubbler" attachment for garden irrigation.



This is what I use at the intake end as a diffuser.....so that I don't just have an exposed suction tube that could potentially be a turtle danger.

It turned out to be about $150 total, which seems to beat most of the high quality filter systems that are available. Obviously the pump and the filter were the expensive parts of the equation.

Anyway, in this size tank, it turned pea green scummy water (which built up in a matter of about 4 days.....I've been doing full water changes about that often, because the filter I had in there just wasn't doing very much) into drinking water clear (no, I wouldn't drink it) in about 15-20 minutes.

Since it cycles so much water so fast I think I'll hook it up to a timer and have it run for about an hour or so a day. In the meantime, the in tank filter is still in there to keep the water moving.

I'll take some pics and post them of the final setup when I have it all installed and arragned the way I want it. I was more concerned w/ getting it put together and running than looking pretty.....that'll be step two.

All in all, from the moment I walked through the door getting home from Lowe's, to getting it running and cleaning the tank.....about 10 minutes. The only "tool" i used was a pair of scissors for cutting the tubing.

KiL

[joeybsmooth]

I can no waitt see pictures . When I get my BIG setup in a few months, I may try this.

[crackerlady2007]

That is so nice. I'm glad you were able to get it going. I'd love to be able to do something like that! You did well!

[KingLou]

Ok guys.....been busy the last couple of days, but I finally took some pics to give you an idea of how it's all set up.

Intake end:




Water return line (blue hose):




Top of tank w/ hoses. I added some couplers to each line for easy disconnect. This also makes it easy to drain the tank, as I just uncouple the blue hose and let the filter pump water into a bucket:




Here's the pump (beige box) and filter under the end table that serves as our tank stand:




And here's the timer that I have the pump hooked up to. This thing cycles water so fast and filters so well it's really not necessary to run it all day, and in fact it would probably waste a lot of energy if I let it. So, I've got it set for two hours a day, which is still probably more than necessary:




Just to give an idea of how fast it works:




And, 10 minutes later:




The only real downside is that the pump isn't really super quiet or anything. So, I have the timer set to run at a time when I'm in bed, asleep in a different room.

Enjoy!

KiL

[KingLou]

This really makes partial water changes SO much easier. I used to have to drain the water by hand by dunking a big cup (like 40oz) in the water and then pouring the cup into a bucket. What a pain.

KiL

[KingLou]

Update:

I adjusted the water return line so that it is above the water. This has a few benefits. First, it agitates the surface of the water which I didn't get otherwise (most of the water would be crystal clear, but the surface was pretty much untouched....hopefully this helps). Second, I can watch the flow of the return water so I can visualize the water flow. Third, it acts as a bit of a bubbler.

KiL