Nice build. You don't want to use vaseline for your seals because vaseline breaks down rubber. You should use 100% silicone plumbers grease to avoid your rubber breaking down and then leaking.
FYI don't build this. It leaks, search the comments, tons of people with issues, even after buying a better gasket. Any one try a water cooler? Like Igloo?
@@chase_vaseleou I worked at a company that used igloos for drinking water. Even the ones with screw on lids leak a bunch. Also, because they are insulated they way they are (double wall with foam between) they would be very difficult to waterproof as far as outlets and inlets. My solution to the lid leaking (what I assume you're talking about) is to use a normal lid, and just put the filter ABOVE the tank. No way for water to overfill, and no way for the lid seal to leak, since the filter doesn't have a siphon going into it. Yes, it is ugly, but it can't leak.
Thanks for the idea Joey. Built one for a 350 gallon tank and it cleaned it up within three days. Am working on a three canister system for an aquaponics system. Love the ideas, keep them coming.
@The King of DIY I built this filter and it's working. Things I learned: Don't put the pick-up too low in the tank, BECAUSE, when you shut the pump off, the siphon effect is too great, and it pushes water out of the gamma seal. The pump that you recommended is awesome, I like the speed controller. Full speed is too much for a 3/4 return, I may try to go bigger. With a 3/4 return it likes one click over half way. It's been 1 day and the big grime is gone but it's still a little cloudy, BUT NO more smell. Overall, this was a great build and I enjoyed it...Thanks!!
Here is my next revelation. The reason the siphon broke befor wasn't because of the return level. It was because the pump was turned up, causing air pockets in the bucket, when the pump turned off the air pockets broke the siphon... At low speed when turned off, it leaks badly. The siphon needs to break with these gamma seals of you will have a mess.
3rd revelation, Try to keep as many bends a turns equal on the intake and return sides. Not saying you should load up on turns but it seems like if there isn't a balance, the canister either run too full/leaks or too fast dry drips through/annoying. They pump speed selection helps a lot, but it takes time to fine tune.
I have it tuned in very well now. I drilled one small hole in the return and feeds about 203 inches below the water line, this way if it siphons and leaks out of the gamma seal, the container I have the whole set up in can handle it.
I know this is just a demo but if they followed your example there could be a major problem with water all over the house. The PVC glue you used is missing a component. PVC glue comes with a another can canned the cleaner. You use the cleaner the same way you use the glue but without the cleaner first the glued only joint can easily fail, especially those connections under pressure from the pump.
They make primerless glue. I dont trust it, and nothing but the purple primer would pass inspection here, but its super low pressure. Itll probably be fine, id use primer too though if it was me just because im paranoid lol.
Good follow up to the first video. I feel like you're missing a ball valve on the other side of the union coming from the tank. (not a problem in your demo since the return line is above the water level but in a real tank this would likely be a an issue). This would only be required if the outflow from the canister is below the water line in the tank (I fill my tanks up beyond the trim so all my outflows are below the water line). If we don't have a way to close the return line to the tank during maintenance water will siphon back down through the pump until the return is exposed to air. This is definitely more economical than an FX6. Love my fluval and eheims but man, commercial canisters are EXPENSIVE! Tank on Joey.
Just made this myself, putting it to a 75 gallon. Everything works pretty well as described. Only thing I noticed was if the pump shuts off and you dont close the valve, water spews back out the lid of the bucket. Works great, but there is no fail safe if say, the power was to go off. Then you have a massive water mess everywhere. As the ball valve needs to be shut when pump is turned off
if the water is coming out of the threaded gama lid then not tight enough but if its coming out of the black grommet part in lid. why couldnt you build it different and actually thread the lid and screw in and silicone your fittings for ball valve? just a thought idk if thats the issue your having
also how many cycles does this big of a canister cycle the 75g tank? im lookin to build a 75g and wanted to do this idea but if its meant for 250g tank then might be over kill
Thanks Joey! Building this filter was fun because it forced me to think about fluid mechanics as well as each part of my custom filter. I am waiting for my uniseald and plan to complete my version soon. Thanks to everyone for the comments and ideas. DIY building is now one of my favorite parts of the hobby!
love it. made this and the inline heater the other day couldnt be happier. works like a charm and my tank isnt filled with heaters and a nasty filter hanging on the back filter. Already had most of the stuff just had to buy $8.50 worth of pvc fittings thanks alot man.
I built a similar filter using these videos, however I ran into a problem with the lid leaking. Did some googling and it turns out that Gamma Seals are infamous for having defects and it's hit or miss with these lids. Doing some more googling I found on a gun forum that replacing the gasket with a fatter silicone o ring (size 378) fixes this problem. The o ring doesn't fit perfectly into the groove under the screw top lid and it does raise it a bit, however I can confirm that this does in fact fix the problem with it leaking.
I had the same problem so I gave up on the whole thing. Thank you so much for your input. I will give it a try. Where did you find such a large O ring? Online or at a brick and mortar store?
We have a humble 55 gal tank with an Aquaclear 70 hanging off the back and we are finding it isn't enough. So I'm getting good ideas for DYI filters from your channel. 🙂
I cant thank you enough. I was torn apart by the price of filters when I snagged my 120 gallon tank. Its been sitting because I just could not justify spending so much on a filter and this really just opened my eyes to how simple filters really are and I will 100% be using this video to build my own.
Oooooooh!! Thank you very mucho. I am going to build a canister filter, but its my first time and I feel nervius!!...but thanks for your video, I understand much better the function about these canisters filters.....sorry for my bad english, jejejeje...I send you good vibes from Guatemala City, thanks a lot!!
When using lava rock for bio filtration, how do you feel about containing it in a media bag vs. no media bag? I am currently using about 5 lbs of red lava in an XL media bag and sometimes wonder if it would just be best to use it without one. Thank you for all the wisdom you share to us DIY folks out here, Your talent is truly a gift that inspires us all.
Late reply, media bags are just for ease of managing media. Really have zero impact on the effectiveness of the media one way or the other. When cleaning the filter if its easier to have the media in the bag, then use the bag, if you don't care then don't.
Great video thank you! I made o e and have been through two gamma seal lids, first one was the original, second was the gamma2, both leak at the oring drawing in air until the output starves of water. I'm contemplating installing a vent tube higher then the tank to relieve internal pressure on the gamma seal.
I'm having the same problem. Still researching how to make the lid airtight but easily removable. I like having control of the filtration media, but the container is hugely challenging. Also, this is not a cheap project. $200+ so far. If someone doesn't care about what media gets used, just buy a pre-made one!
Hey, Joey! I know this was long ago, but I would love to see a video of a build of this with the vinyl tubing you mentioned. I tried finding the pieces myself, and I ended up with a Frankenstein type monster. Please help!!!
Great video, but I don't recommend lava rock as a medium for quite a few reasons which you can easily google and verify. Depending on where the lava rock came from it can contain ALOT of heavy metals that slowly make the water toxic and there is no way to know how much heavy metal is in your lava rock unless you send it off and have it tested. 2nd is that some lava rock meant for BBQ's has either been treated with chemicals or exposed to chemicals so if you insist on using it I would recommend thoroughly rinsing then boiling several times changing the water. I have a friend that used BBQ lava rock and even though he rinsed it he found all of his fish dead the next morning. And lastly it does not take very long to become a very ineffective medium. Even though it has a large porous surface the pores become clogged very quickly to the point it just no longer works. It has been found that after time a smoother rock will work better then the lava rock because they become so clogged.
Joey, big fan, but I just don't see how the gamma seal lid can work. I tried it on two canisters; one lubricated, another dry-fitted. They both sucked in air (at the screw top, no bucket imperfections) and looked like they would implode, and of course shot out water once the power was off :( They just don't seem designed to hold pressure. Now I have a good prefilter so I can safely glue these shut without worrying about anything other than long-term maintenance, so it wasn't a total bust, but I just don't know if I can trust these seals unless you have some new advice for me. Thank you for what you do, you and others like you are essential for the progression of this hobby. -Tim
+Kyle Tomsich You only need one pump as the video shows. It is both return and supply pump. Closed loop that has a filter and a pump upstream of it. Returning to the tank. You only need fill the 5 gallon filter with water and turn on the pump. There will be a bit of air bubbles at first as it starts up but once air is blown out into tank you are set. Long as you dont have any leaks!
+Eve Puckett haha thanks. I know i only need one pump I was just referring to it as a return pump. I was originally asking him to send a link of the same one
I'm currently building this system for a 100 gallon tank, I upgraded the pump to the 8000, what I wanted to know is can I add a second canister to this system, maybe a fluidised media option or something like that. Want to have alot of fish and I personally hate water changes. Love your videos trying many of your ideas
When you guys say gamma lids leak, do you mean it leaks water out or it's sucking air. I had the filter working for a week and I ruled out the jebao, because I tested it in my tub. I'm going to change the o-ring soon and test it. But does this system need to be sealed.
Going to build one for my 40 gallon turtle aquarium, definitely getting better media than shown. update: Drilling holes in my bucket right now. I got 1/4" too large uniseal so I have to use some larger fittings to make a tight seal. Careful when selecting sizes for these, 1" ID pvc will fit a 1" uniseal.
@@WatsitTooyah Ok but I am a beginner so I'm confused about that should I use sump + canister, as sump alone might be less for a planted aquarium? maybe I'm not sure. ?
Bucket + PVC + others accesories + Pump+ spending Time = better for me to go straight and get a FLUVAL canister filter. 👍 also this pump look too bulky. But thank you for sharing
Well I got everything together and gonna try this project tomorrow. I am hoping to have it in use for a long time so I made a few adjustments. I also realize in the video he recommends some of the changes I will make. Like flexible tube and barbed fittings. I also bought a slightly bigger pump but it was very close to same price as one he recommends. Both on Amazon. I am not very good with video making anymore but I might try to video document my build and definitely thank Joey, King of DIY for helping me with this build. This will be my second time building a filter but first time having guidance. My first filter was terrible but I still used it for years not knowing it was just wasting electricity and not doing much. I hope for a lot better out come with this. I also bought some fancy physical material. I hope that doesn't effect the flow too much. Anyways I really appreciate your knowledge and sharing, thanks again King Joey.
Hi Joey, I was wondering if you could also use the 6000 pump. The 4000 is harder to find and it costs about the same. However I have seen where these pumps should be submerged. Is it OK for them to sit outside of the tank?
A really fantastic video. I am seriously going to try and do this. One question though, how does the bucket fair under pressure? One of your biggest fans from south Africa all the best.
Joey.. When you will be (almost) done with DiY for aquariums (you already did A LOT of stuff)... you can always do some DIY fixing things in the house or doing things for the house / Home projects for your (our) house ! We already know that you do a lot of things in this hobby... I'm sure you can have ideas for a house too haha
Hello, im slightly confused on the PVC sizing... you mention using 3/4 inch but are using 1 inch uni seals. Will the 3/4 inch fit the 1 inch uniseal? Are certain portions different size PVC? Thankyou
I remember someone talking about how the gallon rating on a filter isn't always an accurate representation, it's more about the bioload that the filter is able to do. That being said, could one of these theoretically filter a 1000 gal tank with a relatively small bioload?
Getting air coming through the gamma seal lid for causing my water coming back to the tank to have a ton of bubbles in it.. tried buying a 2nd lid nd it made no difference.. maybe pump is pushing more water in than it's pulling? Any help wld be much appreciated thanks and awesome videos man!
I am going to build this as I was just pricing the FX6. My question concerns my individual filter and animals. I currently am using a defective 306 with six large goldfish and a 3 yr old turtle in a 55 gallon tank. First questions -->Will this neutralize all the nitrates etc or will I still need to add the "stuff in the tank" to do that? I currently am using fluval liquid additives plus I have a de-chlorine bag and charcoal bags in my filter system with all those little pads they say I need.. Am I understanding this that the lava rock replaces all of that? What about new tank syndrome when I first start it? Do I still need to add a bio booster? Thanks, Jenn
Hey buddy I like your Bucket filler it's really nice... I was wondering if I gave you the diagrams on a sump pump if you could build it for me and what you would charge
Hey man. You are brilliant with this stuff. Im not as handy when it comes to building. Whould you be interested in building one of these and selling it?
If you fill the bucket with water first, no need to syphon,. Great plan I followed through and I’m happy with the performance so far,. But to all else, I thoroughly rinsed the lava rocks first...
I really like this idea and plan to go forth with it. Although I was thinking about ramping it up by using three 6 gallon buckets. From the tank to the three buckets together linking together and back again.
David Crispell lmfao bruhhh 😂😂😂 why would you use a 5gal bucket to clean a 10 gal tank 😂😂😂 you dont even need a canister filter for it just get a 20 gal filter and it will do beyond great lol made my night
Using a couple of these on my pond however I am pumping water in for the bottom of it and since my pawns over 3000 gallons I just daisy chain them but has been working great
hii Joey, im from Indonesia and i like to watch your channel. i've built a filter system like you did in this video, before you post it in here. I got some problems with this system, when the power cut out (electricity seems bad in my town), the aquarium got sucked because there's no pump to flow the water into the aquarium again. and resulting a flood at my floor. can you help me to figure it out? maybe some automatic soaked off when the electricity is out? thank you in advance, sorry for my bad english. and i cant wait to see an enlighten from your channel.
G'day Joey, bloody great videos mate!! I realise this is pretty old now, but I have a quick question - why do you only use wool padding without the additional layers of coarse and medium sponge?
Gamma seal is leaking like a sieve. I'm $200 into this now, and can't make the damn thing quit leaking. fantastic. Going to try using a regular bucket lid.
I wanted to make this and add bucket lids as a separation for the different filter media's but they were previously used to store garlic in 10 litre buckets, so now they have a strong garlicky smell and I was wondering if it would be safe for my fish.
I’ve been using this for my 1 gallon bowl with my goldfish for about 2 months but I was wondering can I use sponge as the mechanical filtration and never have to replace it ever couple days?
This was actually a pretty great build. Even as you have it set up there for display purposes, it still looks awesome. I have a question, would you prefer this over the overflow and sump? It has a pro of being quieter than a sump, but it doesn't add volume to the tank like a sump would. In your opinion, which would be better on a discus tank?
I would use True Union ball valves. They have unions on each end of the valves and better quality. They are also easier to turn and don’t get stuck like the cheapos used in the video. Baskets that are the size of the bucket would be great. Could use various media and a thicker larger physical media section. I think the physical media section is more important because it traps larger debri before going into the biological section and clogging it. Also removing the physical media often will keep the water pristine longer between water changes.
hello i watched your old video of rhe pvc pipe canister filter but i dont have the height required for store that canister. so i figured why cant i use a 5g pail and searched it and sure enough you have a vedeo already. i love it. but wat size bucket or how much lava rock is needed for 75-100g thanks hope to hear back
Follow your directions exactly. Works for a few minutes then loses its prime. Stops. All hoses checked, no leaks. Defective pump maybe? Any ideas. Lots of work. Replayed your video 50 times.!!
I built this and it turned out pretty great no leaks at all. Mine breaks the siphon if my pump turns off but it's not leaking water anywhere so that baffles me. I'll take it though. My question though is how can I increase the amount of suction going to the filter? The amount of suction I have is pretty weak for my application and I'm not sure if there is anyway to increase it besides getting a bigger pump
Great video. Can I use the same sort of diy filter for a pond? I have a bath tub I'm looking to make a pond out of and have been looking for a way of filtering it by using the overflow hole as inlet to filter and the taps and/or plug hole as outlet. The bath isn't going to be sunk in ground so it safe for the kids. Thanks
Joey, my pump has to be submerged. I'm going to put it in the bucket to pump into the 55 gal. tank. I really don't want to put it in the tank. Do you see any problems with doing it that way? Also I was going to use k1 in the bucket along with sponges and polyfill or should I add another bucket just fort the k1 media?
Great Video(s) I have built this and have a question, "How full should the bucket be" that is do I fill the bucket and totally submerge the media, or do I half fill it and let the water fall through. Cheers Tom
Joey, Awesome video and tutorial. I really enjoy your channel. How difficult do you think this would be to add a self priming button or something to that nature like you see on the marine land filters? Or, adding an aqualifter like you showed in the pvc overflow.
I am very interested in this build however there are 2 fatal flaws I have found for this in my research, 1. A standard bucket bows under the pressure of the water in aquarium when under the aquarium and 2. The gamma seal cant handle the pressure and causes a leak. I'm trying to find a good way to remedy these for a long term application I'm considering using a 90mil screw top bucket maybe that will eliminate the chance of bucket rupturing under pressure and screw top maybe I can get to seal better than a gamma seal. DIY king Joey please advise or anyone else please recommend.
Hi Joey, do you know what I could do to make this suitable for a 40 gallon breeder tank? I am still unsure on FOWLR or freshwater, but this seems like a good way to go as far as filtration.
Thank you for this video Joey. I have used this video for my first DIY bucket canister filter and so far it work well, except for when I want to clean the filter. The water siphon and over-flood the bucket when I turned off the pump, so I really need help with fixing this issue. Would you mind help me with this issue?
Would it work if you close the water siphon first, run the motor for few seconds more and then shut the output valve. Then disconnect. I too made a canister filter after this video. Works well, with some small changes, as I didn't get the gamma seal.
I'm loving this video, if possible can u give me the spec, so I can u flexible tubing, and the other components that I need. Going to go on my 90 gallon african cichlid tank. Thanks alot
The screw in lid continues to leak on our set up. It will work for a while then all at once it starts spraying. No idea why. Any thoughts? It doesn't leak out of any of the fittings, just the screw in lid part.
What we found is that there is too much head pressure with the 6ft of drop from the top of the aquarium to the filter. 2.75PSI which equates roughly to 350 lbs of force on the cover.
Nice build. You don't want to use vaseline for your seals because vaseline breaks down rubber. You should use 100% silicone plumbers grease to avoid your rubber breaking down and then leaking.
Dow 111 is what we use for o rings in marine submersibles
Tek P I use Vaseline 😅
FYI don't build this. It leaks, search the comments, tons of people with issues, even after buying a better gasket. Any one try a water cooler? Like Igloo?
@@chase_vaseleou I worked at a company that used igloos for drinking water. Even the ones with screw on lids leak a bunch.
Also, because they are insulated they way they are (double wall with foam between) they would be very difficult to waterproof as far as outlets and inlets.
My solution to the lid leaking (what I assume you're talking about) is to use a normal lid, and just put the filter ABOVE the tank. No way for water to overfill, and no way for the lid seal to leak, since the filter doesn't have a siphon going into it.
Yes, it is ugly, but it can't leak.
@@chase_vaseleou I was leaning more towards igloo ..glad someone( you) mentioned it!
Thanks for the idea Joey. Built one for a 350 gallon tank and it cleaned it up within three days. Am working on a three canister system for an aquaponics system. Love the ideas, keep them coming.
Nice and affordable. I may have missed it but would add another valve between the bucket and pump so when you clean the water doesn't run out
@The King of DIY I built this filter and it's working. Things I learned: Don't put the pick-up too low in the tank, BECAUSE, when you shut the pump off, the siphon effect is too great, and it pushes water out of the gamma seal. The pump that you recommended is awesome, I like the speed controller. Full speed is too much for a 3/4 return, I may try to go bigger. With a 3/4 return it likes one click over half way. It's been 1 day and the big grime is gone but it's still a little cloudy, BUT NO more smell. Overall, this was a great build and I enjoyed it...Thanks!!
Here is my next revelation. The reason the siphon broke befor wasn't because of the return level. It was because the pump was turned up, causing air pockets in the bucket, when the pump turned off the air pockets broke the siphon... At low speed when turned off, it leaks badly. The siphon needs to break with these gamma seals of you will have a mess.
3rd revelation, Try to keep as many bends a turns equal on the intake and return sides. Not saying you should load up on turns but it seems like if there isn't a balance, the canister either run too full/leaks or too fast dry drips through/annoying. They pump speed selection helps a lot, but it takes time to fine tune.
I have it tuned in very well now. I drilled one small hole in the return and feeds about 203 inches below the water line, this way if it siphons and leaks out of the gamma seal, the container I have the whole set up in can handle it.
You're brilliant and a blessing to those on a fixed income that enjoy the hobby
I know this is just a demo but if they followed your example there could be a major problem with water all over the house. The PVC glue you used is missing a component. PVC glue comes with a another can canned the cleaner. You use the cleaner the same way you use the glue but without the cleaner first the glued only joint can easily fail, especially those connections under pressure from the pump.
They make primerless glue. I dont trust it, and nothing but the purple primer would pass inspection here, but its super low pressure. Itll probably be fine, id use primer too though if it was me just because im paranoid lol.
I’m amazed by this, such a simple thing to do. I’m ABSOLUTELY doing this for my 125. Love this.
Good follow up to the first video. I feel like you're missing a ball valve on the other side of the union coming from the tank. (not a problem in your demo since the return line is above the water level but in a real tank this would likely be a an issue). This would only be required if the outflow from the canister is below the water line in the tank (I fill my tanks up beyond the trim so all my outflows are below the water line). If we don't have a way to close the return line to the tank during maintenance water will siphon back down through the pump until the return is exposed to air.
This is definitely more economical than an FX6. Love my fluval and eheims but man, commercial canisters are EXPENSIVE!
Tank on Joey.
Just made this myself, putting it to a 75 gallon. Everything works pretty well as described. Only thing I noticed was if the pump shuts off and you dont close the valve, water spews back out the lid of the bucket. Works great, but there is no fail safe if say, the power was to go off. Then you have a massive water mess everywhere. As the ball valve needs to be shut when pump is turned off
if the water is coming out of the threaded gama lid then not tight enough but if its coming out of the black grommet part in lid. why couldnt you build it different and actually thread the lid and screw in and silicone your fittings for ball valve? just a thought idk if thats the issue your having
also how many cycles does this big of a canister cycle the 75g tank? im lookin to build a 75g and wanted to do this idea but if its meant for 250g tank then might be over kill
What size pipe did you used? 3/4 or 1/2 is enough?
Hello, did you get a solution for that? I was thinking, why if you add an electro valve?
Thanks Joey! Building this filter was fun because it forced me to think about fluid mechanics as well as each part of my custom filter. I am waiting for my uniseald and plan to complete my version soon. Thanks to everyone for the comments and ideas. DIY building is now one of my favorite parts of the hobby!
6 year update how did it go?
Back into aquarium hobby.feels good.
Joey, I appreciate your clear, concise instruction demonstrations. You make a seemingly difficult task seem like a breeze.💨 Thank you
love it. made this and the inline heater the other day couldnt be happier. works like a charm and my tank isnt filled with heaters and a nasty filter hanging on the back filter. Already had most of the stuff just had to buy $8.50 worth of pvc fittings thanks alot man.
How do you get the gamma seal to actually seal? I’ve even tried a rubber hammer to get it tighter
I built a similar filter using these videos, however I ran into a problem with the lid leaking. Did some googling and it turns out that Gamma Seals are infamous for having defects and it's hit or miss with these lids. Doing some more googling I found on a gun forum that replacing the gasket with a fatter silicone o ring (size 378) fixes this problem. The o ring doesn't fit perfectly into the groove under the screw top lid and it does raise it a bit, however I can confirm that this does in fact fix the problem with it leaking.
I'm taking your advice and giving it a shot. Can't stop the leaking thus far, so for 7 bucks, what the hell. Thanks
I had the same problem so I gave up on the whole thing. Thank you so much for your input. I will give it a try. Where did you find such a large O ring? Online or at a brick and mortar store?
AFreakinProblem use slicone
An Ebay seller had them, the one you want is under the description: FDA SILICONE O-RINGS 378 QTY 1 10-1/2" ID 10-7/8" OD
Slicone is only useful for gluing the lid onto the rim of the bucket. The actual screw top will require you to change the O ring.
We have a humble 55 gal tank with an Aquaclear 70 hanging off the back and we are finding it isn't enough. So I'm getting good ideas for DYI filters from your channel. 🙂
it would not surprise me if what you build actually filters water better Joey! Nice job.
I cant thank you enough. I was torn apart by the price of filters when I snagged my 120 gallon tank. Its been sitting because I just could not justify spending so much on a filter and this really just opened my eyes to how simple filters really are and I will 100% be using this video to build my own.
Yay part 2! Thank you.
I was a bit shocked at why you barely put any mechanical filtration in it. Just a very thin layer of bedding??
+Travis G Add what you need. this was just a visual example.
Oooooooh!! Thank you very mucho. I am going to build a canister filter, but its my first time and I feel nervius!!...but thanks for your video, I understand much better the function about these canisters filters.....sorry for my bad english, jejejeje...I send you good vibes from Guatemala City, thanks a lot!!
When using lava rock for bio filtration, how do you feel about containing it in a media bag vs. no media bag? I am currently using about 5 lbs of red lava in an XL media bag and sometimes wonder if it would just be best to use it without one. Thank you for all the wisdom you share to us DIY folks out here, Your talent is truly a gift that inspires us all.
Late reply, media bags are just for ease of managing media. Really have zero impact on the effectiveness of the media one way or the other. When cleaning the filter if its easier to have the media in the bag, then use the bag, if you don't care then don't.
I just finished this build, works superbly but the cost will be closer to two hundred by the end of the day.
Hi is it possible to have a complete list of everything I need so I can go to the hardware store and pick em up (as you can tell I’m not a handy man)
Great idea! Did you manage to do it in an aquarium? (Not just demo?)
Great video thank you! I made o e and have been through two gamma seal lids, first one was the original, second was the gamma2, both leak at the oring drawing in air until the output starves of water. I'm contemplating installing a vent tube higher then the tank to relieve internal pressure on the gamma seal.
I'm having the same problem. Still researching how to make the lid airtight but easily removable.
I like having control of the filtration media, but the container is hugely challenging. Also, this is not a cheap project. $200+ so far. If someone doesn't care about what media gets used, just buy a pre-made one!
Im having the same problem but have a lot less investeas in mine. Did anyone figure out the leaking gamma top?
@@ericthomas5558 nope, not yet
Hey, Joey! I know this was long ago, but I would love to see a video of a build of this with the vinyl tubing you mentioned. I tried finding the pieces myself, and I ended up with a Frankenstein type monster. Please help!!!
BEST canister filter video I've seen thus far..... And trust me..... I've seen hundreds
well....I've seen thousands....
...I've seen millions
I've seen billions.
I've seen trillions.
i,ve seen sextillions
Just wondering, a little over a year later, how the Jecod pump is holding up?
Plumber Grease is a lot better. Vaseline actually is petroleum-based and will dry out seals. Great video
Nice 1 bro👌
Love from INDIA 🇮🇳
Great video, but I don't recommend lava rock as a medium for quite a few reasons which you can easily google and verify. Depending on where the lava rock came from it can contain ALOT of heavy metals that slowly make the water toxic and there is no way to know how much heavy metal is in your lava rock unless you send it off and have it tested. 2nd is that some lava rock meant for BBQ's has either been treated with chemicals or exposed to chemicals so if you insist on using it I would recommend thoroughly rinsing then boiling several times changing the water. I have a friend that used BBQ lava rock and even though he rinsed it he found all of his fish dead the next morning. And lastly it does not take very long to become a very ineffective medium. Even though it has a large porous surface the pores become clogged very quickly to the point it just no longer works. It has been found that after time a smoother rock will work better then the lava rock because they become so clogged.
Joey, big fan, but I just don't see how the gamma seal lid can work. I tried it on two canisters; one lubricated, another dry-fitted. They both sucked in air (at the screw top, no bucket imperfections) and looked like they would implode, and of course shot out water once the power was off :(
They just don't seem designed to hold pressure. Now I have a good prefilter so I can safely glue these shut without worrying about anything other than long-term maintenance, so it wasn't a total bust, but I just don't know if I can trust these seals unless you have some new advice for me.
Thank you for what you do, you and others like you are essential for the progression of this hobby.
-Tim
Mine leaked to, tried everything to get the gamma lid to seal but no luck, not sure what type of solution to try next?
thanks I used a lot of your DIY'S saved lots of money
You're thee Man I get great 👍 ideas from you
This is great! If I don't find a good deal on a used canister filter I will build this for sure! DIY KING FTW
+Kyle Tomsich Good luck!
+The king of DIY thanks! could you post a link of the return pump??
+Kyle Tomsich You only need one pump as the video shows. It is both return and supply pump. Closed loop that has a filter and a pump upstream of it. Returning to the tank. You only need fill the 5 gallon filter with water and turn on the pump. There will be a bit of air bubbles at first as it starts up but once air is blown out into tank you are set. Long as you dont have any leaks!
+Eve Puckett haha thanks. I know i only need one pump I was just referring to it as a return pump. I was originally asking him to send a link of the same one
I'm currently building this system for a 100 gallon tank, I upgraded the pump to the 8000, what I wanted to know is can I add a second canister to this system, maybe a fluidised media option or something like that. Want to have alot of fish and I personally hate water changes. Love your videos trying many of your ideas
When you guys say gamma lids leak, do you mean it leaks water out or it's sucking air. I had the filter working for a week and I ruled out the jebao, because I tested it in my tub. I'm going to change the o-ring soon and test it. But does this system need to be sealed.
Going to build one for my 40 gallon turtle aquarium, definitely getting better media than shown.
update:
Drilling holes in my bucket right now. I got 1/4" too large uniseal so I have to use some larger fittings to make a tight seal. Careful when selecting sizes for these, 1" ID pvc will fit a 1" uniseal.
Did u get it to work?
@@noobsaqua no it leaked pretty bad.
@@WatsitTooyah 😅 so I better buy a readymade one
@@noobsaqua sumps are great for DIY
@@WatsitTooyah Ok but I am a beginner so I'm confused about that should I use sump + canister, as sump alone might be less for a planted aquarium? maybe I'm not sure. ?
I have a submersible pump...would have to drill holes at the bottom of bucket and use a container like you showed on the sump filter.
Bucket + PVC + others accesories + Pump+ spending Time = better for me to go straight and get a FLUVAL canister filter. 👍 also this pump look too bulky.
But thank you for sharing
Great canister filter il like to build one for sure but my question is how loud is the pump
Just look into the pump it should say
Well I got everything together and gonna try this project tomorrow. I am hoping to have it in use for a long time so I made a few adjustments. I also realize in the video he recommends some of the changes I will make. Like flexible tube and barbed fittings. I also bought a slightly bigger pump but it was very close to same price as one he recommends. Both on Amazon. I am not very good with video making anymore but I might try to video document my build and definitely thank Joey, King of DIY for helping me with this build. This will be my second time building a filter but first time having guidance. My first filter was terrible but I still used it for years not knowing it was just wasting electricity and not doing much. I hope for a lot better out come with this. I also bought some fancy physical material. I hope that doesn't effect the flow too much. Anyways I really appreciate your knowledge and sharing, thanks again King Joey.
howd it go?
Hi Joey, I was wondering if you could also use the 6000 pump. The 4000 is harder to find and it costs about the same. However I have seen where these pumps should be submerged. Is it OK for them to sit outside of the tank?
For about the cost of building one of these DYI filters, you can buy a Sunsun or Polar Aurora canister filter, both of which work great!
Excellent video DIY King. I was very very disappointed seeing price tags of big canister filters. but this gives hope.
A really fantastic video. I am seriously going to try and do this. One question though, how does the bucket fair under pressure? One of your biggest fans from south Africa all the best.
Joey can you do a( 2 ) 5 gallon bucket set up for extra filtration build?
Joey.. When you will be (almost) done with DiY for aquariums (you already did A LOT of stuff)... you can always do some DIY fixing things in the house or doing things for the house / Home projects for your (our) house !
We already know that you do a lot of things in this hobby... I'm sure you can have ideas for a house too haha
our?
Hello, im slightly confused on the PVC sizing... you mention using 3/4 inch but are using 1 inch uni seals. Will the 3/4 inch fit the 1 inch uniseal? Are certain portions different size PVC? Thankyou
Think I will put a tee upstream of my pump with a ball valve and hose adapter to allow pump to discharge to a sink for easy water changes?!
Hi Rachel, I had an interesting debate with my girlfriend about you the other day. I support you in every way, Your awesome!!
@@jaymcluvin6809 wtf.
@@jaymcluvin6809 এসইও বাহ বাহ বাহ
এ
Is there a recommendation for a check valve for this DYI filter?
You are the greatest... keep creation man... you are inspiration...
very simiular to the pvc filter. but yet different. awesome job joey
+Cichmck1 all canister filters will be very similar. In one end and out the other!
I remember someone talking about how the gallon rating on a filter isn't always an accurate representation, it's more about the bioload that the filter is able to do. That being said, could one of these theoretically filter a 1000 gal tank with a relatively small bioload?
You really should aim to turn the water over about 4x an hour
Man u a straight up genius... u r going to get yourself far doing what u do... love your channel... by far the best here... keep it up man congrats
Getting air coming through the gamma seal lid for causing my water coming back to the tank to have a ton of bubbles in it.. tried buying a 2nd lid nd it made no difference.. maybe pump is pushing more water in than it's pulling? Any help wld be much appreciated thanks and awesome videos man!
I am going to build this as I was just pricing the FX6. My question concerns my individual filter and animals. I currently am using a defective 306 with six large goldfish and a 3 yr old turtle in a 55 gallon tank. First questions -->Will this neutralize all the nitrates etc or will I still need to add the "stuff in the tank" to do that? I currently am using fluval liquid additives plus I have a de-chlorine bag and charcoal bags in my filter system with all those little pads they say I need..
Am I understanding this that the lava rock replaces all of that? What about new tank syndrome when I first start it? Do I still need to add a bio booster?
Thanks, Jenn
Hey buddy I like your Bucket filler it's really nice... I was wondering if I gave you the diagrams on a sump pump if you could build it for me and what you would charge
Hey man. You are brilliant with this stuff. Im not as handy when it comes to building. Whould you be interested in building one of these and selling it?
If you fill the bucket with water first, no need to syphon,. Great plan I followed through and I’m happy with the performance so far,. But to all else, I thoroughly rinsed the lava rocks first...
I really like this idea and plan to go forth with it. Although I was thinking about ramping it up by using three 6 gallon buckets. From the tank to the three buckets together linking together and back again.
Hi Joe,
I love your channel. Please! keep it up. I question though. Why it has to be air tight? I mean normal bucket could do that job. isn't it?
Great video!!! Can you use more then one bucket inline? Maybe 3 buckets?
Would this be overkill on a 10 gallon single specimen betta tank?
David Crispell you would kill it
Freshwater tanks how?
David Crispell the flow would kill it because of stress and that would aggravate the surface bettas breath atmospheric air
David Crispell you done need that big of filter get a sponge filter or a weak HOB
David Crispell lmfao bruhhh 😂😂😂 why would you use a 5gal bucket to clean a 10 gal tank 😂😂😂 you dont even need a canister filter for it just get a 20 gal filter and it will do beyond great lol made my night
Using a couple of these on my pond however I am pumping water in for the bottom of it and since my pawns over 3000 gallons I just daisy chain them but has been working great
hii Joey, im from Indonesia and i like to watch your channel. i've built a filter system like you did in this video, before you post it in here. I got some problems with this system, when the power cut out (electricity seems bad in my town), the aquarium got sucked because there's no pump to flow the water into the aquarium again. and resulting a flood at my floor. can you help me to figure it out? maybe some automatic soaked off when the electricity is out? thank you in advance, sorry for my bad english. and i cant wait to see an enlighten from your channel.
Still a fan of these pumps JOEY?
awesome job Joey.... i will be building one for my 55 gallon cichlid tank 😃
+no1wrench did you end up doing the project? im thinking of doing it for my 55 cichlid tank as well.
Aqua Noob me too.
This is a awesome build. Thank you for sharing.
+Brian Pickens Thanks Brian!
G'day Joey, bloody great videos mate!! I realise this is pretty old now, but I have a quick question - why do you only use wool padding without the additional layers of coarse and medium sponge?
you are the best...The King of DIY
Gamma seal is leaking like a sieve. I'm $200 into this now, and can't make the damn thing quit leaking. fantastic. Going to try using a regular bucket lid.
Were you able to make this work?
I wanted to make this and add bucket lids as a separation for the different filter media's but they were previously used to store garlic in 10 litre buckets, so now they have a strong garlicky smell and I was wondering if it would be safe for my fish.
do you think you could do a video on a diy gravel syphen
Plz do
I’ve been using this for my 1 gallon bowl with my goldfish for about 2 months but I was wondering can I use sponge as the mechanical filtration and never have to replace it ever couple days?
This was actually a pretty great build. Even as you have it set up there for display purposes, it still looks awesome. I have a question, would you prefer this over the overflow and sump? It has a pro of being quieter than a sump, but it doesn't add volume to the tank like a sump would. In your opinion, which would be better on a discus tank?
I would use True Union ball valves. They have unions on each end of the valves and better quality. They are also easier to turn and don’t get stuck like the cheapos used in the video.
Baskets that are the size of the bucket would be great. Could use various media and a thicker larger physical media section. I think the physical media section is more important because it traps larger debri before going into the biological section and clogging it. Also removing the physical media often will keep the water pristine longer between water changes.
hello i watched your old video of rhe pvc pipe canister filter but i dont have the height required for store that canister. so i figured why cant i use a 5g pail and searched it and sure enough you have a vedeo already. i love it. but wat size bucket or how much lava rock is needed for 75-100g thanks hope to hear back
Follow your directions exactly. Works for a few minutes then loses its prime. Stops. All hoses checked, no leaks. Defective pump maybe? Any ideas. Lots of work. Replayed your video 50 times.!!
Thanks for such great tips... some similar diy projects for saltwater aquarium shall be highly appreciated though.
Have had some issues all along. I will try wider diameter PVC from tank to filter to make Bigger&Faster. Pump often too fast above setting #2
Did going to a bigger intake pipe solve the issues?
So how is it holding up after all this time?
Way better than my build. Thanks Joey
Big Fired Up Friday thanks for finishing this build. Really enjoyed LIVE feed via Facebook.
+Slim Tim Thanks Tim! See in the live feed today?
Can this work with an outside pond?
I built this and it turned out pretty great no leaks at all. Mine breaks the siphon if my pump turns off but it's not leaking water anywhere so that baffles me. I'll take it though. My question though is how can I increase the amount of suction going to the filter? The amount of suction I have is pretty weak for my application and I'm not sure if there is anyway to increase it besides getting a bigger pump
went back to store got new snap on lid it working fine now
hey joey. would love to see your take on a cheap and effective sump. or even a canister sump hybrid.
Great video.
Can I use the same sort of diy filter for a pond?
I have a bath tub I'm looking to make a pond out of and have been looking for a way of filtering it by using the overflow hole as inlet to filter and the taps and/or plug hole as outlet.
The bath isn't going to be sunk in ground so it safe for the kids.
Thanks
Joey, my pump has to be submerged. I'm going to put it in the bucket to pump into the 55 gal. tank. I really don't want to put it in the tank. Do you see any problems with doing it that way? Also I was going to use k1 in the bucket along with sponges and polyfill or should I add another bucket just fort the k1 media?
Great Video(s) I have built this and have a question, "How full should the bucket be" that is do I fill the bucket and totally submerge the media, or do I half fill it and let the water fall through. Cheers Tom
Joey,
Awesome video and tutorial. I really enjoy your channel. How difficult do you think this would be to add a self priming button or something to that nature like you see on the marine land filters? Or, adding an aqualifter like you showed in the pvc overflow.
keep up the good work i did 2 of those filter but can you do a project about UV filter
I am very interested in this build however there are 2 fatal flaws I have found for this in my research, 1. A standard bucket bows under the pressure of the water in aquarium when under the aquarium and 2. The gamma seal cant handle the pressure and causes a leak. I'm trying to find a good way to remedy these for a long term application I'm considering using a 90mil screw top bucket maybe that will eliminate the chance of bucket rupturing under pressure and screw top maybe I can get to seal better than a gamma seal. DIY king Joey please advise or anyone else please recommend.
Hi Joey, do you know what I could do to make this suitable for a 40 gallon breeder tank? I am still unsure on FOWLR or freshwater, but this seems like a good way to go as far as filtration.
Thank you for this video Joey. I have used this video for my first DIY bucket canister filter and so far it work well, except for when I want to clean the filter. The water siphon and over-flood the bucket when I turned off the pump, so I really need help with fixing this issue. Would you mind help me with this issue?
Would it work if you close the water siphon first, run the motor for few seconds more and then shut the output valve. Then disconnect. I too made a canister filter after this video. Works well, with some small changes, as I didn't get the gamma seal.
Can you do an update on your diy canister plz???
Id like to make one of these for an outdoor pond using solar. WOuld I use a air pump or do I need a submersible pump.
I'm loving this video, if possible can u give me the spec, so I can u flexible tubing, and the other components that I need. Going to go on my 90 gallon african cichlid tank. Thanks alot
Thanks for sharing . It's been great that you have been doing so many live Facebook sessions . Keep it up
+Michael Eugenio Love the live sessions! another one is starting in a few hours!
Oh shit nice I'm glad I saw part 2 right after I commented on part one cause I was pumping the water in and getting leaking from the pressure.
The screw in lid continues to leak on our set up. It will work for a while then all at once it starts spraying. No idea why. Any thoughts? It doesn't leak out of any of the fittings, just the screw in lid part.
I noticed you mention lubricating the seal, we did not do this but it doesn't leak until after roughly 2 hours of run time.
What we found is that there is too much head pressure with the 6ft of drop from the top of the aquarium to the filter. 2.75PSI which equates roughly to 350 lbs of force on the cover.