Click 'Read More' for information and links to equipment. A few years back when I still had my aquarium shop I made an air driven filter from a resin rock ornament which worked really well - this is a much better version which uses the following materials: Okiishi OR/7 resin rock: No longer available.... Biogravel: bit.ly/2NRdc8o Spin Stream Nozzle: geni.us/bLHfA 24" x 17" foams: geni.us/AvAdBx Fine filter pad: bit.ly/2LlEsuf Oxygenating water pump: bit.ly/2umSS72 Although the above list of materials are very specific please don't feel as if you need to stick to those exact products - I'm just throwing the idea out there and I'd love to see what you can come up with for your own DIY filter projects. Unfortunately I don't have the 24" x 17" foams on my website yet so the link is to a pack of 3 but you could use a coarse and medium or fine foam and not bother with the fine wool pad - it's up to you, either way will clean the water no problem. After over 3 months of running the filter I can confirm that the suckers aren't much good to hold such a heavy filter up so it's way better and easier to simply use the 'S' shaped wire to hang the filter on the back of the tank. The spin stream nozzle which distributes the water has worked perfectly and never stopped in the months of testing. This is the model of dremmel tool I was using in the video: geni.us/4uMl and I find it to be excellent when I'm making DIY aquarium filters. This was the air driven rock filter I made a few years ago: bit.ly/2uAdB6A If you've enjoyed this video please check out the playlists on my channel for hundreds more - on a variety of subjects. Feel free to share or link any of my videos on facebook, twitter, forums etc. for the benefit of anyone you think may also enjoy watching. See you next time. Pondguru (Richard) sales@filterpro.co.uk 07772848730 RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS ON AMAZON: goo.gl/jMaBWy INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/pondguru_outdoors/ FILMING EQUIPMENT: Panasonic HC-VX870 HD camcorder geni.us/3UwE +Rode stereo microphone: geni.us/4OL +Rode 'deadcat' mic cover: geni.us/1pmn JVC Everio quad proof HD camcorder: geni.us/e09e +Rode 'deadcat' mic cover (opened up and held between tripod and camera base) geni.us/dee24 Zomei Z666 tripod: geni.us/1a1af3 Manfrotto MTPIXI-B PIXI mini tripod: geni.us/87f7
Awesome idea Richard. A couple of questions: 1/ What is the maintenance regimen for this? I'd assume it's just lifting the structure out of water, pulling out the coarse foam, giving it a couple of squeezes under a running tab to get rid of the thick particulate matter, stick the foam back into the resin rock ornament and back into the aquarium, yeah? How frequently would you need to do this? 2/ Those holes you drilled in the front across the face of the resin - wouldn't that be a "4bad" entrance for larger particulate matter (but smaller than the hole size) to enter into the system and "infect" the biogravel?
The idea behind all the holes is that the water will be drawn in all over the place and gently filtered but I take your point on the holes in front. Depending on where you have the pump and media you could drill holes and put fine floss / pad wherever you want. Cleaning was very easy as I just slid the filter up the back, laid it over the tank for a few minutes then took it away to strip down which was very quick with only a couple of drips. In a normal tank you'd only do that every few months.
I think I'm finding the only videos I can make since the business is insane this year, lol Finding time to slip away for even an hour is almost impossible and the last time I was fishing was with you, last time I was metal detecting in UK was February 2017 - financially it is good but there is more to life than money. Even the new lawn I put in adds the time spent cutting grass up to about 6 hours a week which is madness....I'm trying to convince my wife to let me get a robot lawnmower but I reckon it will take me dying in the middle of the lawn for her to say yes, lol
A fantastic DIY build Richard. I particularly like the spin stream that would make such a difference to movement within the tank making it more dynamic. Fantastic for small tanks. Imagine this scaled up for a 6ft planted aquarium that would be awesome. It is a brilliant way to hide the filtration within a small tank. Great Video mate
Yes it is a great little nozzle which works extremely well - I was skeptical about it but it's been turning now for 3-4 months and never faltered. I was initially going to get a Random Flow Generator nozzle bu they are only ever shown with crazy powerful pumps and are twice the price so I skipped that one. The link I put in video description has it apparently coming from Denmark with quite a high postage cost but the postage was free when I went to check out (could be due to being an Amazon Prime member?). Caught your last couple of videos but didn't comment as I'm not dying on that hill again...lets just say one of the videos of a filter idea I came up many years ago with is sitting on close to 3 million views and it's not on my channel....lol It always seems to be the small genuine channels who exist to share real experience and help people who reference where they saw something or are replicating the idea from - those are the guys we should be supporting. Fair enough they may not be the most entertaining for the millions of casual viewers who are looking more for fake dramas and online social fluff (I know I wouldn't interest them as my own voice is god awful and my manner is boring as hell) but the information in some of the obscure videos on relatively unknown channels in UA-cam land is pure gold. I've got a plan to help and bring together the genuinely good channels who have the primary knowledge and information for the benefit of viewers seeking proper information as there are definitely people out there who are seeking to learn and I always think it is best to hear or see something at source and not when it has been replicated and watered down with less crucial information for a larger, less attentive audience so keep an eye out for that idea proposal - haven't shot the video yet but (hopefully) will do soon. It should also really help with exposure for the smaller channels who often don't show up at all in the recommended videos on UA-cam and as my channel grows I want to use it to try and help others whenever possible.
Ha! From the reactions i've got from some people you'd have thought I hunted down and tortured the guy! I have prime but it still charged me the postage - but still cheaper than the RFG which I was considering, so thanks anyway! Look forward to seeing you plan in action!
Yes it's the sort of thing where collective primary knowledge will be thrown out there for free and really help anyone in the hobby whether they are new or experienced since nobody is an exert in everything. Actually, anyone claiming to be an expert or giving themselves boastful titles for their channels or videos will be automatically excluded from the series as anyone seeking proper information doesn't need that nonsense.
That is absolutely awesome mate. Practical and asthetically pleasing. I suppose you could fit a heater in there with a cage over it and then you would have nothing at all showing.
Yes with some modification a small heater could be fitted but I'd be worries about getting enough water flow over it as if it wasn't getting a decent flow around it the thermostat would be reading a result which was too high and could potentially cause the heater to only come on occasionally.
Please keep these pimp my filter episodes coming they are absolutely great one question can you do more filters that are popular and available in the U.S., really appreciate it thank you
As I'm in the UK I'm limited to what people send from the UK but I'm getting different filters all the time - certainly the fluval and eheim full range is available in UK and US and there are more of them to come. I'll do a specific video on the APS EF2000 which has an equivalent SunSun filter in the near future too.
Yes !! Ive wAited a while for this build and it was worth it ! The rock ornament is a nice quality and looks great , but to have all that filtration hidden away inside is genius ! Thanks Richard , you have given me inspiration ..
No worries, I don't know why manufacturers don't make something off the shelf along these lines, or even fake rock covers for their more popular filters.
Yes possibly but the pump is not very powerful in relation to the size of the intake points (the whole of the back back, lol). I left it 3-4 months to see if there was a visible scum line on the back but couldn't notice anything when I cleaned it and it had some horrendous scum on the tank at one point as I caused a mad scum layer to test a small skimmer...vid for that coming up soon.
Yeah has great underwater circulation but almost no surface movement... I imagined the filter output facing up not down, would easily solve the problem
Really good idea for a filter. I think the water entry points could be improved, I don't know if I would have put holes all over the decor, instead I would have placed them as far away from the pump as possible, but still spread out so you get flow all through the filter. Nice use of the spin flow too, I haven't seen anyone use those in years, not since I was into the salty side of things.
water will go the fastest way in this set up which is the nearest point to the powerhead as you have no way to force the water to pass true the rest of the filer media needed to close the back and limit the water input points to force it over the media
first time I saw this and I made one similar with a huge coarse media sponge and sprayed foam on it..carved it and cement..the top was exposed sponge and I had a pump with tube going up behind the unit into a long spray bar and trickles out at side and bottom..paludarium tank plants grow out the top and on sides
Awesome idea, really like it. But usn't it a nightmare to clean the filter system? I assume you have to diassemble the whole setup to clean the foam filter part. What is your experience with that? And doesnt the majority of the water enter around the back past the suction cups`?
Richard...omg...would you cut the crap and start to make these so we can buy them already? It was YEARS ago you thought of this and I am tired of waiting to buy 12 from you. What is with you man??? By the way, just so you know, I am a women...I am not handy AT ALL. I barely know how to effectively hook up a power head to a sponge filter...so making one myself is simply out of the question. I love your bio-home filter material and do believe it can do what you say it does given the proper application. Nice to see you again. Please post more videos. I am a big fan of Mark's Aquatics and delighted you are friends...two great minds in the hobby that give practical useful advice on fish keeping.
It was not my intention to start making these to sell as I'm busy enough with the media sales - it's a 7 day a week job so I'm happy to throw the idea out there for others to replicate. If I get the time I will show a simpler version which is a bit smaller then sell a kit containing everything needed on the FilterPro website.
Yes, the outlet could go anywhere really - I'm just throwing ideas out there. The one I will be making for the base of the tank will have the outlet pointing up.
Yes it really bugs me when I see such a huge waste of space - even if it was filled with foams and had air injected it would be doing something better than a void.
clever idea....... but out of my budget range. Hopefully someone will do a DIY filter for those of very modest means...... and limited aptitude with power tools lol! Thanks for sharing Great idea!
I have 2 questions.... does the weight of the media inside it affect the suction cups (does it shift?) and wouldn’t fish get stuck in the gap between tank and filter? BUT appearance-wise, you have made a filter that is “invisible”. Looks great.
I really like this filter and to be honest, the price isn't bad at all! How is it for maintenance though? Presumably, over time you'll need to at least wash out the foam? If you had plants or anything put into the top of this would that be an issue when it comes to cleaning it?
Yes considering the look of it an how much filtration it offers the price is reasonable. It is really easy to clean - simply slide it up then stand it over the tank for a few minutes before removing to strip it down. I just cleaned this one and when I took it away there were only one or two drips. Took about 5 minutes.
this is a great idea. .. those backgrounds arent as common in the states yet. but we can get them at a big cost. hopefully someone makes them in the states some day
I'd get rid of the suction cups and just keep the hooks since A the suction cups will lose their flexibility over time, and B eventually you're going to have to clean the filter floss. Also, I'm wondering what would happen if you don't clean the filter floss will it overflow over the back of the glass? I like this design though because you can also hide the heater as well so there's no apparent equipment to look at and it maximizes surface area for planting.
Hi Richie, timing is perfect, I have a 90ltr tank with a fluval 2 plus filter that after 10 years is on its knees and needs replaceing asap, can you recommend something similar for a much smaller aquarium? Cheers.
It is really easy to clean - simply slide it up then stand it over the tank for a few minutes before removing to strip down and clean. I just cleaned this one and when I took it away there were only one or two drips.
I think it's a fantastic idea and it looks really good. But will the rotating outlet head not blow the sand away from the bottom? Would it have the same effect if you placed it upside down, and lower in a bigger tank?
It could be placed with the pump in any direction you wanted and set up with whatever media and foams you had at the time - I'm just throwing ideas out there and the way I set it up is only one possible scenario. Thanks for watching.
I will be making another one from the smaller rock in this range to use on the base of the tank then giving a ready made one away at some point. It will be the best filtered tank and the filters won't even be seen, lol
Great idea. I love every aspect of aquariums, but especially working DIY filters. I borrowed your idea for using Biohome gravel and filter foam ring on my BiOrb Cube 60 and it’s working out great. Just like you said, after about 6 months the anaerobic bacteria become established and there are no traces of Nitrates! In this case, do I even need to do water changes? Also, how often should I clean or replace the foam in either one of these setups?
It's a bit late, Karl, but someone else might see this question, so in short: Clean the foams if you have flow issues Replace them if they fall apart You will still need to do water changes because trace elements in your tank deplete over time which can, when we also have decaying organics, acidify and destabilise the water column (pH swings become more likely due to the decreased carbonate/general hardness "buffer", for one) Small and frequent is easiest in terms of reduced risk to livestock. Larger water changes require you to be much more careful with the chemistry and temperature of the new water that's added.
Yes as long as you have good water flow around a heater it will be fine to hide it but I'd be worried about having it confined where I couldn't check it was clear around the heater.
Another awesome ideal from you dude. Great video, super filter. Your the man dude, I’m still using your awesome brown filter media .kind regards from ex army veteran
The reason why pump designers use the venturi effect, that is, drawing the air in on the output side is because it doesn't knacker (break) your pumps. When air gets before and onto the impeller the atmospheric pressure drops and can heat the water dramatically and you can get cavitation which means your impeller is being shotblasted to bits.
After working with such a background filter I would silicone and really seal the sides to the back glass. That way you don't create a mess in the tank when cleaning out the media. You just remove the media and suck up all the dirty water. I would also only drill holes at the top so you have everything flowing downwards through ever finer media and so you don't spill out any gunk from the lower holes. I had the unfortunate to maintain a tank for a client and the filter hadn't been cleaned, probably ever, and the amount of built up gunk that oozed out from the lower holes was insane. Took me ages to clean the tank and I was swearing the entire time how stupid the guy was who drilled holes all over the background and not just at the top.
Great to see this materialise after the videos you did in your old fish shop years ago suggesting the same on a smaller rock. Looks great, LEDs or not. Not sure whether it'd be a good idea to surround the media with foams, so water coming through the holes drilled only gets to the media when clean. Maybe overkill, not sure. Looking forward to the next video :)
I like this idea Richard , I would never use it but I think it’s a great idea 👍🏻 , I’d also stick small holes at the water level to allow some surface skimming 😬 , though I’m not sure it will already do this due to filter wool and it bridging the surface already
Yes, when I lifted it out there was definitely scum around where the water line had been and it went through the coarse sponge into the fine pad behind it. However, on the subject of scum I did cause a ridiculous amount of scum to build up on this tank to test a small skimmer and the rock filter didn't clean that anywhere near as effectively as the tiny £9.99 surface skimmer.
Surely you could lift it out via the hooks tipping it upside down as you lift it completely out of the tank? The mechanical media will be too big to fall through the holes?
Like the idea... Like ornament.. Plus u gave me a idea for the smaller ones with have on ur website watch this space. I'm gonna be buying some stuff of u this week
Hi RIchard nice video as always, Id love to know ur opinion about sponge filters like the ones i see in many breaders fishrooms, thank you for share ur knowledge in every video...
They are generally OK and very cheap to run multiples from a single air pump but they generally lack the ability to hold media which would complete the cycle. I just bought a couple which do have a media chamber to make a video on and give away: geni.us/OGtovSA
Yes you're right there - black ones last better for sure. This filter really doesn't need suckers but I didn't realise that until the end of the video when the filter had been fitted for a few weeks - it's all about learning, lol
Yes, the price of the rocks is a bit of a killer so this type of thing would be used in a really nice show tank where the filter did not have to be on display. I am going to add a smaller filter rock on the bottom of the tank to create a real rockscape and the filtration will be totally hidden. It will be a hyper-filtered tank for sure, lol
It would only need cleaning every few months and is really easy to clean - simply slide it up then stand it over the tank for a few minutes before removing to clean. I just cleaned this one and when I took it away there were only one or two drips.
Most of the water is drawn in the back as it is entirely open (apart from foam and fine pad) but some will be drawn in through the holes. The pump isn't big enough to draw in appreciable amounts of suspended solids (only 450 lph) so I'm not worried about it taking in muck from the front holes since the flow is so diffused - it's a very low impact filter as far as muck intake and water flow goes.
Great way to hid the necessary filter media and pump for smaller aquariums of 20 to 50 gallons. Perhaps that more than one of these could be used for larger tanks. Upon watch this filter actually in use the possible problem that I saw was the accumulation of larger air bubble that get trapped under the ledges. Perhaps suggest to reduce this is to watch where this occurs and then remove the filter and drill a hole up under the ledges where this occurs. This would no doubt allow the build up of trapped air to escape to the backside of the rock/filter and not cause a problem of possible hydrogen gasses to build. Just my observations. Great idea!!!
The air bubbles simply slide along the underneath of the ledges then pop at the surface but there are enough holes in the structure to allow any which find their way inside to get out. I'll be making a smaller version of this filter for the base of this tank and tried to alter a small 'rock' to take a compact heater but that didn't work out. I'm glad you appreciate the idea and liked the video - thanks for watching.
Will lava/volcanic rock media facilitate the proper and complete filtration cycle? Especially converting nitrate into nitrogen? Also can I use aquarium gravel at the very bottom of a API Rena Filstar XP 2 canister filter? There isn’t enough room to put standard biological media. Thanks in advance.
I have shot a video on the XP2 (still have to edit it...) and I can't remember if it took any settlement media or not - I don't think it did. Generally lava rock would not be able to support anaerobic bacteria (due to the lack of good internal structure) unless it was used in an area with extremely slow flow where water conditions were actually anaerobic. Check the video I did called 'Looking INSIDE filter media' for more information on lava rock and lots of other types of media.
A great idea for what would otherwise be waisted space. Two point though, no oxygen would be transferred from the bubbles to the water at the surface tension on the bubbles is too great and there is reduction of nitrate in an aerobic filter.
Awesome stuff - unfortunately I can only find pictures or videos of the air line being attached to the standard position (on outlet nozzle) but the pump does appear to have an extra inlet for air line on the back of the pump. I'd love to see one working.
It will be produced in UK and exported to the US and shows up on various websites, ebay and amazon, yes. As far as we know none of the (awful) copied stuff is online. The Chinese tried to copy an early form of the biohome years ago and failed miserably - if they can't copy it then the manufacture must be pretty complicated as those guys can copy anything, lol
Love your ingenuity and quest to come up with something unusual, well done!. I always look forward to your videos. Keep up the great work! yes, please put some fish in that tank!
Would be interesting to see a built in filter done like the river reef or red sea max for example use but done with maybe a foam backing pad rather than a plastic panel.
(my other channel) It's a low visual impact type of filter which can operate as the sole filter or in addition to standard filtration but really the purpose of the filter / idea was to show what can be done with ornaments which would otherwise have a wasted void in them. Thanks for watching and appreciating the video.
I really meant plants more than fishies 🐟🐠.... will there be an update on this filter system Richard?. How did it work out after a couple of months ?..
Click 'Read More' for information and links to equipment.
A few years back when I still had my aquarium shop I made an air driven filter from a resin rock ornament which worked really well - this is a much better version which uses the following materials:
Okiishi OR/7 resin rock: No longer available....
Biogravel: bit.ly/2NRdc8o
Spin Stream Nozzle: geni.us/bLHfA
24" x 17" foams: geni.us/AvAdBx
Fine filter pad: bit.ly/2LlEsuf
Oxygenating water pump: bit.ly/2umSS72
Although the above list of materials are very specific please don't feel as if you need to stick to those exact products - I'm just throwing the idea out there and I'd love to see what you can come up with for your own DIY filter projects.
Unfortunately I don't have the 24" x 17" foams on my website yet so the link is to a pack of 3 but you could use a coarse and medium or fine foam and not bother with the fine wool pad - it's up to you, either way will clean the water no problem.
After over 3 months of running the filter I can confirm that the suckers aren't much good to hold such a heavy filter up so it's way better and easier to simply use the 'S' shaped wire to hang the filter on the back of the tank.
The spin stream nozzle which distributes the water has worked perfectly and never stopped in the months of testing.
This is the model of dremmel tool I was using in the video: geni.us/4uMl and I find it to be excellent when I'm making DIY aquarium filters.
This was the air driven rock filter I made a few years ago: bit.ly/2uAdB6A
If you've enjoyed this video please check out the playlists on my channel for hundreds more - on a variety of subjects.
Feel free to share or link any of my videos on facebook, twitter, forums etc. for the benefit of anyone you think may also enjoy watching.
See you next time.
Pondguru (Richard)
sales@filterpro.co.uk
07772848730
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS ON AMAZON: goo.gl/jMaBWy
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/pondguru_outdoors/
FILMING EQUIPMENT:
Panasonic HC-VX870 HD camcorder geni.us/3UwE
+Rode stereo microphone: geni.us/4OL
+Rode 'deadcat' mic cover: geni.us/1pmn
JVC Everio quad proof HD camcorder: geni.us/e09e
+Rode 'deadcat' mic cover (opened up and held between tripod and camera base) geni.us/dee24
Zomei Z666 tripod: geni.us/1a1af3
Manfrotto MTPIXI-B PIXI mini tripod: geni.us/87f7
You are the most knowledgeable person on youtube. Most people barely understand the nitrogen cycle.
Nice, seen a number of nice ornament that could work well.
Awesome idea Richard.
A couple of questions:
1/ What is the maintenance regimen for this? I'd assume it's just lifting the structure out of water, pulling out the coarse foam, giving it a couple of squeezes under a running tab to get rid of the thick particulate matter, stick the foam back into the resin rock ornament and back into the aquarium, yeah? How frequently would you need to do this?
2/ Those holes you drilled in the front across the face of the resin - wouldn't that be a "4bad" entrance for larger particulate matter (but smaller than the hole size) to enter into the system and "infect" the biogravel?
The idea behind all the holes is that the water will be drawn in all over the place and gently filtered but I take your point on the holes in front. Depending on where you have the pump and media you could drill holes and put fine floss / pad wherever you want. Cleaning was very easy as I just slid the filter up the back, laid it over the tank for a few minutes then took it away to strip down which was very quick with only a couple of drips.
In a normal tank you'd only do that every few months.
your videos are better than Planet x News
It's not clickbait if you deliver on the title. Always tinkering and innovating, nice to see. I think you're finding your niche.
I think I'm finding the only videos I can make since the business is insane this year, lol
Finding time to slip away for even an hour is almost impossible and the last time I was fishing was with you, last time I was metal detecting in UK was February 2017 - financially it is good but there is more to life than money.
Even the new lawn I put in adds the time spent cutting grass up to about 6 hours a week which is madness....I'm trying to convince my wife to let me get a robot lawnmower but I reckon it will take me dying in the middle of the lawn for her to say yes, lol
A fantastic DIY build Richard. I particularly like the spin stream that would make such a difference to movement within the tank making it more dynamic. Fantastic for small tanks. Imagine this scaled up for a 6ft planted aquarium that would be awesome. It is a brilliant way to hide the filtration within a small tank. Great Video mate
Yes if you had a large tank filled with rocks in this range, all with filters in them it would be awasome, lol
That 'spin stream' is just what I was after for another little project - thanks!!
Yes it is a great little nozzle which works extremely well - I was skeptical about it but it's been turning now for 3-4 months and never faltered. I was initially going to get a Random Flow Generator nozzle bu they are only ever shown with crazy powerful pumps and are twice the price so I skipped that one.
The link I put in video description has it apparently coming from Denmark with quite a high postage cost but the postage was free when I went to check out (could be due to being an Amazon Prime member?).
Caught your last couple of videos but didn't comment as I'm not dying on that hill again...lets just say one of the videos of a filter idea I came up many years ago with is sitting on close to 3 million views and it's not on my channel....lol
It always seems to be the small genuine channels who exist to share real experience and help people who reference where they saw something or are replicating the idea from - those are the guys we should be supporting.
Fair enough they may not be the most entertaining for the millions of casual viewers who are looking more for fake dramas and online social fluff (I know I wouldn't interest them as my own voice is god awful and my manner is boring as hell) but the information in some of the obscure videos on relatively unknown channels in UA-cam land is pure gold.
I've got a plan to help and bring together the genuinely good channels who have the primary knowledge and information for the benefit of viewers seeking proper information as there are definitely people out there who are seeking to learn and I always think it is best to hear or see something at source and not when it has been replicated and watered down with less crucial information for a larger, less attentive audience so keep an eye out for that idea proposal - haven't shot the video yet but (hopefully) will do soon.
It should also really help with exposure for the smaller channels who often don't show up at all in the recommended videos on UA-cam and as my channel grows I want to use it to try and help others whenever possible.
Ha! From the reactions i've got from some people you'd have thought I hunted down and tortured the guy!
I have prime but it still charged me the postage - but still cheaper than the RFG which I was considering, so thanks anyway!
Look forward to seeing you plan in action!
Yes it's the sort of thing where collective primary knowledge will be thrown out there for free and really help anyone in the hobby whether they are new or experienced since nobody is an exert in everything. Actually, anyone claiming to be an expert or giving themselves boastful titles for their channels or videos will be automatically excluded from the series as anyone seeking proper information doesn't need that nonsense.
That is absolutely awesome mate. Practical and asthetically pleasing. I suppose you could fit a heater in there with a cage over it and then you would have nothing at all showing.
Yes with some modification a small heater could be fitted but I'd be worries about getting enough water flow over it as if it wasn't getting a decent flow around it the thermostat would be reading a result which was too high and could potentially cause the heater to only come on occasionally.
What an awesome idea. Looks great and good water movement. Brilliant.
It operates a bit like a giant freshwater mussel - taking water in and being passive yet effective.
Please keep these pimp my filter episodes coming they are absolutely great one question can you do more filters that are popular and available in the U.S., really appreciate it thank you
As I'm in the UK I'm limited to what people send from the UK but I'm getting different filters all the time - certainly the fluval and eheim full range is available in UK and US and there are more of them to come. I'll do a specific video on the APS EF2000 which has an equivalent SunSun filter in the near future too.
Yes !! Ive wAited a while for this build and it was worth it !
The rock ornament is a nice quality and looks great , but to have all that filtration hidden away inside is genius !
Thanks Richard , you have given me inspiration ..
No worries, I don't know why manufacturers don't make something off the shelf along these lines, or even fake rock covers for their more popular filters.
Pondguru yes true . Pond pumps have had fake rocks for years !
This actually came out amazing! I feel like dumping my fluval now
I loved the idea. Too late for now but I'll certainly go back to it in the future.
I like the idea especially with the plants being added into the rock face. Great design idea mate
Nice filter design there mate. Just a thought, if you grind a two inch slit at the water line on the rock it would draw water in and skim the surface?
Yes possibly but the pump is not very powerful in relation to the size of the intake points (the whole of the back back, lol).
I left it 3-4 months to see if there was a visible scum line on the back but couldn't notice anything when I cleaned it and it had some horrendous scum on the tank at one point as I caused a mad scum layer to test a small skimmer...vid for that coming up soon.
Yeah has great underwater circulation but almost no surface movement... I imagined the filter output facing up not down, would easily solve the problem
how often would you need to clean a filter of this size, and how easy do you find to clean?
im loving that pump and rotating outlet
Yes it is a combination of two great products there.
Really good idea for a filter. I think the water entry points could be improved, I don't know if I would have put holes all over the decor, instead I would have placed them as far away from the pump as possible, but still spread out so you get flow all through the filter. Nice use of the spin flow too, I haven't seen anyone use those in years, not since I was into the salty side of things.
water will go the fastest way in this set up which is the nearest point to the powerhead as you have no way to force the water to pass true the rest of the filer media needed to close the back and limit the water input points to force it over the media
Nice filter! Any chance of posting some pics or a video of the finished tank. stocked and planted?
I concur, would love to see what it looks like after he stocked it... if he ever did.
That is a awesome filter . So quiet love the bubbles to . Great job
I'm glad you enjoyed the video - it really does offer lots of filtering capacity and it's all hidden which is a major bonus.
Fantastic idea Richard. Many thanks
Glad you enjoyed it - thanks for watching.
Actually that is very cool! Get some plants, a few fish, very interesting indeed! Too expensive for me presently, but ya, I’d like to try it!
@13:20 that reminds me, I have a dentist appointment tomorrow!
Brilliant idea, how bad was the cleaning maintenance on it?
first time I saw this and I made one similar with a huge coarse media sponge and sprayed foam on it..carved it and cement..the top was exposed sponge and I had a pump with tube going up behind the unit into a long spray bar and trickles out at side and bottom..paludarium tank plants grow out the top and on sides
Very, very clever and esthetically pleasing to the eyes, as well as, being a great filter.
Awesome idea, really like it. But usn't it a nightmare to clean the filter system? I assume you have to diassemble the whole setup to clean the foam filter part. What is your experience with that?
And doesnt the majority of the water enter around the back past the suction cups`?
Fantastic Richard. Very well made video too. Top notch.
Glad you liked it as it has taken an age for me to get the videos up, lol
Great vid....and great filter. Well worth the money. I cannot wait to see the tank completed!
Glad you enjoyed the video - thanks for watching.
Richard that is brilliant! I have the same sort of pump for my overhead filter. The air input could be great to diffuse co2.
Yes I often wondered about the pump ability to diffuse CO2 as it can be made to create tiny bubbles just using the air it draws in.
Awesome filter idea...now I am re-thinking a lot of things! Plus this rock above the surface would be ideal for fiddler's!
Richard...omg...would you cut the crap and start to make these so we can buy them already? It was YEARS ago you thought of this and I am tired of waiting to buy 12 from you. What is with you man??? By the way, just so you know, I am a women...I am not handy AT ALL. I barely know how to effectively hook up a power head to a sponge filter...so making one myself is simply out of the question. I love your bio-home filter material and do believe it can do what you say it does given the proper application. Nice to see you again. Please post more videos. I am a big fan of Mark's Aquatics and delighted you are friends...two great minds in the hobby that give practical useful advice on fish keeping.
It was not my intention to start making these to sell as I'm busy enough with the media sales - it's a 7 day a week job so I'm happy to throw the idea out there for others to replicate. If I get the time I will show a simpler version which is a bit smaller then sell a kit containing everything needed on the FilterPro website.
That looks so much better than any internal ive seen before, would of put the outlet near the top for agitation but looks good none the less
Yes, the outlet could go anywhere really - I'm just throwing ideas out there.
The one I will be making for the base of the tank will have the outlet pointing up.
Pondguru will keep an eye out for that one as well then. Do like the look of this... could be something for one of my new tanks 😊
brilliant idea mate!
Very nice idea. Great use of otherwise wasted space.
Yes it really bugs me when I see such a huge waste of space - even if it was filled with foams and had air injected it would be doing something better than a void.
Top quality and most impressive use! Truly best "DIY" filter I've seen to date.
clever idea....... but out of my budget range. Hopefully someone will do a DIY filter for those of very modest means...... and limited aptitude with power tools lol! Thanks for sharing Great idea!
I have 2 questions.... does the weight of the media inside it affect the suction cups (does it shift?) and wouldn’t fish get stuck in the gap between tank and filter? BUT appearance-wise, you have made a filter that is “invisible”. Looks great.
Yes the filter eventually slid down the glass after a few weeks so that's why I went with the wire hooks - they hold it perfectly.
I really like this filter and to be honest, the price isn't bad at all! How is it for maintenance though? Presumably, over time you'll need to at least wash out the foam? If you had plants or anything put into the top of this would that be an issue when it comes to cleaning it?
Yes considering the look of it an how much filtration it offers the price is reasonable.
It is really easy to clean - simply slide it up then stand it over the tank for a few minutes before removing to strip it down. I just cleaned this one and when I took it away there were only one or two drips. Took about 5 minutes.
Nice video. What LED lighting were you using at the end there?
What a great idea, I'm lovin that pump and spinny thing 👍
Yes the spin stream nozzle is still working fine and its been in there for months.
this is a great idea. .. those backgrounds arent as common in the states yet. but we can get them at a big cost. hopefully someone makes them in the states some day
This looks absolutely amazing... can't wait to build this when I move out xD
Very creative idea, I like it.
Aww, the possibilities! !! Inspirational idea, great video 💕👍
Glad you enjoyed the video - thanks for watching.
I'd get rid of the suction cups and just keep the hooks since A the suction cups will lose their flexibility over time, and B eventually you're going to have to clean the filter floss. Also, I'm wondering what would happen if you don't clean the filter floss will it overflow over the back of the glass? I like this design though because you can also hide the heater as well so there's no apparent equipment to look at and it maximizes surface area for planting.
Hi Richie, timing is perfect, I have a 90ltr tank with a fluval 2 plus filter that after 10 years is on its knees and needs replaceing asap, can you recommend something similar for a much smaller aquarium? Cheers.
The smaller version (OR/5) will enable you to make a filter exactly the same, but smaller.
This is a kool idea. I would love to see the long term usage of this. How would you clean the filter alter time?
It is really easy to clean - simply slide it up then stand it over the tank for a few minutes before removing to strip down and clean. I just cleaned this one and when I took it away there were only one or two drips.
I think it's a fantastic idea and it looks really good.
But will the rotating outlet head not blow the sand away from the bottom?
Would it have the same effect if you placed it upside down, and lower in a bigger tank?
It could be placed with the pump in any direction you wanted and set up with whatever media and foams you had at the time - I'm just throwing ideas out there and the way I set it up is only one possible scenario.
Thanks for watching.
Tanks for the answer.
And a great idea it is,. And that's why I love watching your videos 😊
Groovy - I love making the videos so it's all good.
Great wor kid, getting everyone thinking out the box 10/10
Glad you enjoyed the video - when I saw these rocks at a show recently I knew what had to be done.
What a great video and a great idea to hide the filter would love to see further updates on this and to see what else you do with it
I will be making another one from the smaller rock in this range to use on the base of the tank then giving a ready made one away at some point.
It will be the best filtered tank and the filters won't even be seen, lol
Pondguru the perfect filter !
Great idea. I love every aspect of aquariums, but especially working DIY filters. I borrowed your idea for using Biohome gravel and filter foam ring on my BiOrb Cube 60 and it’s working out great. Just like you said, after about 6 months the anaerobic bacteria become established and there are no traces of Nitrates! In this case, do I even need to do water changes? Also, how often should I clean or replace the foam in either one of these setups?
It's a bit late, Karl, but someone else might see this question, so in short:
Clean the foams if you have flow issues
Replace them if they fall apart
You will still need to do water changes because trace elements in your tank deplete over time which can, when we also have decaying organics, acidify and destabilise the water column (pH swings become more likely due to the decreased carbonate/general hardness "buffer", for one)
Small and frequent is easiest in terms of reduced risk to livestock. Larger water changes require you to be much more careful with the chemistry and temperature of the new water that's added.
Great idea! Maybe its also possible to place your heater in it, you won't see any disturbing equipment in sight. Well done Richard!
Yes as long as you have good water flow around a heater it will be fine to hide it but I'd be worried about having it confined where I couldn't check it was clear around the heater.
Totally Awesome filter
Another awesome ideal from you dude. Great video, super filter. Your the man dude, I’m still using your awesome brown filter media .kind regards from ex army veteran
Groovy - I'm glad the media is working well for you.
The reason why pump designers use the venturi effect, that is, drawing the air in on the output side is because it doesn't knacker (break) your pumps. When air gets before and onto the impeller the atmospheric pressure drops and can heat the water dramatically and you can get cavitation which means your impeller is being shotblasted to bits.
Brilliant idea
After working with such a background filter I would silicone and really seal the sides to the back glass. That way you don't create a mess in the tank when cleaning out the media. You just remove the media and suck up all the dirty water. I would also only drill holes at the top so you have everything flowing downwards through ever finer media and so you don't spill out any gunk from the lower holes. I had the unfortunate to maintain a tank for a client and the filter hadn't been cleaned, probably ever, and the amount of built up gunk that oozed out from the lower holes was insane. Took me ages to clean the tank and I was swearing the entire time how stupid the guy was who drilled holes all over the background and not just at the top.
very nicely done, looks fantastic. I myself truly enjoy your videos thank you.
You could also put LEDs under the rocks to lights behind or in the bottom of the tank.
Amazing idea and video Richard
Nice Filter Video Thanks for sharing.
That’s pretty awesome! Definitely going to something like this.
Glad you enjoyed the video - I'm just throwing ideas out there so feel free to experiment with the layout and position of pump outlet.
This looks the business. Did you manage to finish the tank rock decorations? I'm intrigued to see the finished tank
Great to see this materialise after the videos you did in your old fish shop years ago suggesting the same on a smaller rock. Looks great, LEDs or not. Not sure whether it'd be a good idea to surround the media with foams, so water coming through the holes drilled only gets to the media when clean. Maybe overkill, not sure. Looking forward to the next video :)
Yes, I'm just throwing the idea out there and the whole filter could be filled with foams or floss if you wanted to.
great filter creation there pondy loving the new tank cant wait see it finished off buddy
take care
john :)
No worries, man. I still need to add another rock filter on the bottom of the tank then finish off the scaping but it will look class when it is done.
I like this idea Richard , I would never use it but I think it’s a great idea 👍🏻 , I’d also stick small holes at the water level to allow some surface skimming 😬 , though I’m not sure it will already do this due to filter wool and it bridging the surface already
Yes, when I lifted it out there was definitely scum around where the water line had been and it went through the coarse sponge into the fine pad behind it. However, on the subject of scum I did cause a ridiculous amount of scum to build up on this tank to test a small skimmer and the rock filter didn't clean that anywhere near as effectively as the tiny £9.99 surface skimmer.
Pondguru very nice Richard 👍🏻👍🏻
Looks brill wouldn’t even know it was a filter and will do a awesome job with that much bio filtration.
Yes a huge filtering capacity from something which would otherwise be a wasted void.
Cool filter, what's it like to clean though? I can see the whole thing spilling its guts into the water when you take it out.
My thoughts exactly haha
I think about this problem too!
Same thought
Surely you could lift it out via the hooks tipping it upside down as you lift it completely out of the tank? The mechanical media will be too big to fall through the holes?
Nice, that's beautiful work.
Really great ideas. I think I'll make one too. Thank you.
Like the idea... Like ornament.. Plus u gave me a idea for the smaller ones with have on ur website watch this space. I'm gonna be buying some stuff of u this week
No worries and I'm glad you like the idea.
Hi RIchard nice video as always, Id love to know ur opinion about sponge filters like the ones i see in many breaders fishrooms, thank you for share ur knowledge in every video...
They are generally OK and very cheap to run multiples from a single air pump but they generally lack the ability to hold media which would complete the cycle. I just bought a couple which do have a media chamber to make a video on and give away: geni.us/OGtovSA
Pondguru nice to hear that id love to see it. I have seen In many chanels that the sponge is the bilological media, is it right??? Thank you again!!!
The sponges will grow bacteria on them but nowhere near as much as proper porous filter media.
i dont know why but i find the black suckers stick a lot better than the white ones, good job on the Rock filter by the way
Yes you're right there - black ones last better for sure. This filter really doesn't need suckers but I didn't realise that until the end of the video when the filter had been fitted for a few weeks - it's all about learning, lol
Filter looks awesome if I ever come across a fake background at a good price I'm all over that tnx keep it up Jon ✌
Yes, the price of the rocks is a bit of a killer so this type of thing would be used in a really nice show tank where the filter did not have to be on display. I am going to add a smaller filter rock on the bottom of the tank to create a real rockscape and the filtration will be totally hidden. It will be a hyper-filtered tank for sure, lol
Pondguru sounds proper good keep us all updated ✌
Awesome, how often would this set up require a clean?
It would only need cleaning every few months and is really easy to clean - simply slide it up then stand it over the tank for a few minutes before removing to clean. I just cleaned this one and when I took it away there were only one or two drips.
Pondguru awesome, thanks! This really is a pretty set up.
Great video and awsome idea to work with, thanks for sharing!
No worries, glad you enjoyed the video.
That looks amazing
Richard one point will the water being drawn through the small holes on the front be un mechanically filtered and go straight on to the bio media?
Most of the water is drawn in the back as it is entirely open (apart from foam and fine pad) but some will be drawn in through the holes. The pump isn't big enough to draw in appreciable amounts of suspended solids (only 450 lph) so I'm not worried about it taking in muck from the front holes since the flow is so diffused - it's a very low impact filter as far as muck intake and water flow goes.
Great video! That filtration looks like it will work well! Thanks for sharing!
Proud owner of BioHome Ultimate.
Groovy - sounds good to me.
Nice and great ideas!
Awesome, mate!
Great way to hid the necessary filter media and pump for smaller aquariums of 20 to 50 gallons. Perhaps that more than one of these could be used for larger tanks. Upon watch this filter actually in use the possible problem that I saw was the accumulation of larger air bubble that get trapped under the ledges. Perhaps suggest to reduce this is to watch where this occurs and then remove the filter and drill a hole up under the ledges where this occurs. This would no doubt allow the build up of trapped air to escape to the backside of the rock/filter and not cause a problem of possible hydrogen gasses to build. Just my observations. Great idea!!!
The air bubbles simply slide along the underneath of the ledges then pop at the surface but there are enough holes in the structure to allow any which find their way inside to get out. I'll be making a smaller version of this filter for the base of this tank and tried to alter a small 'rock' to take a compact heater but that didn't work out.
I'm glad you appreciate the idea and liked the video - thanks for watching.
your vids are so satisfying to watch lol
Glad you enjoy them - thanks for watching.
Very creative!
Will lava/volcanic rock media facilitate the proper and complete filtration cycle? Especially converting nitrate into nitrogen? Also can I use aquarium gravel at the very bottom of a API Rena Filstar XP 2 canister filter? There isn’t enough room to put standard biological media. Thanks in advance.
I have shot a video on the XP2 (still have to edit it...) and I can't remember if it took any settlement media or not - I don't think it did. Generally lava rock would not be able to support anaerobic bacteria (due to the lack of good internal structure) unless it was used in an area with extremely slow flow where water conditions were actually anaerobic.
Check the video I did called 'Looking INSIDE filter media' for more information on lava rock and lots of other types of media.
Great idea Richard. Thanks.
No worries, glad you enjoyed the video.
Excellent filter. What's the name of the pump again, can't seem to find it on eBay, regards Bob..
A great idea for what would otherwise be waisted space. Two point though, no oxygen would be transferred from the bubbles to the water at the surface tension on the bubbles is too great and there is reduction of nitrate in an aerobic filter.
As well as you should avoid those little tiny bubbles...crates problems with gills
you are an artist, sir
Aquael pat mini filters can also draw air in like that pump and pump out air bubbles
Awesome stuff - unfortunately I can only find pictures or videos of the air line being attached to the standard position (on outlet nozzle) but the pump does appear to have an extra inlet for air line on the back of the pump. I'd love to see one working.
Hope all is well on your side of the world. I seen Biohome on Amazon is this your product?
It will be produced in UK and exported to the US and shows up on various websites, ebay and amazon, yes.
As far as we know none of the (awful) copied stuff is online. The Chinese tried to copy an early form of the biohome years ago and failed miserably - if they can't copy it then the manufacture must be pretty complicated as those guys can copy anything, lol
Love your ingenuity and quest to come up with something unusual, well done!. I always look forward to your videos. Keep up the great work! yes, please put some fish in that tank!
I will for sure - just waiting for the species I'm after to come back into stock as they are quite rare.
Would be interesting to see a built in filter done like the river reef or red sea max for example use but done with maybe a foam backing pad rather than a plastic panel.
Nice. Don't think I would fancy the maintenance. But I'm sure some will like it. Not too expensive either.
(my other channel) It's a low visual impact type of filter which can operate as the sole filter or in addition to standard filtration but really the purpose of the filter / idea was to show what can be done with ornaments which would otherwise have a wasted void in them.
Thanks for watching and appreciating the video.
Great design good work thanks for showing
No worries, glad you enjoyed the video.
what a amazing filter, hind in the artificial rock face !! i like the fact you don't even know its there
Yes, having a filter hidden is a major bonus in an aquarium.
Very cool! I might need to scale this up to 125 gallon aquarium.
Glad you enjoyed the video - tanks for watching.
Very nice build whatever fish go in there they'll have some nice clean water
This is really pretty!
Interesting, I hope you show us the finished tank fully stocked , might inspire me👍
'Fully stocked' will probably only involve a pair of black or electric blue rams, lol
I really meant plants more than fishies 🐟🐠.... will there be an update on this filter system Richard?. How did it work out after a couple of months ?..