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DIY Sponge filter

OK do not make fun of my picture :p

untitled.jpg


OK so i was hoping to figure out if i could just make my own sponge filter rather than buy one just because it would be cheaper, and because i can't find the actual filters so i would have to buy them offline

Materials:
aquarium filter sponge
air line
air pump
weights to hold sponge down in tank

if i was to insert airline into a sponge with multiple holes up the line so air would escape from multiple points, would this be the basic way to make a sponge filter? I could be way off. Has anyone ever made one?

or using a better DIY website
http://www.aquariumlife.net/projects/diy-filter/19.asp

just i would be on a smaller scale

this would be for keeping the betta fry but at the same time providing another food source.

Im not sure on the exact workings of a sponge filter, but i believe..

1. water flows through sponge
2. air flows through sponge
3. bacteria colonies form, and break down wastes
3. also provide micro live food supply

im not sure if i have water flow with this design. since the air line is inside the sponge and air is pushing water would that be sucking in new water too? is it necessary to have a powerhead?

haha any tips/ideas, please share them
thanks
dustin

---------- Post added at 03:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:16 PM ----------

http://livebearers.org/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=78 another site

i might have not included the exhaust tube thing, so i would have to add that too
 
i think im going to try to make the one in the 2nd link i posted, ill try to post pics of what i did and final results too
 
Seriously, you're better off buying a sponge filter. The casing lasts for years...all you have to do is replace the sponge every 4 years or so. And they work A LOT better and save you time. Besides, the ones I have are made in the USA.
 
your drawing wouldnt work. it needs the tube with the air stone in it to work. the rising bubbles create the suction you need at the bottom by forcing water up the tube as well. your second link looks perfect for this :)
 
SDCPS: haha, yeah at the moment, i'm going to look around pricing, i know they last quite a long time. if i buy 2 filters, the pump, and a multiple valve thing i had an estimate of spending $40, since no pet store sells them buy us. i was going to get the dual clover filters. though if you have experience with those other brands let me know. i just heard they suck in some waste products, and that the other models might be too strong for the small bettas. i have seen them extremly cheap on ebay just they aren't the particular model i would like. and if i made my own i could customize the size.

millipede: yeah i found that out once i found the 2nd website, thanks, yeah i think im going to try to make one using the 2nd link.

I'll also try to post some pricing, i think when i read another forum about making your own sponge filters, they made their filters homemade for less than $1 each, but ill see what happens

thanks for your input.
 
Millipede is totally right. You need the lift tube.

your drawing wouldnt work. it needs the tube with the air stone in it to work. the rising bubbles create the suction you need at the bottom by forcing water up the tube as well. your second link looks perfect for this :)
 
OK, i got it :p, here's the new design, , ill most likely put something in the bottom of the lift tube inside the sponge to weigh it down too. paint wasn't being dumb so this time its not that bad.

spongefilter.jpg
 
That might work, but its going to be pretty fragile when you clean it.
 
  • #10
ok so here is what i did to make my filters, maybe after they are running for awhile they might get fragile but they seem pretty tough to me right now.

Materials:
sponges
1/2" pvc pipe
------other materials
aquarium safe silicon
slate rock or other decor to hold sponge underwater
------optional materials
pvc pipe cap

Ok at the moment here is how i constructed it.

Picture082.jpg


Picture083.jpg


Picture084.jpg


I'll add more details later i got to go....
 
  • #11
wow! i wasnt expecting pvc pipe! pretty cool. are those cellulose sponges? you might want to get nylon sponges. im not sure though but i think the cellulose sponges are biodegradable so would begin to break down.... they look pretty shiny and sparkly so maybe they really are some kind of plastic based sponge ???
 
  • #12
I have no idea what kind of sponge it is they were labled car wash, i did rinse them they still have sparkles I'm really not sure whether its cellulose or plastic label doesn't say, its ok if they do biodegrade a little, as long as its not rapid, and if it holds the bacterial colony for awhile. I'll keep everyone updated on how they work. This is the very first one i made, i think i"m going to tweak it a little to make it more functional.

The problem i have now is how do i keep the sponge sumberged? I was thinking about siliconing the rock to the sponge but then i figured then it would be hard to wash the sponge. i also thought about cutting a hole all the way through the sponge, and cap one end of the pvc pipe, and attach the cap to the rock. Or maybe silicon the pvc right to the rock. Then I'd have to remove the airline and then i could slide off the sponge for washing. Hopefully i will get the silicon tomorrow.

I've heard that eventually all sponges will biodegrade after being colonized with the bacteria for a certain amount of time after awhile. It takes a long time, but it eventually happens to all the sponges. From the link i read sometime more than 10 years

http://aqualandpetsplus.com/Misc Sponge Filters.htm

Material costs:
sponges ($1/sponge, dollar store)
1/2" pvc pipe ($0.97/5ft length)
------other materials
aquarium safe silicon ($5-$7 estimate haven't bought it yet)
slate rock or other decor to hold sponge underwater (free/or possibly charged if you buy it)
------optional materials
pvc pipe cap (i have no idea at the moment)

Here is the price turn out for the little sponge filter i made. 4x3x3inch

1 sponge cut in half $0.50, whole sponge would have been $1, it was like 6x3x4
6" of PVC pipe $0.10, not sure for a whole sponge so you could double it i guess
total: $0.60

Well that's about it, i mean DIY sponge filters do save you a considerable amount, if you go to the store and buy a premade one they cost about at least $5 but usually more. Even with the extras i plan to add to enhance its overall function it might come to a little over a dollar/filter.

I'll experiment with all types of sponges and see whats best, this was just what was available. a cheaper alternative could have been big lots, i saw they had multipurpose sponges like 24 for a buck, though they were like kitchen sponges without the scrub pad, so id have to stack a few together but that could have been cheaper
 
  • #13
just thought today i might be able to tie it to the rock with like fishing line or something too.

Here it is temporarily being held to a rock with rubber bands. I heard they are safe for the aquarium, just that they might break underwater eventually.

Picture086.jpg




+ $0.80/filter if you put an end cap on the pvc pipe

You may want to look around, my mom was at tractor supply so that's where she got them, they might be cheaper at lowes, and they are about $0.20-$0.50 each on ebay. I might be able to do without them and use the cheaper solution. Use a flat marble and silicon it to the end of the pvc pipe. or some other object. Though the silicon might bump the price up a little too.
 
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