DIY trickle filter

[@superaquatics]

Excellent idea. Thank you for sharing it. Just a suggestion for the overflow risk, you could connect overflow pipes near the tops of the drawers from one side connecting to a hose & going down into the tank so in case if it does overflow, it will simply drain down back into the tank.

[@injoy987]

Not to mention the capacity that this filter can handle is awesome. That thing could handle around a 125- 175 easily. Great video dude, about to check some of your other videos. .

[@jdofishtank6018]

injoy987 thanks

[@lofistudy3294]

two years using this idea and it works real good.

[@anthonyragan2696]

Very neat DIY project, and you can't argue with the cost.

[@Ошибказагрузки]

Anthony Ragan now if fall water to be waterdowns :-) at down level flat

[@Ошибказагрузки]

made by ikea :-) for bread

[@RRED2]

You can tell how good it works look how healthy your fish are and your water is pristine. Thank you for sharing. Steve :)

[@jdofishtank6018]

Thanks

[@alizaargueta1245]

JDO Fishtank If this oxygenates the water, do i still need airstones?

[@halozz]

ill reply, no need. im using professional over head trickle filter. no air stones require as when the water pulls down into the outflow tons of oxygen is in it

[@westsenkovec]

Thanks a lot man. I knew I could make my own filter better and cheaper than the ones bought in the store and thanks to your videos I won't have to experiment too much.

[@PurpleRose8725]

It's beautiful

[@pondguru]

That is an excellent size trickle filter - awesome job, man. We're lucky in the UK as there are a few sellers bringing in some great aquarium trickle filters from China and I hope they become available in the US for a decent price. All the best for 2017.

[@jdofishtank6018]

Thanks, I wanted to buy the one in your video but to fit my tank I had to get one that was $80.

[@pondguru]

Yes its a bummer - not sure why they would cost way more in the US than they do in the UK as they all come from China.

[@hawksight200]

Pondguru Outdoors Richard it might be cause America puts an inport tax on items made in China

[@pondguru]

We get hit with taxes too but you guys must really get hammered as its way more expensive on amazon.com than ebay.co.uk

[@PeterParkerNY]

I attempted this today with a 3-drawer, top to bottom: Polyfil, Polyfil & Carbon, Lava rocks. This was worth the time and $ compared to purchasing an expensive filter. I have a 55-gallon with water not filled to the top, so if you're like me then it's gonna be LOUD. Thinking about filling it with more water and creating an above-tank basking area for the turtles now. One thing not mentioned though implied is that the submersible filter should be on the opposite end of the trickle filter so the trickling water will flow towards the submersed filter, thus cycling the entire tank. Anyways, thanks for the video!

[@SkittsMcGee]

Looking into this for my turtle tank. What pump did you use?

[@1959Berre]

A trickle filter is much safer than a sump. Anaerobic conditions in the filter medium in case of a pump malfunction or a power-out are impossible, since the filter will empty itself completely. Oxygen is always plenty available for optimum oxidation of toxic decomposition products. 30 years ago I made a very simple horizontal trickle filter with a long plastic planter filled with expanded clay pellets and a layer of filter wool on top. It had just one tube with many fine holes, spraying the water over the filter wool. The water trickled through the holes in the bottom of the planter, straigth into the aquarium. Its performance was outstanding. I rinsed the wool once a week. A horizontal planter is long, low and narrow and it is very stable when put on top of the aquarium tank. It will never overflow, since it only consists of one compartment. It does not look bulky, since it only is 4 inches high. A selfmade trickle filter based on a 3 ft planter si dirt cheap, it can be made in no time for less than $15.

[@jimquitshowingmyname962]

I picked up a couple trickle filters on a business trip to Guam last month. Interesting beasts. I'm setting them up on my breeding tanks.

[@fff8e765]

I wanted to tell you that I copied yours a year ago, I had a canister filter as well, I used both the these canisters were giving me worse results than the trickle filter alone. Now I got awesome result from my trickle filter.

[@jdofishtank6018]

sergio f4t nice!

[@MrPottymouth122]

Wow... I've been dreaming up something that would do this job for compost tea. Mostly it was to remove debris but I've also been trying to incorporate a "feeding stage" for the microbiology going on in those barrels. This system is DAMN sweet genius! With such a multilayered filtration system you don't even have to shut down to clean, just hot swap a clean filter drawer for a the nasty one, (like a RAID 3 filter!), & never miss a beat.

[@octaandy]

Awesome video... Btw, your sons math is spot on BECAUSE you said your 2 pumps are running at 90gph each...with no leaks (output) = (input) in this configuration...

[@Deepriver309]

Pond guru & his media is unreal i love him he keep me in this hobby always reply my emails and give me the best advice

[@aaaheim]

I used a trickle filter much like yours but there is a big issue... If u got a planted tank i learned that they will not like this filtration. It simply stripps the water of all co2 because of the effective aeration of the water and my plants slowly checked out. In a non planted tank with a heavy fishstock it´s a great filter!

[@jdofishtank6018]

You are correct

[@bobbywhite5319]

Why do you cut the GPH in half?

[@JenaTuckerAquariums]

aaaheim so if I want to use this for a outside pond filter for goldfish, the water lettuce would not live? Thanks

[@teclec]

Jena Tucker Aquariums surface plants will get co2 from the air so should be fine. Submerged plants would have the issue.

[@raisinggoldfishonabudget7058]

I bet this wouldn't work for guppies??

[@ritafultz2477]

Your aquarium is very clean... Loved the video....

[@jdofishtank6018]

Rita Fultz thanks

[@mrdirtydeedz2873]

But damn that electricity bill. Beautiful tank and awesome DIY idea. I might try it as well.

[@jdofishtank6018]

MrDirtyDeedz thanks, electric bill not that bad

[@TheScottBuck]

Sweet idea! For your overflow concern, perhaps put the entire system inside a larger bin with holes that would drain back into the tank if that were to happen. Just an idea.

[@Davi_uk]

Love creativity if you took this to another level you could get this equivalent filtering of a very expensive filter. Thanks for sharing!

[@henryadriel001]

Thank you very much I’m definitely making one it looks so easy and the water is just so clear

[@farazsiddiqui6689]

Thank you for your effort and sharing it with us. God Bless.

[@mxr248]

My wet dry sump is designed similar to this. A guy made it 20 some years ago. Ppl that want a sump under their tank with overflow could use something like that in a aquarium and save a lot of money.

[@stoneysscapes7544]

I have been running my 3 drawer filter close to 2 year's , with 0 problems!!! I never have been concerned about "OVERFLOW" & with my pump inside of acrylic cereal storage box stuffed with pond filter foams ! I have been feeding heavy , and often as I have Cory's breeding all the time. The box is right @ the top of the surface JIC a hose were to come loose etc.( which will never happen especially when I have clamps on everything From Petco I bought the AQUEON pump & with the larger SEACHEM Media bag keeping the curious fish safe . The minute I start hearing the water churning I either top off or do my weekly 50% depending on the size of the Cory's ! Pro's - So much room for bio Media make this a no brainer way to filter my 40 breeder. Cons - Some would complain about the sound of the water but they don't have nothing better to do. So it's tricky to get everything dialed in but if you watch enough content to see what others are doing u should be good 😊

[@zackabaird11]

The holes situation really is dependent on the amount of flow from your pumps too. People getting into this would be wise to reference available charts on the internet for gravity flow rates through piping to figure the adequate amount of holes/sizes to accommodate their pumps!

[@just4fun-family145]

Great video, I now I’m subscribed to your channel and I appreciate all the cool ideas… After watching the video I kind a have an idea and hope it helps you. One of them was it looks as if the tray is roughly 16 inches or so wide and if that’s the case the frame on either side can be screwed into the studs in the wall as they are usually 16 inches on center. That may help with the support and could lift it off your tank to take off the stress from the actual aquarium.The other note was in regards to it overflowing, if you do left it on the wall you could then secure a pan like a plastic lid of some sort at an angle over your aquarium so if it does overflow that water would simply wash back into your aquarium as opposed to all over the place. Let me know what you think hope it helps. Thanks again for the great video!

[@tonyv4565]

you can prevent flooding by using plastic storage containers that come with a lid instead of a shelf tower. A 3-gallon storage container costs $2-3 at walmart. Stack them on each other, apply some silicone glue, then drill some holes. It's what my friend does for his biggest fish tank

[@Megatog615]

The added benefit of the first drawer is that the splash media actually helps to even out the water flow and keep it from condensing in the center of each tray, getting an equal use out of all of your media.

[@TacticalOutdoorDad]

Great build. Personally I would cut the cost right down by not using bulk heads at the bottom, just holes. Also, 1 more powerful pump would be more cost effective than 2 cheapie ones. However, great video for sure and fantastic DIY for anyone not relying on having co2

[@keeppdreamingg2982]

I gave you a Sub for honestly, stating it was not your idea. I've seen so many steal ideas and pretend they were the creators, especially those bigger channels stealing from little ones, so disgusting. Keep up the great work and hopefully it turned out well for you👍

[@jdofishtank6018]

Keepp Dreamingg thanks!

[@babypunkangel]

if you'd like to salve the problem you have with the slight chance of one of the chambers becoming clogged and overflowing all you have to do is add a bulkhead to each of the chambers so if the water reaches the top of the bulkhead the water still gets to the next chamber but a small percentage of it will get over the bulkhead and won't get filtered. if you check your filter every few days you'll know ahead of time when it's starting to clog up and you'll see how much water is skipping whatever chamber is clogged. at first when i did this i had trouble getting the draws in and out because of the bottom of the bulkhead and how it sticks out the bottom so you'll have the same problem you have with your fifth chamber going back into the tank but I solved that problem by siliconing the top half of the bulkhead inside the chamber (not using the bottom half that sticks out and keeps you from removing the tray) try it and you'll love it. if you want to go all out and add a reminder to clean, that not only tells you when it's time to clean but also tells you what chamber needs cleaning! this idea tells you which chamber is clogged without you having to look inside. all you need to do is add a small cap like a soda bottle cap tied to fishing twine leading to the top of the filter. when the water starts flowing down any of the "overflow" bulkheads because it's starting to get clogged, the flowing water pushes the cap down pulling the string that has the numbers of the chambers up on top inside of a small sign that reads "clean chamber __". when the string is pulled by the water pressure, that specific chamber number gets pulled up telling you what chamber to clean. I'm not sure if I explained that well enough... but I think you'll get the point of what I mean. it's a silly thing to waste time on but I thought it was funny so i made it and everyone loves it and wants one!

[@MasterAquatics]

great video. very informative.

[@jdofishtank6018]

Thanks

[@checkforfleas9452]

I did a small one to one of my tanks and I have the rest on canister filters. I like the drip one better. Its so much easier to change things and do maintenance on than my canister filters. My canister filters I have to turn of dump out and break it down. Where as the trickle I don't have to do anything but shut the pump off to get to the floss other than that its the best way lol

[@adysmith3138]

The only thing I would add is some sort of tray at the bottom with holes for the bulkheads. just in case it overflows I'd have the water running into the tray and back into the tank. Great video.

[@jdofishtank6018]

I'm confused, that's how I have the filter set up.

[@troybelanger974]

@@jdofishtank6018 He means a sump. A tray would probably not be big enough, but a small aquarium or a deep plastic sweater box to catch all of the overflow.

[@Jeremiah_..]

Awesome dude! I’m going to make one but it’s going to go in a tank underneath my tank!

[@commonsensetony2480]

Love that set up, well done.

[@bennywang3109]

Good job. How you hold the filter up above the tank?

[@Maru-bl7ms]

Thank you for this man. Very helpful and informative. God Bless :) I'm gonna use my sister's same drawer as yours hahahah :D

[@santoshkadav9174]

Awesome brother great👍 work

[@anonamoss78]

i came across an old sump made of acrylic, i didn't want it but it had a big box with a draw at the top with holes a massive empty chamber underneath with 2 acrylic poles across the bottom opening which held a piece of egg crate......i connected my canister filters out put hose to the top of the box (sat on top of my tank) and filled the entire chamber with alfagrog media....the water goes thru the top tray holes and sprinkles down over the alfagrog creating a shower back into the tank.......every video i seen so far has the bottom bio media trays (no holes except one) flood the media and only outlets into the tank via a inch or 2 piece of pipe, the water rises to the height of the pipe then spills down it......I'm wondering if my setup is any good because the bio media is only wet thru water running over it and not submerged

[@brianshleifer6602]

Awesome video nice project

[@jdofishtank6018]

Brian's Reefing World thanks

[@The_Penguin_City]

Muchas gracias por compartirlo! es una excelente realización de la idea.

[@paularamos2545]

Nice set up a couple small screws through the frame will hold it in place,and u won’t even see them.....or just put it under the tank with the pumps and draws in a small plastic tub I just built the same thing on my nano tank

[@chenderhan]

Gonna make a larger one of these for my turtle trough. Thanks for sharing!

[@reuven71260]

This is exactly the idea I was looking for

[@m72e592863]

Very nice set up.

[@jdofishtank6018]

Thanks

[@FishmanEricRussell]

I love DIY! Good job

[@jdofishtank6018]

Thanks

[@mohamedfaisal3025]

Hey thanks man for giving me this great idea . Keep it up

[@DissYraiN]

You can find bulk pelleted activated carbon on ebay for waaaaaaaaaaaaay cheaper. I'm seeing it about $50/20 lbs. Also, to prevent problematic overflows, put a few holes somewhere on the side of the drawers where it can overflow in a controlled fashion. maybe two smaller bulkhead elbows out the front of the top drawer that run back down into the tank?

[@charlesdawson5654]

very nice setup can this be down below the tank? What type of overflow box setup do u have?

[@GovindaGopala333]

How much days it took for cleaning

[@jameshoffman8501]

Can I ask why you use this set up PLUS the canister filter? :)

[@bretrohlf8098]

Awesome video man! Thanks for sharing!!

[@jdofishtank6018]

Bret Rohlf no problem

[@mikalabarnes7382]

Followed your example except for using the bulk heads. It’s been working great for the last two months, the water is crystal clear. Only problem is now I don’t know when I’d need to change out everything in my filter lol. Do I wait until it stops cleaning my tanks water or should I play it safe and change it out every other month

[@princescdk3107]

I know it's been a while since posted but you also add a pipe to the first 2 chambers which allows unrestricted flow to the lower levels. That way when you start to see a chamber flowing through that pipe you know it's time to change the filter floss 😁

[@JoeNocella]

Nice job. I'd prefer this filter underneath the tank in a sump.

[@klee88029]

💓 it! Will utilize your info here for an outdoor bird bath. TY.

[@trumanskeetor7317]

Es un estupendo filtro muy biologico y a la vez muy estetico, probablemente igual o mejor que un canister, te felicito, estupenda dedicación a estas mascotas acuaticas.

[@dcbiswal]

Is your media total submersible or water go through it

[@ml9941]

Is there a way to not hang it on too of the tank but beside it ?

[@1kickass]

What do you think if i used air line hoses do make a drain out of the filter to a drain in my house and a drip 5 gallon bucket to add water and ballance the two

[@amirulfitri3304]

Hello .i wanna ask something..how often you change the water for the tank after you use the filter? Or you just change the filter media and not the water tank?its amazing what you are doing..the water become crystal clear..

[@robertbaker2940]

Just built this. Working great!

[@PurpleRose8725]

If you need to access that bottom drawer, every layer of those containers easily comes apart and snaps back into place. Many crafters do so to paint them.

[@Maruolin637]

Hi, how do you drill the holes on each tray ? it looks so smooth.

[@nagendlavaraprasad207]

wow its greatly working .but my Q? was why you use another canister filter again .

[@seove1]

Nice! I have the large drawer system but it sits in a sump (40 gal breeder tank).

[@jdofishtank6018]

EO Rhino nice

[@cleehammer1210]

Really like it. Thanks for sharing!

[@jdofishtank6018]

Clee Hammer no problem

[@deo4205]

I never thought about just putting a submersible pump IN the tank to go to the filter (in my case ill be using a sump). Great idea though, I've been looking at hang on the back overflows and freaking out to figure out how they work. I do have 1 question though, with the submersible pump in the tank, does it get clogged at all if bigger pieces of waste or uneaten food go through it?

[@jdofishtank6018]

I’m sure at some point it’ll get clogged but you can easily clean them.

[@nitrojunki4249]

will this fit down into a 10 gal? This would be a great tower paired with a 10 gal sump

[@jdofishtank6018]

I think so

[@KreefAquariumhobby]

Nice filter!

[@KreefAquariumhobby]

guppyNL 😉😎🖑

[@stavrostsiopoulos9238]

Cant find links for amazon to buy the same things

[@jacoblangbayan1397]

Hi there, I am new to the hobby. You mentioned early in the video that you would wan't to reuse the filter floss on the first tray. Can you please tell me how you clean it up before re-using it again.

[@jdofishtank6018]

You can clean it and re-use it by just rinsing it real good but I just replace it every time.

[@mike3271]

are the bulk heads at the bottom really needed? couldnt you just drill 3 holes? i am curious why you needed them. thanks

[@jdofishtank6018]

To help direct the flow downward so it doesn’t just splash

[@mike3271]

@@jdofishtank6018 Thanks much, I am going to try and build one of these for a 100 gallon livestock tank I will be keeping a 8 inch koi and 2 comet goldfish in over the winter in my garage while waiting for my new pond to be built. Any tips that arent in the video, did you improve on the design in the past 6 years? Thanks!

[@jdofishtank6018]

@@mike3271 personally if you’re going with a 100 gallon tank I would set up a 40 gallon breeder sump on the floor

[@anonamoss78]

@@jdofishtank6018 or do both....cant have enough filters lol...my 250l terrapin tank has a fluval 307, fluval 207 (opposite ends), the Fluval 207 has the trickle filter attached and also have an internal filter rated at 1500lph. When i had my Juwel Rio 350 setup with goldfish i was using the internal filter it came with plus a fluval FX4....but with goldfish and terrapins being very messy it wasn't overkill like it would be for tropical i suppose

[@saptarshisen007]

Will this be enough for a 75 gal goldfish/ angelfish aquarium?

[@aramakdam7623]

i love you man, you are a genius !

[@jdofishtank6018]

aram akdam lol

[@i8dpie]

Could I run this just during the day? Would the bacteria survive overnight? I have a 40 gallon with guppies and I usually keep the tank more calm at night for them with just the sponge filter on.

[@jdofishtank6018]

Turning it off at night would not be good. But there’s no reason to make the tank calm at night.

[@heathermiller5127]

Very impressed - simple but sooooo efficient. One basic aspect has not been covered though...can anyone see exactly how it is sitting on top of the tank? How much is hanging at the back of the tank - what is that supported by? It could even be at the side of a tank if there is inadequate room at the back. Just trying to figure what to stand the whole thing on. Thanks again

[@jdofishtank6018]

It's sitting on the trim of the tank and leaning against the back wall.

[@robertcaccamo]

Where did you buy the elbows on top of the filter and how much did you pay for them thanks

[@vietrochmanmudiarto753]

Hi, can you explain in detail what will happen in the case of over flow? What worse case may happen? Many thanks

[@jdofishtank6018]

If it overflows the pump will drain the tank down to the level of the pump all over your floor.

[@vietrochmanmudiarto753]

JDO Fishtank will it damage the pump if it continue running in the drained tank for somedays? can it cause fire?

[@jdofishtank6018]

I don't know, maybe.

[@renjithravindren7101]

Which one is better trickle or canister for planted aquariums

[@jdofishtank6018]

Renjith Ravindren I don’t know, it’s personal preference

[@marksuson5347]

have you tried turning the bulkheads over? the bottom drawer would hold a bit of water but it would work the same and you would also be able to remove the drawer easier for cleaning/repair?

[@jdofishtank6018]

That's a good idea but I no longer use this filter.

[@thunderempire53]

Sir can i know for how long the filter can keep the water clear and clean?

[@anonymouslyanonymous6931]

Just add some pvc pipes sticking above floss so if it gets clogged it will bypass. Also put them in bulkheads into tank so it cuts down on noise and your set 👍

[@richard2mitchell]

6:00 can i make it so it can hold more water (taller bulk hands) then put a water heater in there?

[@jdofishtank6018]

Walmart sells these container in different sizes, you can buy a bigger one and put a heater in.

[@cykosyc]

do you have a link to the pumps or media?

[@jbx907]

i still like submerges sumps, its just hard work transferring media from the box inside the aquarium when i change to air and turn of water pumps, the problem with trickle the media will dryout and lose most of the accumulated bacteria

[@anonamoss78]

It will only dry out if u turn the pump off lol....in an emergency bag the media in nets and place in water until pump back on

[@dragomxsoldier]

can apply this layer filtration system with a 2lt bottle?

[@Jlui83]

How’d it hold up?

[@JackyLum]

hi there, you can make 2 more holes as a limiter for the over flow water to go out and direct go out to the tank, this can prevent the over flow on the 1st level since that absorb most of the big particles, hahahaha i have my guess room flooded the next morning with my aquarium 1/3 missing

[@user-uz2bk1hs4c]

cons also might be too much oxygen for a planted tank?

[@the46guide94]

2 2 never heard of too much oxygen

[@526lawn]

Well not enough co2 is a thing right?

[@Frank-bo8pw]

How did this filter hold up?

[@barbarar2216]

i am going to put this in a biger scale for my fountain :) thanks!

[@vule1985vl]

Good stuff nice video 👍🏻

[@jdofishtank6018]

VuTube Angelena thanks

[@vule1985vl]

You giving me an idea to build one for my outdoor pond like building a big one thank you.

[@maxcheers9394]

Woww wat a idea

[@gwtnight467]

idk if I missed it, but what size drill bit did you use?

[@mrdibbs625]

Do you think there is a way to adapt this to be used underneath the tank? I can't mount it anywhere above the tank. Or, should I just use a canister filter?

[@jdofishtank6018]

You can put it under the take but you need a pump to pump the water up to the tank and have an over flow on the tank, the filter would need to be in a bigger container otherwise it will flood your floor.

[@4uofacats]

Are you still using this filter set up? I would like to chat with you if possible. I am looking to do something like this for my classroom set up. Anyway to email you?

[@ikelee2]

Are you using this on a planted tank?

[@musikteer]

Name of these exact pumps please? I've been looking for them and can't find anything similar.

[@jdofishtank6018]

Dion Burnett Amazon, sunsun submersible pumps

[@westsenkovec]

What's the rating on them? How powerful are they?