HOW TO: Build an aquarium canister filter (HOB VERSION) TUTORIAL

[@nickjm37fordel1]

Putting the cost aside, sometimes it's just more fun and more satisfying to build rather than to buy ! Thanks for the instructions.

[@thekingofdiy]

+Nick Musuraca Indeed!

[@jcTorres813]

Agree

[@jeffcivjeep7]

10 years ago when I had a bunch of aquarium I actually spent $175 on a canister filter. Moving out of my apartment and buying a house, looking to get back into it, and your videos have made me so much more excited.

[@BananaBreeze0]

Could you make a 2-3 stage canister by attaching multiple by lining more 4inch pipes filled with their respective medias? Ex) one has biological and the one before it is purely mechanical and you can even go as far as having one for chemical. All assuming you have a pump strong enough to circulate through the extra lengths of piping.

[@clarkcasino6504]

this is exactly what i need right now for my tank, the timing is just perfect haha thank for this vid! greetings from the Philippines!

[@thekingofdiy]

+Clark Casiño Great to hear Clark!

[@OscarSegundo]

They look very professional painted black!

[@MASSAquariums]

Hey bro if you did a DIY video on how to take a dump I bet you would get 7,000 views in 10 seconds. Nice video. You are the KING

[@thekingofdiy]

+MASS Aquariums haha Maybe so, but that would be the last time people tuned into this channel.

[@bobbarker2404]

+MASS Aquariums First Step: Grab your mobile device. Step Two: sit on toilet with pants down. Step Three: open up Clash of Clans and enjoy an hour of quiet time while losing weight.

[@MASSAquariums]

Lol

[@nurzrachit7133]

He'd probably teach me that I had been doing it wrong for 50 years. "Don't forget to use a water based lubricant on your O-ring, you don't want to blow a gasket!"

[@saneshadow]

i'd like to see the horizontal canister filter build btw, your videos are very insightful, enjoyable and inspirational

[@SlimTim_dirty_aquatics]

Fired Up!!! Build. Yes I'd like to see how to make the other ones, especially on how to add the heater. I've seen you heater inline build but would like see it built with this design. Never fail to amaze me.

[@thekingofdiy]

+Slim Tim The inline heater makes this canister a much more useful filter for sure.

[@markourosevic1987]

+The king of DIY I'm building one of my own but i could not find Amphibious pump in my area(also having some issue with amazon and ebay),i have one idea to implement submersible pump into the canister filter but i need you opinion how is the best way to do it,rather than putting pump in tank like you did in this video,my tank is only 180 liters and pump flow is 1600 Lph (its big and ugly pump)

[@barretthageman3350]

Really like your design. Am Adapting it for my 3 tanks (240,84 & 55) to boost my filtration.

[@ChristieNel]

I have done something similar by buying an extra off-the-shelf canister used for my RO-system, which comes with barb fittings. I just fitted a pump inside, but I like your outside pump idea, since this doesn't need priming. I can then also use pre-filled cartridges that are easy to swap out and chain several canisters together, each with different (or more) media.

[@bonsaioutlaw101]

I also would love to see more of this filter video including the heater and Daisy chaining them together.

[@UrbanCheese709]

Great video Joey. I was going to make one of these but one of the key parts you use doesn't seem to be available here in the states. All of the threaded clean out plugs I've seen (in both brick and mortar & online) screw into the adapter, it's not that they don't have a gasket (they don't) rather there are not 2 surfaces that come together for a gasket to seal. Anyway, in a pressure application this type of plug can only be made to seal with some difficulty. You end up with a cap that's semi-permanent, not something that can be easily removed for periodic maintenence. Perhaps you could buy a bunch of these plugs & sell them...

[@niallfm4409]

Can you show how to incorporate the heater???

[@mathurren1]

I too would like to see this!

[@zanesherman9457]

very cool I just wonder if it would be possible to use a smaller pump and hide it on the inside of the filter

[@docbassist]

Hello I'm 14 and I want to build my own HOB canister filter and I was wondering what pump should I use? thanks and keep up the great work

[@MysticMCWizard]

Great info, instead of running a single really tall canister filter.. Would you run them in parallel or series? I cannot see any reason re parallel apart from slowing the flow down... This way could have 3x 1ft instead of 1x 3ft which would be easier to store under/next to the tank.

[@UltimaStealth]

I'm deffinately going to follow one of your filter guides. I'm using a 75 gallon tank and would like to have a filter system for up to 100 gallons as my tank has a lot of gold fish which make it dirty easily. My question is, can you use K1 for the media in a canister filter? I like the idea of not needing to clean the filter and just focus on water changes.

[@thekingofdiy]

+UltimaStealth94 It will not work the same in a canister filter. So no, You will not be able to use it and get the results your looking for.

[@yetilube5601]

Also are Barramundi legal in the U.S and have you had any experience or opinions about keeping them....i had 2 a few years a go that grew to about 25 inches and i was thinking of getting some more.......need maximum filtration for them......greetings from Australia

[@joashbritto]

+ The king if DIY What is the rule of thumb for length of canister to how many gallons it can b used for? awesome vid. I watched the older one but I cudnt buy ki and its not really practical to clean the main media wich is so deep in :/

[@mccity5187]

You really are the DIY King. Thanks for the vid brother.

[@thekingofdiy]

+Mc City I have been making videos like this every week for years my friend. :)

[@mccity5187]

+The king of DIY New to your channel. I subscribed about a week ago and been watching your vids ever since. I'm planning on setting up a tank using some of your ideas.

[@kingkato21]

Joey, it's getting close to Christmas time. Can you do an infomercial for your book and provide a link for it?

[@jamesgonzalez3919]

Hey Joey is it possible to put the pump down at the bottom of the canister for the return and have a shielded intake instead of putting the pump in the tank

[@shibualex1510]

Thanks I was able to make this filter and it's working superb.... my fish are loving it

[@alitahir4147]

Hey Joey, hope you are doing well. Can you kindly make a video on how to integrate a heater into these DIY canister filter.

[@dazzazz5602]

I think I might make one of these and use as a freshwater reactor with chem filtration. I'm already using a pre filter for all the foam (mechanical filtration) and filled my canister up with bio balls. I would like to see how you incorporated a heater into it. Cheers Joey, great vids!

[@mrzswalker]

Knocked it out of the park on this one Joey! I would like to see the horizontal version just out of curiosity also heater built in on either versions.

[@greywolfdelacey9140]

i had to ask what did you use to hold the adapter inside the pipe so the bulkhead can be tightened for this vid ?

[@wyattpoe3864]

Joey!!! You should paint each big piece a different colour, and then the filter would be an aesthetic piece as wells functional!

[@SuperHemi01]

Here's the part number for the ABS cap (Lesso) 4 inch ABS Plug (part number LN106R-040). They're pretty hard to find at retail locations in the US but available at Home Depot in Canada. Plumbing supply places can special order from manufacturer Lesso in US. Worked great for me. HOB canister works perfectly!

[@sambaker8975]

Does the filter need to be below the water level to properly siphon (similar to your older canister filter)? I am looking to create this for a turtle tank which has a water depth of about 1 ft, and I figure I'd need a larger filter than 1 ft to properly filter the entire tank. Thank you!

[@moolinney]

Hey Joey I'm setting up a 100 gallon tank and I'm looking for a nice big Cichlid or Cichlid pair to put in their. I have experience with keeping discus and other cichlids such as flower horns and oscars. Do you have any suggestions about what I could put in their?

[@thaxtonsaquaticz2482]

Hey Joey I just finished your updated light project and I have to say its amazing but I want to build this next but looking in comments some parts are hard to find will you Please do an Updated Video for either one of these canister filters

[@donireland6218]

Would it improve circulation if the intake was on the opposite end of the tank from the outlet pipe (and even at the bottom of the tank too)? It seems like by having the inlet and outlet in the same area, the circulation would be limited.

[@smd11873]

great overview but your leaving out some of the most important detail, how are you bonding them and sealing everything? I've watched 2 of your videos so far and you haven't mentioned what your using to mend it all together, regular old pipe sealant/cement or something non toxic or special? There is a lot of conflicting information as to what can be used. Thanks!

[@matthewsmith22]

Great design again joey! I know it's probably massively awkward but could you list some parts? I have a feeling most of them aren't readily available over on this side of the pond

[@patriclop2pl]

Thanks Joey for the awesome tutorial! I also would love to see how you incorporate a heater too!

[@Barkerscott32]

Hi joey great build! Could this be added to a canister filters outlet or will it damage the canister motor?

[@joselitolema2685]

The King of DIY indeed!

[@WADYNASTY77]

i really enjoyed this video. I believe this is a much better option for the canister style filter then the original.

[@thekingofdiy]

+Joel Blanco many ways to build one!

[@TA-op3vn]

Can you please name the store that sells this type of caps with Lip? I know you in Canada. I cant find it in US

[@GrantDTL]

I work in construction and have a lot of ABS scrap is there a reason you use pvc instead? I guess other than the smaller 3/4 inch piping.

[@taylorshulse6416]

I am thinking about making this as a gravity fed system end in the sum so I will not to use a pump. Then use idea for the DYI PVC overflow to set the level of where the water will drain to as not to over flow my sump. do you think this would be a good idea?

[@stevemarx2691]

Hello, I love that filter you just made and want to make one asap. Is it possible to email you for the exact list of materials needed to do this? I would very much like to make 6. Thanks, great video!!

[@philipandrew1889]

Hi Joey can you please suggest what pump capacity can be used? I'm planning of building my own. But need guidance with the pump capacity and force needed. Could you please help me out.

[@pucho513]

hay joey im looking to do this diy with a extra pond 600gph internal pump, do i have to have it submerged for it to work? if so do you have any suggestions, thanks and love your vids. i will be using this for a mbuna tank.

[@DaWhiteMan01]

Question so any waste must pass through the water pump before being passed through the filter. So is that safe for the pump?

[@rohit3597]

i feel this project is better then Build an XL aquarium canister filter... easy and also good looking !!

[@pastoreric8283]

Awesome. I am going to build one for my tank...I am interested in building a daisy chain, like you said, that will hang not the back of my tank...Could you expand on that idea? I am interested in doing one with sponge and lots of floss and two with lava rock.

[@HungQDang]

so, no more of those ineffective HOB power filters for me! These DYI filter will work a lot better and cheaper than them; and no more worrying about feeding the water into the filter or loud noise since I can pick the water pump that are way better and more quiet than those come with the HOB power filters. 1 question, what do you think about adding UV sterilizer at the end of the filter which it is very easy to be done with these DYI filter? Would it help in diseases prevention or just algae control when I put an overkill UV system for the tank on it?

[@nickpastore807]

I want to see how all of these were made, make it happen Joey!!! I believe in yoooouuu!!

[@brianbell7864]

hi joey just trying to find a screw top end cap, lowes or home depot dont have the end caps with the lip and gasket looked on line cant seem to find them where did you get yours ill buy it online or a part number would help also thanks

[@mindockMK1]

I'm having the same problem. I think I'm going to use some ptfe tape to prevent leaking with the non-lipped cap since it's not permanent.

[@Elonsdoctor]

great job!!!!Have You tried to put the pump into the filter?How did it work? I would love to have the pump out of the aquarium.

[@thekingofdiy]

+Bartrk Nosal No, i didnt do that.

[@Nickvandusschoten]

@@thekingofdiy I was wondering if you could create a version with a pump out of the aquarium. I would be very interested in this. I have been trying to figure it out for myself but so far I haven't found the solution yet.

[@ralphcadriel1015]

awesome video Joey I built one my self a little bigger than that for my 40 gal breeder

[@thekingofdiy]

+Ralph Cadriel Awesome!

[@franklinrager]

this is super rad and I'm planning on building on for my 75 gallon. so roughly according to your measurements I'd need about a 4 ft canister to turn that tank twice an. hour. also will be using a 192 gph pump. does my math sound off or should be good?

[@jaloreefsaqua]

Awesome.. more cool than buying.. wanna build one.. hey can you give me a size list of what should I buy?

[@sambucci8544]

Awesome Joey!! I would also like to see the other options.

[@thekingofdiy]

+Sam Bucci Will do!

[@sambucci8544]

+The king of DIY Thanks Joey!!

[@richboi2171]

hey great video do you use pvc glue or silicone to attach the fittings???

[@DavidBrunsII]

I'd love to see how you incorporate the heater!

[@craigpumphrey2228]

do you show how to make the heater holder in another video? also is there a way to put the pump in the filter its self?

[@thekingofdiy]

+Craig Pumphrey Yes, its on my channel. You could play around with this filter and try different configurations if you like.

[@ReptileNexus]

Question: So I was thinking of making the vertical style, and make some layers. Water would pass through 1/3 volcanic rock, a bag of charcoal, then a bag of zeolite, and finally about 1/3 floss to polish. Would that work?

[@TheNotehead]

Joey, I think I'm gonna go for it and build one of these, but I have a question. Is there any advantage to having the water flow down from the top of the canister instead of being pushed up from the bottom? I'm wondering if the top-down flow would be more of a "trickle" compared to the bottom-up flow, which would definitely pass through all of the media. But would bottom-up require a pump with more head capacity? I'd be grateful for your thoughts on this. (Or anyone else's!) Thanks for all the great vids!

[@timmlombardo9267]

Love the build Joey! Love the different designs!

[@thekingofdiy]

+Timm Lombardo These are quick and easy to build as well!

[@mundodante2664]

Damn I want to see the horizontal one it looks dope!

[@cr00sum]

I'd be interested in seeing how to incorporate the heater, as well as more info on daisy-chaining them, please Joey.

[@thekingofdiy]

+cr00sum I will work on something!

[@cr00sum]

+The king of DIY Thanks!

[@DrDangerPuppy]

Are there any advantages/disadvantages of this over a radial flow filter? That's what the aquaponics guys seem to be using and I'm agonizing over which to build, both for hobby and potential larger scale use. Any thoughts on the matter? Thank you

[@christopherhoneycutt4815]

im building my 5 year old a fish tank from scratch im using wormy chestnut i got from a dresser that someone just threw away and ill have more than enough for the frame. my plan is to build it like a tv floor model, im thinking about building the tank out of plywood and using a canister filter. can you give me some advice on what to use to have it completely sealed (no leaks) and the correct way to filter the tank so the fish will survive and the water stays clear and more importantly stay in the tank?

[@Andrious777]

ok you said we could use a power head....what size would you suggest since i plan on useing it for 2 different functions?

[@pucho513]

i also have a topfin 30 powerhead to do it as you have here, will that be strong enough to circulate the water?

[@justme31313]

Joe...... You just completely CHANGED the GAME. thx

[@deldemetri911]

Hello their, I was wondering if you could do a video showing how to daisy chain more than one of these filter or explain how to do it. I'm really not sure how to do it and I think it would make for an excellent video. thanks in advance if you decide to do one or help me out in any way possible.

[@smartbetta]

Hay, big fan of your . Where can I get the male cap? Home Depot don't carry the same one you have. Thxs you.

[@markcena3745]

Does this build need any cement, silicone, or any other adhesives? Or is this just a bunch of pvc's connected

[@jamesmoorcroft8967]

I want to see the version with the integrated heater, it looks really slick

[@hallbb1]

Great canister design bro...... Keep doing more experiments !!!! greetings from INDIA

[@thekingofdiy]

+Srini Patel Thanks Srini

[@Baba99930]

I love the idea of building own canister HOB filter amazing🥰

[@rogerwitmer2659]

I wonder if a 6 foot horizontal one to put across my 8ft aquarium would work if it had the right pump

[@cannibalholiday]

Is there any issue with putting smaller media like perlite inside a length of pantyhose (to prevent any little pieces escaping)? Or would it be too small and end up collecting all the debris intended for the filter?

[@greywolfdelacey9140]

i can't help notice you don't talk about chemical filtration in your canister builds; is there a reason why you don't use a chem layer in the builds ex: (ammo-carb) i also noticed you don't use a 3 stage mech filter set up in these builds love to hear your answers on these questions thanks

[@Junglecp]

Hi, Been watching your stuff for a while. Its amazing to see what you make and how simple you make it look. Wouldn't it be great to really test out this filter/canister filter for a few months and give us a update each month for a few minutes?. Of course this is just a small one maybe make a bigger one in the near future?. Thanks for reading

[@canicors78]

Hey Joe awesome vid, just finished building this vertical style filter. What is a good size pump for a 75 gallon tank Thanks .

[@thekingofdiy]

+Dave M In the video, i mention how to size the filter and flow rates.

[@Andrious777]

What type of pump would you suggest because I'm looking to use this for more than one use?

[@Defiant155]

I am currently using the design ideas you used in the plywood aquarium to construct a 5 x 2.5 x 7 foot tall lizard terrarium that is incorporating the bottom as a water tank for my water dragon to do his thing. My issue is that I'm trying to keep all of the water filtration internal. I was giving thought to creating a side chamber within the aquarium tank for multiple canister filters. The max water height I am wanting to go is about 2 feet high. So it's coming out close to 200 gallons. Any advise on the filtration system? I was thinking exactly what you've made in this video, but it be 4 inch pvc 2 feet in length and I've got a 500 gph in tank pump to hook into it.

[@fishsticks88]

Have you made a video on the horizontal one?

[@MrOsiris220]

Hey Joy I would like to as a question kind of pump filter can I use on the water that won't shock my fish

[@borisduijf]

nice video, but i would prefere the powerhead inside the filter is that possible?

[@thekingofdiy]

+Boris Duijf Sure, im positive if you try a few things you could make it work.

[@AMITchauhan72]

i built it myself and its great, working excellently. am using it in turtle tank.

[@foxfyre5692]

I am getting a 75 gallon tank and want to create this. question I have is what length do I need to create a good filter and what size pump?

[@sureshmahatheva1732]

hi mate very helpful tutorilas, how to you pump the water? do you attached motor? tx

[@sandeepprajapati1769]

You are God in DYI hats off

[@beachboybeta8077]

Will the spray paint affect the fish, since the output is touching the water? Im asking because i have a saltwater aquarium.

[@guybarnett131]

Hey King! love your videos! My question what can I use as a filter to help filter nitrite & nitrate. I have a 20gal tank with bio foam air pump ( made from your video) and whisper 50gal pump, there's 4 Molly's, 2 panda catfish, and a algae eater. I'm pretty sure the nitrite killed my shrimp. Your help would be appreciated.

[@fafix14]

Isn't it better to change the pump to the other tube? so the water goes in the canister from the bottom and up. I'm building one and I think this way the filter media works better as everything will stock on it from the bottom to the top, getting cleaner water at the end. What do you think?

[@thekingofdiy]

You could, but pumping in from the top allows for easy access to the mechanical media that you will change often. Water flowing up or down won't matter. Either way it has to travel through the media to get out.

[@ernieRUOK]

If I run two in series(Daisey Chain) would I need a second pump to prevent slowing my flow rate?

[@mikeslack109]

Hi so I built one of these with the pump pulling from the bottom and siphoning from the tank into the top of the canister. Some how I was sucking in air but not leaking water, even when the pump was off no water leaks. So I put silicone on every joint, crack and crevice to try and seal the air leak. Some how it’s still pulling air from the canister into the pump. Any idea what I could be doing wrong?

[@bradheizer5453]

Just built the verticle version. Question on media. My order is course filter on intake. Activated charcoal in a fine filter pouch. Then 3 feet of lava rock then back to the tank. I have a 55 gallon tall tank currently with a handful of cichlids. My canister filter I made is 3" and 2 ft tall. Did 3" tube because it fits behind my tank.....

[@jeffmcomcast]

Hey Joey, this is great! What about adding in a UV filter inline as well?

[@thekingofdiy]

+Jeff Miller Go for it!

[@damithbasnayaka688]

Hey Joe nice video and the filter looks superb 👍

[@vijaynirmal2094]

Can you elaborate on which motor you used and how it’s fitted to the filter ?

[@joyke66]

Hey Jo! How come you never use charged carbon as media,on any of DIY filters???any specific reason why not?

[@ThroughTheLensBR]

Would you please tell me what kind of pump you use for it...? I'll try to build mine.