HOW TO: Overhead aquarium sump filter

[@fuzziog3923]

Whos watching this in 2020 and seeing that joeys content drastically IMPROVED since then ?

[@rpimjada1549]

i agree. got better at all these aquarium information. still one of the best sources of info.

[@JohnPritzlaff]

In some ways definitely, but even this video crams as much well-delivered, salient knowledge into 7:19 as most good videos cram into 20 minutes. A lot of effort was put into videos of this DIY King era, and it shows. Perhaps before he started getting lots of views he couldn't afford a better camera and editing software? I don't care though, I almost prefer these old videos to his newer content, though I do love the more laid-back, expansive, and personal nature of it.

[@ashlynnblack3872]

i like how these videos were to the point though, sometimes he rambles

[@JohnPritzlaff]

@@ashlynnblack3872 true, although his rambling videos are awesome in their own way too

[@MR_LuKa-GaMiNg]

Lci7

[@dollars1234]

I know that these are older videos. but I love watching them. when I was a kid, I loved having a fish tank. they mostly consisted of cheap fish, and cheesy decor. but now that I'm an adult, your videos have taught me a lot. and as soon as I move into a place with more room, you can bet I'll be coming back to your videos for reference.

[@ZetviCo]

Omg this is exactly the filter that my dad has been using for the last 10 - 15 years. I just got in the hobby for like 2 years and i always wonder if my dad filter is ever used by somebody else. Its good to know that this type exists. Thank you joey!

[@Antonio88746]

Yo tengo dos en un estanque que tengo en una habitación de mi piso y con plantas en los dos filtros

[@maximo3000]

Pues en Latinoamérica ya lo usan , no pensé que esté video sea de hace muchos años !

[@kablah777]

Just a heads up. When drilling plastic like the planter boxes and things of that thickness, you will have MUCH nicer holes if you use a hole saw and run it backwards. True story. Give it a try on an old bucket lid first if you are suspicious of the advice. I promise once you try it you will never spade bit plastic again.

[@caseyjp1]

Built this. Works a champ. I would highly HIGHLY recommend silicone sealing those bulkheads. Mine developed pinhead leaks around the seal and no matter how tightly things were made, it invariably would start leaking within a day. With a silicon seal + the bulkheads no more leaking. :-)

[@rikessapowell4559]

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[@DaBayleef]

I'm going through your filter playlist to get ideas for my 35 and oh man you look so different! I know it's been almost 5 years since you posted this, but man it's great to see you still have the same passion as ever, just a little bit better at talking to the camera :3

[@havik7069]

2023 AND ALTHOUGH JOEY'S VIDEO WERE TOP OF THE LINE BACK IN THESE DAYS, THEY STILL HOLD UP AND EVEN SURPASS OTHER CREATOR'S OF AQUARIUM CONTENT PRESENTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😎 🐟 🐠 🐡 🦈 🌊 And his present content is years ahead of the rest! His stuff that's out nowadays is currently residing in 2029!!!! As in relation to his peers!

[@bobs5596]

2024 in 5 days now. seems like powerheads have even gotten cheaper.

[@pwilliams98]

Just used this idea to make a mini-overhead-sump out of a plastic flowerpot for my 36 gallon tank. Cost a total of $7.00. Don't really have the room to add a canister filter, so adding this in addition to my HOB filter should help dramatically. Thanks for the ideas, and please keep them coming! :)

[@RandomDuude]

I built mine using an old CD storage plastic box for 52 CDs. It works really well and since it's the correct size I could use drilled CD covers as dividers. It's currently filtering my 10 and 5 gallon tanks :)

[@g0fvt]

Just a few minor points, the powerhead will be fine deeper in the tank, although it makes the vertical pipe longer the pump is under the pressure of the water above it so should not be affected flow wise. A better type of cutter to use to drill through the plastic is a device called a hole saw, they make a nice clean job and will not scratch the surrounding area. The hole saw has a pilot drill surrounded by a ring which looks a little like a pastry cutter.

[@bobs5596]

thank you for explaining ''many'' for us, it means a lot.

[@crobertc96]

Used this to make my own above tank sump with my own twist to it. So far it is working well. Thanks for the video it really helped me think out side the box.

[@thekingofdiy]

Perfect! I'd like to think that my videos are NOT a guideline for a project, but rather a point of inspiration. Glad your happy with your project.

[@Fishaholic]

Really informative video, it's much better and secure to use bulkheads for inflow and outflow. I used silicone to seal the hose and it is working fine so far. I will definitely use bulkheads if I ever get any leaks or if I want to build anymore overhead filters in future.

[@jperdue3567]

Jokes aside, this is over of the better videos, if not thebest, I've seen yet. Very professional, and informative. You're normally hyped and excited. Good to see you have a serious side too.... Other than when your arowana passed.

[@MrRvbrown]

That's Great Joey!! This would make a great grow bed for some house plants with some grow bed media. Keep up the good projects!!

[@NightBiker9]

This is awesome . The next day after I saw this vid, I've made this sump. Since then, it works just awesome and the water is crystal !!! Thank you for this great idea ;)

[@whogotbarztv6349]

If you dont mind me asking, 7 years later are you still using it or did you run into any problems? im really thinking about doing it too

[@NightBiker9]

@@whogotbarztv6349 Well, I used it for about an year and it did it's job quite well. After that I switched to a canister filter because I allso upgraded to a bigger aquarium. The downside of this sump system si the constant running water nois, and when you have to clean the tank and the sump is in the way, it can get quite messy, taking the sump away. It's a goog system, but not a permanent solution. Good Luck!

[@DeluxeMan12345]

Great stuff again sir. I have an overhead filter setup on one of my tanks. If I can add to the topic, I transformed it in a grow bed similar to the aquaponic systems using lava rocks. The plants will eat the bad stuff from the water hopefully, but also, it look nice with foliage on top of the tank.

[@omrisiso]

Hello! I think it's pretty amazing what you build! This is in my opinion the most needed is something which is useful in the winter air pump is not working because of a power outage! Thank you!

[@TheSilverBinder]

By adding PVC tubing in your drain system you can create drip system along the back wall to aid in aeration of the tank.

[@bukansekedarsurvival6404]

Mantap, aku jadi tau trik nya...👍 Pemula ni lagi belajar tentang filter aquarium❤️

[@abuanwp]

Thank you for the planter, this is what my mind could not remember. 😅 This will pair well with my trickel filter. ❤❤❤❤

[@micahdavis6778]

This works great, I will admit I was not keen on this idea at first. My wife talked me into building it and put over the turtle pond ( she has a red eared slider ( 8 inches and growing )) Well a few weeks later the pond looks better and we just put plants on the filter and added mosquito eating fish to the pond. Added one 5 inch pleco and a Golden Chinese Algae eater that is 4 inches long both from tank in the house ( had to move him or her because it was hurting the other fish in the tank. ) Now 12 weeks later the filter and the plants and the pond are doing good. I will tell more about this with out question! From my wife and I, thank your for the video.

[@excalibur7994]

How many gallons is your pond?

[@micahdavis6778]

Excalibur I used a pond size calculator my best guess over 100 g.

[@excalibur7994]

Micah Davis thanks. Trying to decide if this would work for my pond

[@micahdavis6778]

Excalibur your welcome, I have had the filter now almost 6 months and the water clear as a bell. I did put duck weed in my pond that helped huge w algae blooms too.

[@micahdavis6778]

Excalibur I did recently just put up a video on my KZbin channel, it’s the first one I’ve ever done. You can see my pond and the set up there. Pardon for the video it’s not that great....

[@f4phantomf4]

I'm in the process of putting this together. Waiting for some filter media I purchased online. I'm going to combine this idea with your water bottle filter idea, and plant a Pothos plant into the filter media in the sump, so it will filter the nitrates as well, and have a great looking plant over the top of my canopy. I love this idea!! Thanks, your ideas and video's are the best!!

[@kknestis]

B Sammy Too funny. I thought I was being so original when I came up with this. I used lava rock as a medium, a Maxijet powerhead, and bulkhead/drainback hardware from the local hydroponics shop. scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/10710794_10204644472291141_2332663413163361679_n.jpg?oh=85aed3ca4294573dd8ab8136bc295ff3&oe=55E8A430

[@bfisk89]

Don't know if this is enough sump for a larger tank but I might do this for a quarantine or frag tank. Thanks for getting my wheels turning :)

[@lane8932]

All together because everything was on clearance I spent 15 usd. Thank you so much . I've got 6 big happy koi . :) I am using a large sump pump made for ponds but I was able to slow the flow down with a plastic ball valve on the bulk head .

[@raygiannamore]

Great video. I'm planning to build a small fishroom in my basement ad this is an idea I've been playing with for filtration. Nice simple execution of the idea. Thank you.

[@tkotanko]

I've been thinking on doing this for a while.... just for the 'different' approach and I thought a waterfall kind of effect when it drops back into the tank.... nicely done Joseph ;)

[@fikerbekele7303]

It worked for me pretty good, and I am using it to grow some plants as well to help with my high nitrates. You're the best Jo.

[@bmrocheav8]

Best edited/formatted video yet!! Great job!!

[@AnAwkwrdTurtle]

Great idea! Works especially well for those of us with stock tanks who can't put anything underneath.

[@tzsetzse]

Great concept. A few questions though. 1) Since we don't see the whole project in actual application, how did you address surface skimming as opposed to drawing the raw water from below the surface line? 2) Using filter material boosts nitrates. For a reef application, I would think chemical media such as carbon and a Po4 scrubber would be a better choice? 3) naturally, a HOB protein skimmer is a must, correct? Thanks for a good presentation.

[@SebastianBlackwell94]

Its so weird watching ur old videos

[@souravgt2583]

Joey you really make every thing easy .keep it up bro

[@oscarlover131]

Sweet idea Joey. It's hard to imagine a tank without a sump after watching your vids. I can put this on my planted tank that you showed me how to build ;) lol

[@andrewhannah2141]

Don't you just love watching joeys old video. Shy and nervous Love your work love your tanks and your the reason why I got the tank setup I have today.. dam you joey.. hehe Keep up the amazing work you do and keep those videos flowing . I look forward to watching your videos From your AUSSIE DIY fan.

[@NickMach007]

Simple principles, but very nicely done. Clever use of materials.

[@DrDangerPuppy]

You are an excellent instructor. However, it would be nice if you included a detailed parts list both in the comments (so I can print it out and bring it to the store) and as a "picture" in the video (so I don't have to scroll down to the comments to follow along as you go over it).

[@bernardneuleuf9878]

How did you go about this situation as i am about to post a comment asking him?

[@rimrodi7]

Yeah sure thing let me just have you’re address I’ll pop over to the shop and buy it all for you aswell!!!!

[@arthurdewith7608]

Bernard Neuleuf u figured it out yet?? hehe

[@bryzerh123]

this is really good, the same idea could also be used in a sump below the tank

[@benjif2424]

Wow, you have changed so much...

[@reynaldsmith4216]

It's crazy

[@michaelpridmore117]

Hi Joe Can you turn this into a planter box as well to grow herbs for the kitchen. Mike

[@JohnPritzlaff]

Yes, look up his later video on the Pothos plant in aquaponics, which is how I got here.

[@devout_disciple]

Very cool idea and it looks like a very simple build. I appreciate the info, boss. My only concern is how well it works and how large it needs to be to suit my needs. Kinda like the example you gave in the canister build. 1ft = 25gal, 2ft = 50gal, etc, etc...

[@ILTK]

An added bonus of a sump is your cats can have a nice drink of filtered water :D I had a sump driving my smaller tanks for plant cuttings without a lid and couldn't understand why in the hell so much water evaporated... Remember lids for your sumps if you have cats :D

[@toefurcub]

THIS!! THIS!!! omfg - thank you .... you set my spark in motion for some great dyi projects. YOU ROCK!

[@SolitaryDeath]

Excellent idea, I've got a jewel 600lph power head sitting around I wanted to use for a sump sat behind my aquarium but this is a much better idea

[@1959Berre]

You can make it even better by making it an overhead 'dry' trickle filter. Put a long tube on top of the planter, with many small holes drilled in it. The tube is spraying the water over the filter medium all over the lenght of the planter. Also drill many small holes in bottom of the planter. It should look like a collander and let the water drip straight into the aquarium. In case of a power-out or a pump malfunction the 'dry' filter drains completely, hence its name. This prevents anaerobic conditions in the filter, so you do not risk dangerously toxic ammonia or nitrite levels when the pump restarts after the power-out. Besides, a dry filter is easier to build than a sump. You don't have to drill through the sides of the planter, just put a tube on top of it and drill holes in the bottom. You only need one tube connecting the pump to the planter. BTW, the filter medium is always saturated with the surrounding air, it oxidizes harmful decomposition products very fast. I apply expanded clay pellets as a medium. Works like a charm.

[@bobs5596]

if i had an open top set up, this would be great. if the media clogs the planter will just overflow into the tank. i see many open top tanks these days, but i am afraid of fish jumping out.

[@Lawrence5762]

Interesting and informative, as usual. When are we going to get a look at that new fish room of yours, Joey?

[@curly_luke]

Still a great video :D Can it be an only filter in a 30 gal tank?

[@carlowehermosa956]

Great DIY…I spent 200$+ on my overhead glass sump! do this on my other tank! Thanks!

[@trhoadhouse]

Just built my own version of this! Turned out great! Thanks for making a great video Joey!

[@thekingofdiy]

It's an awesome filter for sure! It will become more and more popular as time passes.

[@barefootfish3726]

The king of DIY hey bro I want to do the same thing u did but with a 4’ planter stuffed with ceramic media on top of my 210 gallon would that be too much weight?

[@jhonnyblade702]

Great diy project, opened my mind to the possibilities.

[@whitedragon1337]

I live in Taiwan and I've noticed tons of people use similar filters here (commercial versions), though maybe more like a wet/dry filter than an actual sump. In fact many fish stores ONLY sell these types of filters for larger tanks. I was wondering if they were any good cuz I was thinking of setting up a tank sometime soon.

[@pistol_petes_aquatics]

Just made my own!!! Thanks for such a great idea and video!!!

[@frogy6978]

Would look really cool sitting on top of a reef tank with mangroves coming out of it. Love your channel looking foward to the ATS videos.

[@sp1a773r]

Not a pretty solution, but cheap and easy. Love your videos and get a whole lot of ideas from them. Keep up the good work! Thumbs up for this video to :)

[@bobs5596]

well i think i can do this with one of those plastic food storage containers, and keep the lid snapped on it as well. since you made this vid, window boxes are $15. i don't see the need to have a 2' long container when 8 or 10 inches should work. i'll just leave the heater in the tank, and maybe use a pvc L fitting instead of 2 bulkheads as the return. i plan using some filter floss and a bag of charcoal. thanks for the ideas.

[@michaelcarvalho3686]

Fantastic video.! Did you immerse the submersible pump into your tank?

[@decolur]

I've had something like this in mind for a while since it would be a task to add one to my tank. Your vid made the idea much clearer for me; thank you!

[@youngz13o]

Big fan here. Thanks to your videos im starting a freshwater 46 bow front aquarium! The hardest part was convincing my significant other to get the tank. :-)I was wondering if any tried this? I would like to know how many gallons the one joey made can support.any feedback would be great

[@GUYANAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA]

You can use a air lift system to get the water up to the sump also

[@bobs5596]

yes the old outside box filters used air lifts. i was just looking at one i have left over from 1964...

[@lsucowboy]

You don't have to place the powerhead near top of the aquarium to get maximum lift. A powerhead will always have the same lift capacity no matter it's depth. You can place one 1 foot below the surface and one at the bottom of the ocean and they will both lift the same height above the water surface. The only losses a deeper pump may have is restrictions in piping diminishing the flow rate at a given height, but that won't be a concern for a pump by adding, at most, 2 foot of hose in an aquarium.

[@fredhajji1871]

Best idea and best video and great speaker.

[@v6trop]

I will be having a go at making this , thanks for doing these films you have saved me a lot of money :-)

[@MrHoney2U]

Thanks Joey. Been wanting to do something like this for a long time. Great idea. Im gonna tweek it a bit and add the algea scrubber to it so its not in the tank.

[@racing7m]

Thank you joey I put your idea to work and modified it to aquaponics. Thank's brother my fish water quality is perfect now thank you.

[@vsaitejayelisetty4541]

great idea joey......you had cleared my problem....

[@mutsnutsgaming1287]

hello iv watch all your diy video and I think there the best iv use most off your ideas now iv come to a problem I have a 2ft long by 4ft high tank and I put a pump at the bottom of the tank with pipe going to the top to go throw the filtration and the pipe split do you think I can use electrical tap to fix it back on it holds but im not shore if it good for the fish

[@MacHamish]

Cool stuff and channel. This will probably be my next project. 😎

[@getfaith]

Joey this video was great ....do you have a video on building a freshwater refugium if not can you make one ?

[@TheNetworkD]

Are there any websites that you can recommend for obtaining the bulkhead fitting along with the tube :) Fantastic video as usual!

[@leescience]

I'd love to see an updated version of this video

[@jakecarpenter8209]

OK I think I have to buy your book. You have some good ideas

[@tblain12]

Could I just use filter media instead of the light thing? Great video

[@jamesconrey]

That's about as basic as you can get, good stuff

[@ericaikens5339]

Very simple and effective thank you

[@Tiger-bp1jk]

Nice idea Joey !! Inspires some gr8 ideas . Thks for posting

[@eidernobrega4864]

Joe, good idea! A sugestion: how to build a hang on sump. I'm trying to find a way to build it with a skimmer also, but everything home made. Tks!

[@dbtest117]

Just a note the height of the water pump in the aquarium doesn't matter, you can place it at any height in the aquarium. What matters is the height from the aquariums waterline to where it should be pumped. You should know this as you have built a bridge.

[@williamgazca963]

quick question regarding the waterline: I have a water line of 6 inches in height and the pump would rest a foot above that. my question is would the maxijet 1200 be able to pump the water that high? thanks in advance. cheers

[@dbtest117]

+William Gazca I hope that you understand that the pump must be in contact with the water that should be pumped. And if the pump doesn't reside in the water and is above the water it also have to be in a closed circute. Now some pumps have been designed so that they are cooled with the same water they pump and can handle to pump water without being in the water. Others are designed so that they need to be in the water. Yet there are a few types that you cannot have in the water at all. I cannot comment on specific pumps, and therfore you make sure of the needed facts regarding your pump, and test it out if needed.

[@123Ronv]

A very nice idea.Loved it.

[@Entrak]

A good idea here, if you like plants, is to simply put enough media in the sump and then plant some plants there, no soil needed. Lots of nutrients in that water. :)

[@anasaunders695]

Great video on the cheap thanks buddy.

[@willemschipper7680]

Man your Videos are awesome

[@kevintom513]

JOEY! Does a 38 gal tank that lost its bottom trim safe to use? The pet shop says it needs the trim and can't leave it on a stand because the side panels are what takes most of the pressure because the sides are not on top of the bottom glass plate but actually glued on the outside of the bottom plate. You made your glass tank with the sides on top of the bottom plate. Any DIY ideas on how to fix this without having to buy a hard to find bottom trim. The tank is 36 x12 1/2

[@ilforever22]

another great video, quick question, do I need a sump for 5 gallon saltwater tank or no need?

[@JC-jy9lm]

Thanks for the video buddy

[@haitham.mohamed]

Fantastic video sir !! Thank you very much sir you are always a star .

[@Entrak]

I was referring to normal plants, actually. :) Plants with submerged roots or aquatic plants is nice as well, but those often require a higher humidity, which you'd have to build an paludarium to achieve properly. If you want normal plants, you need a bell-drain system, as it will let you fill up the container to a height you want it to and then drain the whole thing, before repeating the sequence. This will let the plants get enough "dry-time" for their roots, so that the roots won't rot.

[@tehutimes1]

What are normal plants? Some plants need much water white others require less.

[@lynyrdskynyrd2749]

Can I grow Chaetomorpha algae (chaeto) and mangrove in this overhead box, for my saltwater tank? Thanks in advance for your help.

[@thekingofdiy]

I don't see why not!

[@LJJ368]

i built mine similar to this and works awesome.. Nice insight. thanks a ton

[@bigdaisy84]

Hi there I really like this idea, I was just wondering what size of tank this would filter ? Thanks for your time

[@littlepewpew001]

Very Cool ! Thanks for sharing.

[@TheMysterium666]

Thanks for Upload :) Ich habe schon lange überlegt einen Filter selber zu bauen. Den hier finde ich sehr gut und kosten günstig...Thanks

[@Axodus]

thinking about upgrading from my penguin 150 to this for a waterchange-less setup.

[@elfpballer6]

I think it looks great, but one question. When running it from a pump isnt there danger of some large particles/vegetation/food/snails, etc. getting stuck in the pump?

[@cgirl111]

The lift the power head has to provide isn't measured from the pump, it's measured from the surface of the tank. Placing the power head near the surface is the same as placing it at the bottom.

[@AWD_T]

Hi Joey, i have a 50 gallon and want to start a tropical aquarium. If I go with this set up, can I remove the hanging filter it came with? And will this change the frequency of water changes? Thank you

[@fbi1961]

Thanks for the awesome videos

[@adamc7918]

just got done building this, used a little silicone. works like a charm!

[@sabancarlos6]

Es justamente lo que necesito para mi acuario, gracias por la idea!!!

[@user-hi1fw1hk4v]

Tengo que aprender el inglés, no he entendido nada,

[@user-hi1fw1hk4v]

Tengo que aprender el inglés, no he entendido nada

[@fhermo83]

I did this build I loved it but I ended up having to take it down because water would spill over and it was just causing to much water to spill if I forgot to change out the filter floss my pump was very strong so any resistance the water would start the spray up not a lot but the sprays would build up and start to drip down the back of the tank I try end putting a cover on it but I couldn't get a good seal and water would get out through what ever opening but I love how good this filtered my tank I wanted to see if you could do an updated recharged version of this sump build if it's possible to improve this version the one thing I think I did wrong was I use acrylic instead of the lighting defuser egg crate to place the filter floss on and as well the window seal planter box you use here they do not sell anymore around my area they all have that false bottom that pops out I had to silicone the hell outa it I finally had to get the black insert for it.

[@menjiji]

In my pond filter of a similar design I used some plastic baskets to hold my filter floss. I used a bit more and while my pond pump was super charged and wanted to spray like crazy, being able to shove the end of the hose down a little further helped dramatically. Another tip for water overflowing might be to add another hole and silicone around it so there's more than two. If you're in America, Lowes has the long planter boxes without the false bottoms for about 8 bucks. More than this simple one here, but I think it's well worth it. I love these filters.

[@florenciarocco4425]

How many of these (or what size) do you think would be good for a 100gal tank with two red eared sliders?

[@kyleklemp4806]

What size planter box would you need for a 55 gallon tank