# 5 Gallon Bucket ???



## planenut007 (Mar 21, 2009)

Just got a second 180, think it will make a nice oscar tank in basement rec room, not wanting to spend a ton of cash on filtration.
Has any one ever made a huge Bio filter from 5 gallon bucket(s)?
Thought I would fill it full of scrubbies, and run it with a mag drive or a quiet one or something
round 600 gal per hour.
And maybe a second one with tons of floss, for polishing, with a larger pump as the floss will probly slow flow.


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## tommy022060 (May 1, 2008)

why dont u purchase or maybe u have a 20 gal tank instead of the buckets

Tommy


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## zugbug (Dec 12, 2005)

planenut007 said:


> Just got a second 180, think it will make a nice oscar tank in basement rec room, not wanting to spend a ton of cash on filtration.
> Has any one ever made a huge Bio filter from 5 gallon bucket(s)?
> Thought I would fill it full of scrubbies, and run it with a mag drive or a quiet one or something
> round 600 gal per hour.
> And maybe a second one with tons of floss, for polishing, with a larger pump as the floss will probly slow flow.


I have one that I use but its a 5 gallon bucket inside a 29 gallon tank. The rim of the tank hold the bucket above the water line. The 5 gallon bucket is used as the wet/dry portion...the water drains from the main tank goes into the 5 gallon bucket then trickles through the bucket into the tank (holes in the bottom of bucket). Works great.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

I think a 45-55 gallon aquarium is the suggested sump size for a 180, so you would need between nine and eleven buckets under the tank. I hope it has a huge stand.


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## planenut007 (Mar 21, 2009)

Was something that I was just kicking around in my head, always dreaming up some sort of contraption, and thinking of the cheapest way out.
It would seem that a 5 gal bucket full of scrubbies with low flow would be plenty bio for a 180.
Maybe a whole house filter with 800 gal or so flow for polishing?


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## mel_cp6 (Feb 3, 2009)

put the 5 gallon bucket inside a 40gal rubbermaid and you
have a sump filtration fully capable of handling a 180gl tank.
you could probably build this sump under $30.


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## fishEH (Sep 15, 2008)

Mcdaphnia said:


> I think a 45-55 gallon aquarium is the suggested sump size for a 180, so you would need between nine and eleven buckets under the tank. I hope it has a huge stand.


Uhh, I think that 45-55 gallon tank is to allow enough room for biomedia and back-siphonage in power loss while sustaining a high enough water level so the return pump doesn't run dry. I don't think anybody has a 45-55 gal sump tank completely packed with biomedia. Therefore one or two 5 gallon buckets holding biomedia above a 20/29 gallon tank should be plenty.


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

> back-siphonage in power loss while sustaining a high enough water level so the return pump doesn't run dry


Well said :thumb:


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## planenut007 (Mar 21, 2009)

I like the rubbermade container idea thx


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## mel_cp6 (Feb 3, 2009)

search this on you tube, theres some information there.
if i had know about this before i wouldnt have wated a 30gl tank for a sump.


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## spotmonster (Nov 23, 2006)

I thought you were talking about a 5 gal home made cansiter filter. That would be great IMO, I've wanted to try that, but I haven't seen anyone build one yet that looked good to me, I just never got around to trying it. I ended up buying another FX5 used for 150.00. For me 100-150.00 wasn't worth messing around once you have to buy a pump for 60-90.00.


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## planenut007 (Mar 21, 2009)

That is exactly what I was thinking, a home made canister.
The quiet 4000 is $60 @ Dr Fosters.
Scrubbies are 6 for a buck.
And bucket and fittings round ten bucks.
All total bout $85, I think I'll try it.


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## Hoosier Tank (May 8, 2007)

The problem I found with a 5 gal bucket being used for canisters is they don't hold "pressure" around the lid very well... especially after being opened a couple times. Imagine if you siphon water from your tank into the bucket, though the media, then pump it back into the tank, the weight of the tank water will pressurize the inside of the bucket and be pushing against the lip of the lid to get out. Also, if you put the pump inside the bucket with the return pipe and the cord either out the side or the lid there is a good chance it will leak there also.
I went the bucket in a tote wet/dry sump instead.


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## planenut007 (Mar 21, 2009)

I have access to 5 gal buckets with screw on lids so I don't believe the water pressure would be an issue.
Still haven't had time to try it, maybe this week-end, let you know how it works (or doesn't)


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## Hoosier Tank (May 8, 2007)

planenut007 said:


> I have access to 5 gal buckets with screw on lids so I don't believe the water pressure would be an issue.
> Still haven't had time to try it, maybe this week-end, let you know how it works (or doesn't)


Nice! I found a couple of old ones at work that even had a gasket around the lid.. but were used for shipping chemicles and I didn't want to risk using them.


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## josmoloco (Aug 23, 2008)

Check out the post on the turf filter that can be incorperated into a sump.


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