# Bio filter design, cheap, easy, effective



## co-photo (Apr 3, 2007)

Hey guys, I had some extra bio media sitting around so I came up with this:










Components:

1. small soda bottle
2. air line with small air stone
3. long zip tie
4. 2 suction cups (aquatic gardens heater replacement suction cups from petco work well)
5. Bio or chemical media of your choice (I used aqua clear ceramic tubes)










1. Cut "door" into side of bottle to add media
2. Cut slits in other side to insert suction cups
3. Drill as many tiny holes in bottle bottom as desired
4. Drill 1/8" hole in center bottom of bottle, run air line through, position airstone in center of bottle top
5. Fill with media
6. Zip tie door shut


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## fosterthefishydude (May 15, 2007)

how long have u had that running?? does it really make a difference??


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## co-photo (Apr 3, 2007)

fosterthefishydude said:


> how long have u had that running?? does it really make a difference??


do you understand biological filtration????


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## tropheus duboisi breeder (Jan 31, 2007)

good design. but shouldn't be on the bottem to pull water up and oxygenate the bio media?


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## fosterthefishydude (May 15, 2007)

co-photo said:


> fosterthefishydude said:
> 
> 
> > how long have u had that running?? does it really make a difference??
> ...


now that i think about it i really dont that well. :lol: i no u like, put air (oxygen) on something rigid and it helps put beneficial bacteria in water. but i dont really get how it works or what it does.


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## co-photo (Apr 3, 2007)

oh, sorry dude


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## tropheus duboisi breeder (Jan 31, 2007)

co-photo can you explain how it works :? don't get how the water is supposed to flow through it? also what size bottle is it :?:


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## co-photo (Apr 3, 2007)

the bottle is not sealed, has perforations in the top, and a panel in the side. Water is drawn up through the bottle.


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## ST33LR4T (Jul 12, 2006)

nice.


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## tropheus duboisi breeder (Jan 31, 2007)

so you hang it upside down?


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## co-photo (Apr 3, 2007)

Yes, where you would drink is facing down.


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## tropheus duboisi breeder (Jan 31, 2007)

what size was it?


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## co-photo (Apr 3, 2007)

Out of the two standard sizes of soda bottles, it is the small size; 1 litre I believe.


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## tropheus duboisi breeder (Jan 31, 2007)

Cool. I made one out of a Dasani water bottle. It holds exactly 1 Liter of Ceramic rings which is great. Im not sure what tank I will run it on, but I have a filling that it will be in my Quarintine tank. I also put a polyfiber pad inside the bottle where the bubbles exit. This is a great idea.


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## co-photo (Apr 3, 2007)

wow, can you post a pic?


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## tropheus duboisi breeder (Jan 31, 2007)

i asked the moderator how to but no response


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## co-photo (Apr 3, 2007)

you cannot post pictures directly into the thread. You must go to a free photo hosting website like Photobucket. You upload your photos to store on their website, and now they are avialable to post wherever you want. Basically when you go to the site and click on your stored photo, it will produce a line of html code for you that you simply copy, then paste directly into your posts here. That magic line of code tells this website to download your pic from the photo website as this page loads.


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## tropheus duboisi breeder (Jan 31, 2007)

whats a good site


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## fosterthefishydude (May 15, 2007)

well he did say "a photo hosting website *like photobucket*" which is what i use. its really easy and only takes a couple minutes to set up.

http://photobucket.com/


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## tropheus duboisi breeder (Jan 31, 2007)

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa10 ... ilter1.jpg theres my version. that is HBH polyfiber at the end. the airstone got pushed in alittle.


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## maseyferguson05 (Feb 6, 2007)

I would have put holes in it, placed the media inside via opening to drink, then attacked a lift tube off of the opening and would have been done with it. Would have worked much better, kinda like a sponge filter.


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## tropheus duboisi breeder (Jan 31, 2007)

Uh there are holes in it. you just cant see them in the pictures that are posted. Also theres 1 liter of bio media in there which accoriding to the manufacture is good for 100 gallons. Lets see a sponge filter do that :!:


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## co-photo (Apr 3, 2007)

maseyferguson05 said:


> I would have put holes in it, placed the media inside via opening to drink, then attacked a lift tube off of the opening and would have been done with it. Would have worked much better, kinda like a sponge filter.


Did you read the description of it at all?? I'd also like to see you spend the time putting all the media throught the drink opening. Furthermore, the opening on the side helps with water flow.


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## tropheus duboisi breeder (Jan 31, 2007)

Also theres no way to get a sponge into a bottle opening. Co-photo did you see what I did


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## co-photo (Apr 3, 2007)

Yeah I did, nice. I like how you used the otherwise empty space by putting floss in it.


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## tropheus duboisi breeder (Jan 31, 2007)

Tested it with a pump rated for 5 gallons and works fine , but tom. i will get one rated for 30 or 40.


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## imusuallyuseless (Dec 28, 2005)

tropheus duboisi breeder, just so you know you can use the IMG link, which is the bottom of the three provied by photobucket, and it'll actually show the picture on the thread, not just the link to it. Like this... 








Either way is fine, but just as an FYI


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## IrkedCitizen (Apr 26, 2007)

This a good DIY. :thumb:

You live in Golden, eh?


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## co-photo (Apr 3, 2007)

IrkedCitizen said:


> This a good DIY. :thumb:
> 
> You live in Golden, eh?


Yes lovely Golden...you live by the airport?


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## IrkedCitizen (Apr 26, 2007)

Not quite. I live in what used to be Littleton before they decided to make Littleton smaller. I live by Southglenn mall if you are familiar with this area.


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## 3fishyfingers (Jun 23, 2007)

hi all so does this work like the bio side in a wet/dry filter just in reverse?


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## maseyferguson05 (Feb 6, 2007)

co-photo said:


> maseyferguson05 said:
> 
> 
> > I would have put holes in it, placed the media inside via opening to drink, then attacked a lift tube off of the opening and would have been done with it. Would have worked much better, kinda like a sponge filter.
> ...


Yes, i read the description, at first i wrote that there would be no holes, then i got to thinking that it would not work.



> Also theres no way to get a sponge into a bottle opening. Co-photo did you see what I did


Who said anything about sticking a sponge in there?


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## IrkedCitizen (Apr 26, 2007)

Don't start arguing folks. This is a good thread no need to ruin it. I see this turning for the worst.

:thumb:


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## maseyferguson05 (Feb 6, 2007)

tropheus duboisi breeder said:


> http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa10/Mbuna25/filter1.jpg theres my version. that is HBH polyfiber at the end. the airstone got pushed in alittle.


Are those the Fluval pre filter ceramic rings? That does not look like biomax. Perhaps AC biomax?


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## tropheus duboisi breeder (Jan 31, 2007)

mine are eheim ehfimech, I took it from a Eheim that was not in service


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## Denny (Sep 27, 2008)

co-photo said:


> wow, can you post a pic?


Use photobucket.com Great site and easy to use.


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## maxim240sx (Jan 17, 2005)

OK so the bottle is underwater providing the wet half and the airstone blows bubbles providing the dry part of a wet/dry filter?


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