How to make an external filter for the aquarium with your own hands?

Any aquarist, even a beginner, is aware of the need to filter water in the aquarium. Continuous cleaning of fish vital products will allow the owner to devote less time to cleaning in his home pond. On how to make an external aquarium filter with your own hands, we will analyze in this article.

An aquarium filter is a very important component of the entire aquarium biosystem, since in the pores of the filter element (whether it be a sponge or loose filler), a large number of bacteria useful for the inhabitants of the “reservoir” live and live.

There are two types of filters for aquarium water: internal and external.

Internal filters are affordable, but take up a lot of space in the aquarium and do not always look aesthetically pleasing, and if the aquarium is long, then you will need 2 devices that will be installed on both sides, thus hiding a lot of space. At the same time, equally effective external instances with the necessary set of functions are very expensive, although they have a number of advantages over their internal “brothers”:

• Do not spoil the view in the "reservoir" with its bulky structure;
• designed for more impressive volumes;
• most convenient to use;
• they need a little less cleaning and maintenance.

Filler aquarium filter is an important component. There are several options for sorbents.

The most common are foam sponges. They have a specific structure, which allows the filler to absorb dirt less often. The synthetic winterizer in this case is inferior to sponges. In addition to filtration of a mechanical type, foam rubber is also responsible for the biological treatment of water in the habitat of fish. Many beneficial bacteria settle in the sponge, which neutralize nitrates and nitrites with their vital functions.

The long presence of such a sorbent in water is well reflected in the biosphere of the liquid. However, the sponge can still be clogged, then the water flow through the filter will be reduced. This will certainly affect the quality of the water. Therefore, at least once a week, the cleaning unit will need to be removed and washed.

Aquarists with many years of experience sometimes turn to ceramic fillers. Such parts are responsible for the biological treatment of water. They have a porous structure, due to which it is possible to multiply a large number of colonies of beneficial bacteria that take part in the nitrogen cycle that occurs in the aquarium.

This type of filler does not have to be washed - you can only rinse it sometimes in aquarium water. Most often, ceramic elements are used in devices of external filter models.

Today, on the shelves of pet stores, buyers can see a lot of various fillers of all kinds of quality. Tetra ceramic products are in great demand. They are relevant for many years. They are used both in freshwater and in reef varieties of aquariums. Good analogues of Tetra fillers are Hydor brand products.

If there is filler from sintepon in the filtering system, then after a thorough cleaning of the aquarium, such material is able to catch almost all the dust and turbidity that rises up after a siphon of soil or treatment of aquarium plants.

The sintepon filler has one important drawback - it clogs very quickly. After a week of work, such material sticks together, turning into a dirty lump. All absorbent properties in this case will inevitably be lost. There will be no sense from the filler. Once again, this kind of filler can be used, but only after thorough washing under running water.

It is used to filter aquariums and such material as zeolite (ion exchange resin). He is responsible for cleaning the chemical type and can absorb various chemicals into the structure, as well as exchange cations. If you use this material in filters, then remember that it can lower pH in the aquarium, and also reduce phosphate levels. Products manufactured are considered the best zeolite. by Hydor.

Many aquarists choose volcanic lava or expanded clay balls as their fill. These sorbents can contain silicates, phosphates and even heavy metals. They must be washed well before using in an aquarium.

Activated carbon is also used. This filler is able to remove a large number of different compounds from aquarium water. However, it cannot be called biological material for filtration, because it absorbs both soluble and insoluble substances. Usually coal is not used constantly because of the short service life. In external models of filters, activated carbon, as a rule, is used in conjunction with other types of fillers, when the water is very turbid or it is necessary to intensively filter the liquid to treat fish.

The specific service life of such an sorbent is not possible to name, since it directly depends on the installed filtering system and the tasks that are assigned to it.

We should also talk about peat fillers. Peat has been used in aquarium conditions for many years, but in isolated cases as a filtering component. Such a sorbent enriches water with tannins, as well as humic acids. It is such a filler that should be addressed if it is necessary to achieve the optimum level of softness of water for fish and plants of certain species.

In manufacturing, the external filter is simple - you only need to adhere to a certain sequence of actions.

• In the lower part of the tank you need to make a hole for the water to enter the filter, in the upper (cover) - two: for water and for the pump wire. Using the nozzle, we firmly fix the pump on the inside of the cover.
• Carefully coat all joints with sealant.
• We make separators for filter materials. To do this, we cut out an element of a slightly smaller diameter from the plastic box than the container itself. Pour filler, separating it. The larger the volume of each cartridge, the better the filtration. The combination of fillers will allow you to get higher performance and better quality water at the outlet.
• Next, you need to assemble. The sealant should dry for at least 24 hours. After drying, install the filter in your workplace and proceed to measure the hoses. This should be done as accurately as possible. The longer the hoses, the more powerful the pump must be installed.
• After this, a test run of the filter is made, the device should work for at least 24 hours. If after this time no leaks are detected, then such an aquarium unit is fully ready for operation.

A homemade filter can be of any design and any appearance.

Before choosing a device design, you need to understand that There is no one universal filter for all aquariums and occasions. Each of them is made for specific goals, objectives, volumes and types of fish contained in this aquarium. Therefore, Before stopping on one or another model of the filter, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of your pets.

Many beginners in the aquarium industry do not know how to properly clean the aquarium filter. As mentioned earlier, large colonies of beneficial bacteria live on sponges and other filtering elements. When the sponge gets dirty, it naturally needs to be washed.

The sponge is removed from the aquarium and carried into the sink. This is where the most common mistake appears - washing the sponge under running water, all the bacteria so necessary for the life of the aquarium are washed off, after which a clean but empty sponge returns to the reservoir.

Thus, you will wash away the dirt, but at the same time, all microorganisms will remain in place, and the “living” sponge will return to the aquarium.This method of washing is relevant for all types of filter elements, whether it is a simple sponge or balls of baked glass.

For the convenience of working with a home-made filter, transparent hoses made of food-grade silicone are well suited. They do not become tough over time, do not contain harmful substances, and a transparent material will help to see deposits inside the tubes, which will tell you about the need to clean the filler.

Any kind of work should be carried out in a completely de-energized body of water.

If you are afraid to make serious mistakes when making an aquarium filter yourself, do not waste your time in vain - buy a ready-made model, there are a lot of them on sale. It is advisable to give preference to high-quality filters of well-known companies.

See below for how to make an external filter.