Well since it worked out I was gonna hve a few more goldies then I'd bargained for and then my old DOY filter decided to self destruct was definitely time to make a new one.

LOl so yeah I went overboard a wee bit, but the fishes'll have nice clean water LOL. My new power head hasn't arrived yet so I've had to make do with a much smaller one, just imagine that theres streams of water instead of drips LOL.

Pic of the full "tub tank"


The filters on the left it's made of of three main parts:

A chamber stuffed with sponges that the water first runs through...(ignore the sticker, I cant get the thing off, but its not actually getting wet anyway)


Theres small holes in the base of the container so the water then runs into a large shallow dish over a combo of gravel and ceramic noodles, theres about 20 small holes in the bottom for the water to drip into the base container


Theres a small overflow in the corner so if the small holes plug up, the water still cant overflow the container and soak the floor


The water drips into the blue container this holds 15l, and it will be filled with about 4 kilos worth of smashed terracotta pots, right now there still soaking though. Also in here are two air pumps to provide extra aeration


The water runs through the 4 tubes inserted into the blue box and does a small water fall back into the tank


LOl do ya like? sigh I really gotta stop inventing new things to do so I can procrastinate on assignments. But hopefully this filter will easily support the extra fish plus the heap of aeration the waters gotta get going through all that has to be good for it LOL. My new power head should arrive on Monday and it'll turn the tank over 10 times per hour. The total capacity of the tank including the additional filter capacity works out at about 60g.

It needs to support three extremely stunted single tails, one comet with a long tail and two shubunkins with long tails, all are about 3 inches long and 5-6 years old, as I said extremely stunted. It'll also house two fancies, right now the only fancy is Onyx, he's being hand fed to make sure he gets the right amount of food, and hopefully he'll grow nice and big soon LOL, right now he's an inch long. The fifth fish is a little pearl scale I've had on order for yonks.

This tank was only meant to house the two fancies, but then one of Mums ponds broke and she added those poor fishies to my tank and I seriously don't wanna put them back in there little 25g pond, though I doubt they'll grow in my tank either, there too far gone for that.

So any comments? constructive criticism?

Emma

I think your diy filter is pretty good. Just wondering, but what is the brand and model of the power head because I might get a rubbermaid tub for my room once Im done remodeling it.

This is the powerhead I've ordered-
http://www.theaquariumshop.com.au/shopexd....+Power+Head+104

The main reason I got it was pretty much because it was half the price of the other ones LOL, it should be here on Monday.

You need to get a powerhead to suit the tub though, from what I've read 10 times filtration is a good ideal for goldfish tanks.

Hmm I worked out my prefilter too.

I cut a 1.2l coke bottle in half, using the top half I'm gonna put the powerhead in that, the output tube will come through the neck of the bottle, and the input grating will be covered with sponges. Doing it this way should provide a decent catchment area for debris.

I do not know much about DIY filters and such, but I must say that I am impressed with what you have done. I hope it all works great for you with all the time and planning you have done to make it.

thanks

Looks like a job well done avalon. Especially I like the air pumps being in there underneath as that makes for better stronger bacteria. Looks like your out pipe will provide anice splash too..

My only concern at all with your invention is..hope you don't have a cat

LOL, nah cats are banned from our area, we back onto a national parks and wildlife area, so cats aren't really welcomed considering their remarkably ability to hunt parrots and a few times possums. Plus I have all the nice little prey animals cats like LOL.

I have discovered that Jupey, a free range guinea pig I have, really really likes sitting on the air pumps LOL, I have no idea why, would've thought the pumps shake his teeth out LOL.

The main reason I put the air pumps in the filter was because they're strong pumps designed to run sponge filters for 100g tanks (got them in a lot of stuff from ebay), when their in the main body of the 50g tank I cant see the fish from all the splashing LOL, never thought it'd help the bacteria.

Good job, yours look like a small bakki shower (except you don't have special filter insert, Bacterial house media)

Here is the pic of actual Bakki shower




Here is the info about Bekki shower..
http://www.keirinponds.com/bakkishower/index.php

Well I added the 2000l/ph pump on and wow is the tank going LOL.

The fish love it to, the amount of aeration that things gotta be getting now... LOL. But the waterfall also act as as a hiding place for the fish, which they love so if I scare em they just swim under there. It looks great to.

The pump turned out to be absolutely massive though, but hey twas half price LOL, and I added a sponge cover over the intake so no goldy fins get sucked in and torn up, but even my little wigglybutt black moor can easily escape the suction.

LOl now am trying to decide how many fish can stay in there LOL, the three stunted fish though starting to look way more in proportion as good quality food and clean water fix all their cuts and round them out again, still haven't grown, but my little black moors grown another cm or so.

wow thats neat.I never thought about building my own filter.Good job.