Thus far, this DIY external filter has gone through 3 improvement steps which Ill address briefly:
Upgrade 1 - The initial filter design was working pretty well but then I thought that adding a backflush/drainage valve could be beneficial it a lot of ways. So I did and reconfigured the arrangement of materials in the filter canister. You can view it here: Filter Improvement Project
Upgrade 2 - The filter pads kept pushing upwards thus making the filter spilling water out of the system. Bad, bad thing to have, so I thought that the spill outlet of the filter should be increased in size.Instead, I added another 32 mm outlet as I have the parts in my box.
Upgrade 3 - Though the overall water level in the filter has been lowered by the additional outlet, the filter pads kept pushing up. Hmm, only at that moment the word permeability came to me. As I recollected my observations on this filter, the pads will stay put each time I improved or cleaned it but after a week or so the filter pads will move upwards. It must be that as the filter gets loaded with sediments, the resistance towards flow increases (permeability reduces), thus the water is pushing the pads upwards. Initially I used bricks to hold the pads down but bricks, werent enough. Furthermore, putting weights on the filter is not really a good idea. So I installed new filter pads stoppers made from 20mm PVC pipes arranged in a hexagonal pattern to hold the pads in place.
The pad stoppers. Also some coral bits in the net sack to buffer the pH of the system.
Tank connectors were used to make the stoppers. Dont forget to glue the pipes with PVC cement!
The additional outlet to cope with the water flow. Always oversize your outlet...your initial design is rarely enough!
Voilla, they work great but somehow I feel that there is more to come...
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