Drip Garden Aquarium Filter

Essentially, this filter pumps up water using suction, filters water using gravity, and returns the water by siphon.

It's easy to make, saves room in your tank, and doesn't require a water pump.
You can easily customize it with different gravels, plants, etc...
However, it is pretty slow compared to conventional filters. But slow and steady wins the race.....


Water is forced up an airline tube by the air pump's air pressure.
It empties out into the drip garden, which is a soda bottle with the funnel part inverted and resting on top of the bottom section.

Gravity pulls the water through the gravel (biological filtration), through the sponges (mechanical filtration), and into the bottom collecting section.

Once the water level exceeds the height of the return airline tube's hole in the collection section, the siphon effect drains the excess water back into the aquarium.

in photo: green tube is the air tube. top clear tube is water tube. bottom clear tube is return tube.

Step 1 Materials and Tools

Non-moving-parts water pump from chefmichel

1) air pump
the gentlest Rena or Whisper air pumps are best.
if it's too strong, the bubbles blow out of the wrong tube.
you can find it at the petstore or online.

2) checkvalve
any checkvalve will do. petstore or online

3) T junction.
I'd recommend going to Home depot or Lowe's and picking up an irrigation T junction.
The tubing fits right over them nicely.

4) Airline tubing
twice the length of your aquarium + the length of your soda bottle+ some more just in case.
The more flexible the better.
Preferably clear to see if your pump is working or not.

5) rock

TOOLS: scissors

Filter Garden
1) 2 L soda bottle or 1 L or whatever.
The bigger, the better filtration. But the bigger the heavier. It's up to you.

2) Aquarium Gravel
Fine sand or rough pebbles are okay.

3) aquarium sponge (normal sponges may kill your fish)

4) optional: bio balls or more gravel

TOOLS: heavy duty scissors. Drill and drill bit (slightly smaller than airline tubing).

Also, water. Lots of water. A towel.

Comments

[nakigara]

You could also try using the urethane foam found in craft/sewing shops - it's dirt cheap, and I've had luck with it in the past. They also have polyester(?) fiber, real similar to what is used in a lot of aquarium filters, just cheaper - either would work for what you are doing

[orion22]

IMPORTANT: As my unfortunately dead ghost shrimp and I have found out, many household sponges contain deadly chemicals.

Please use an aquarium sponge, like from a sponge filter. Or just skip that step altogether.