Build a Diatom filter for under $100.00

[Paul B]

I have 4 or 5 old Vortex Diatom filters in various stages of disintegration and I use one all the time to stir up the gravel in my 125 gallon tank. I also use it to blow out detritus in the pores my real rock. The tank uses dolomite gravel and the gravel has been in there for the 52 year life of the tank.



I also use the diatom filter many times when I collect NSW which is full of sea weed parts, sand and all sorts of debris because I take it from shore.



My last Diatom filter croaked after many fixes and modifications so I built one. I have been wanting to do this for many years because the manufactured model has not been built in many years and it was a horrible design for salt water and it rusted bad causing the bearings and seal to fail.

This working prototype I built in about an hour and so far it runs very well but I didn't put the diatom powder in yet.
The main two parts are a typical under sink water filter housing available from Amazon for about $20.00. The pleated filter cartridge inside is a 30 micron. They sell a one micron and if you use that you don't need diatom powder but I want to try this one first with the powder.

The pump is a 500GPH Supreme Hydro-Mag pump. $68.00 on Amazon

The membrane inside is $13.00​

Pentair Pentek R30 Sediment Water Filter, 10-Inch, Under Sink Pleated Polyester Filter Cartridge, 10" x 2.5", 30 Micron​

This is the finished prototype ready for testing.

The galvanized cap on the bottom of the filter is a 4" end cap for a dryer vent duct. It will corrode so I will replace it on the finished model with a rubber one available in a plumbing supply of Home Depot.

I also would not use that piece of "melamine" shelving material at the bottom as it doesn't do well with water. I will use either Plexiglass or varnished wood.

I also will replace that clear tube between the pump and filter with a 1/2" PVC pipe using a union in the middle for ease in taking the thing apart.

 

[Paul B]

I installed the thing and it is working better than my wildest dreams......... Well,, maybe not my wildest dreams because they involve a bowling ball, Vintage Linda Ronstadt "record", 2 Q-Tips, a brake shoe from a 1957 Oldsmobile Starfire and a duck.

But it is working perfectly and I couldn't be happier. Well, yes I could but I can't talk about that here. :grimacing-face:

I stirred up the gravel here. The entire job was about an hour not counting going to Home Depot.

Speaking of Home Depot. When I came out of the store this guy approaches me saying "Sir...Oh Sir". So I know he is going to ask for money.

He tells me he is 58 years old and has no money. They just turned off his "Cable" and his kids are going nuts. Meanwhile the guy is dressed better than me and has about 2 pounds of gold chains around his neck one of them is big enough to secure a bicycle with.

And he has CABLE.
I told him being that it is near Christmas I will give you two bucks. He says, can I do any better?
I said listen, you really need to come up with a better line and get rid of those gold chains (or sell them and get rid of cable.

I said Take it or leave it. He said, i will shut up now. I said..Good Idea.

 

[Paul B]

In my test it looks like some of the diatom powder is getting through the 30 micron filter so I ordered some 5 micron filter cartridges for a test.
I knew there would be some tweeking to do.

 

[Chlorinated]

Where is the powder? Looks like only the pleated cartridge in the canister

 

[Paul B]

The powder is in there. It is stuck all over the cartridge just like in the normal version of the filter. To clean it, you backflush it in a sink.

 

[Paul B]

I acquired a half size model so while I am tweeking the larger one, I will design a smaller one for a smaller tank. These prototypes are just for design ideas. I am not sure yet if I can get the correct cartridge for the smaller one.

I also found a material for the base that is cheap, available and all plastic. I will use that for future models of this project.

 

[Chlorinated]

Is the cartridge you use cleanable/reusable? I know you said you can backflush the the powder down the sink, so you would obviously need to replace the powder, but would the cartridge still be viable?

I'm curious is just using a 1-5um sediment filter for like $3 and tossing would be easier/cost effective.

 

[Paul B]

The cartridge is washable and reusable. Yes, You can easily use the 1 micron cartridge and don't use powder.
This "prototype" the way it sits is difficult to open to clean the cartridge but in the finished model it will be very easy. (hopefully)

The cartridges are not $3.00. More like $12.00

If the 5 micron cartridge does not coat with diatom powder like I hope it will I designed another modification but it will be a little tricky to build into this device so some people may have difficulty with it. I will see soon as the 5 micron filter is supposed to arrive today.

Right now with the 30 micron cartridge, most of the powder falls to the bottom and turns into mud.

 

[Chlorinated]

The cartridge is washable and reusable. Yes, You can easily use the 1 micron cartridge and don't use powder.
This "prototype" the way it sits is difficult to open to clean the cartridge but in the finished model it will be very easy. (hopefully)

The cartridges are not $3.00. More like $12.00

If the 5 micron cartridge does not coat with diatom powder like I hope it will I designed another modification but it will be a little tricky to build into this device so some people may have difficulty with it. I will see soon as the 5 micron filter is supposed to arrive today.

Right now with the 30 micron cartridge, most of the powder falls to the bottom and turns into mud.

I meant the 1um sediment filters. They are like $5 from Bulk Reef or $4 on Amazon, and I found pleated like what you are using, but 1um rather than 30 for $5/ea on Amazon as well. I can send the link if you like.

Just curious how well they wash out, or if it is worth just tossing the $4 filter after use given its something you only use on occasion.

 

[Chlorinated]

I have a small tank, so definitely interested in the small version

 

[Paul B]

Clorinated, Thank You. I found the 5 micron on Amazon but can't find it for the 5" tall housing. If you have a link to that, that would be great. I even searched the company that builds them and it is not available from that company anyway, maybe someone else sells them. Right now I am trying to get the large one perfected and hope to work on it today.

It looks like a hurricane here today. Trees are down, lights are flickering and I think some people like Nancy Pelosi blew away.

My 10 year old Grand Son yesterday called my wife to say to her: "Grand Ma, do you know what I did today?" She said :No Teddy, what did you do?"

Teddy said, " I watched 2 1/2 hours of PopPop on YouTube talking about fish. And he has 15,000 followers". I never even knew he cared anything about fish, or me for that matter.

He also said: PopPop is the only one fast enough to catch a lizard" . (I once caught him a lizard) I probably fell on it.



I received the new 5 micron filter cartridge yesterday and hopefully will try it today. I don't think it will work exactly like I want yet but I did design the piece that should make it work perfectly. This new piece may be difficult for many people to build at home so I will try to simplify it.

I could make it with my 3 D Printer but that is a pain to set up and I think I can make the "prototype" one by hand faster, just not as good looking. If it works well, I may 3D print them.

If I ever had to manufacture these things (and I have no plans at this time to do that, I would have to have at least that part made in a factory.

The issue is that adding the diatom powder right into the housing like I normally do in a diatom filter, the powder falls to the bottom and turns into mud and resembles the make up on one of my old girlfriends who used to put it on with a trowel.

I designed a tube that extends to the bottom of the canister like the old diatoms had that will keep the powder in suspension while it is coating the bag. (Someone on one of these forums asked me about a tube and he was correct but I tried without it and it failed)

The problem is that there is only about half an inch of space between the cartridge and the housing so little room for the proper sized tube and no space to connect it to the inlet pipe. I solved that problem and hope to build it today.

There is a chance, and I will test it today that the powder will coat the cartridge if I slowly add the powder as the thing is running. But that is a pain and would have to be done in something other than the tank or powder will go into the tank. It can be done in a separate container but I am trying not to do it like that so I think I will have to build my modification.

Vortex used to sell a 4 way valve that was great but it is out of production and also difficult to build even with a 3 D printer (for me anyway as I am not that good at getting it on my computer so the printer knows what I am doing.

If I ever sold these things, I would also have that commercially built but the initial model would cost me thousands for the mold. I know because I patented the "Mojano Wand" and the tiny tip on the thing was maybe $10,000.00 and it costs about five cents to make (after you have the mold built.)

I am trying to simplify the thing so anyone, even my 12 year old Grand Daughter,l Greta could build it.



Yesterday I received a Rx from my Doctor. It is a little patch of what looks like Scotch tape and you stick it to the inside of your cheek. It dissolves in half an hour and is a narcotic. So if it puts me in a drug induced stupor, I should be able to design these parts easier.

 

[Paul B]

The 5 micron cartridge seems to work very well, "So Far in a test". I put diatom powder in a container with water and had the filter suck it up.
It coated the cartridge and completely cleared up the water of powder.

The only "issue" of starting it like this is that it would be difficult to start it in my tank this way. Normally, I add the powder with some water into my diatom filter before I start it. Then I put the ends of the hoses together and let it run until the jar gets clear and all the powder is on the pleated cartridge.

To run it this way, I would have to start it in a container of salt water and after it clears, I would have to put the ends of the hoses together while it is still running and transfer it to my reef. Then put the ends of the hoses under the water in my tank and pull them apart.

I normally do it that way anyway except I dump the power in before I start it. If I did that now, I "think" the powder would lump up on the bottom of the filter and stay there. I will test that and if that happens, I devised another way to start it that is very simple but I need to test it and it won't cost anything or take up any time. Just cost two bucks to implement.

I will post what happens.

 

[Paul B]

A member on another forum (I am not sure if I can put his name here) suggested that I start it like this and I am totally grateful for the idea because it is much easier than how I normally use diatoms. Especially this new model. This is how we did it in the 60s but I totally forgot about it. At my age I forget a lot of things.
I stirred up the gravel in my tank and noticing how fast it clears the water completely.

You just hang a container inside the tank with the top above the water and fill it with tank water.
Fill the filter by putting it on the floor and using a funnel pour tank water into the inlet hose. It doesn't fill completely for some reason if you just siphon the water into it but it will fill most of the way. Fill it completely as to much air and it won't start.

Run it in that container in your tank and add some diatom powder, maybe a cup or a little less. When the water in that container gets clear, remove the container while keeping the hoses in your tank.

So far the filter is working perfectly and is getting filled with detritus while cleaning my tank.

Now I just need to build a square container that will hang in my tank just above the water as that pitcher I am using in the picture is very unweildly and could easily turn over in the tank spilling powder out in my tank.

Now I just need to replace that metal "Cup" under the canister because it will rust badly and change the melimne shelving material I used as a base and I will call this project completed.

 

[Paul B]

I just turned off the filter and removed it. The water is so clear that I didn't think the pumps were on. I love diatom filters.

 

[Paul B]

I may build another one of these diatom filters but half the size that uses one micron filter element with no powder. The smaller pump is almost the same price and pumps 250GPH instead of 500GPH. I already have the half size filter housing and am looking for something to build but it will still cost me almost one hundred bucks to build.

But it's a fun project.

 

[Paul B]

OK the thing is finished

This is the base of the pump and the 4" PVC Pipe end cap screwed to the plastic board. These plastic boards are from Home Depot and it's 1 X 6 used for outdoor moldings.

I tapped the end cap for 1/4" X 20 screws to keep the filter housing in sturdy. If you can't do that or if your name is Humble you can live without it but the housing will be loose. I will put in 4- 1/4 X 20 X 3/4" nylon thumb screws just to hold it but not to tight as I don't want to crach the thing

I will change those stainless screws to nylon when I get them. I used brass screws to secure the end cap to the plastic board because I had them. You can use stainless steel screws. #8 X 1/2" pan or round head screws.

I replaced the clear tubing with PVC pipe because now you can just unscrew the 1/2" union and unscrew the top of the filter housing to replace the cartridge or clean it. Simple.

You should be able to see the plumbing parts I used from the finished picture but if not, let me know what you want to know

 

[Paul B]

I just ordered parts for a half size diatom filter but this one has a one micron cartridge and it doesn't work with powder. It should work perfect for people concerned about parasites (I am not). I can't find a one micron pleated cartridge to use with powder. I want to see how this one works and how easy it is to clean. The cartridges are only five bucks so even if I can't clean it, it is still cheap enough to change the cartridges occasionally.

Hopefully next week I will be able to build the thing and test it.

It will cost me about $115.00 in parts because I am using a good pump.

 

[serwobow]

That thing looks awesome! I want to build one so I can use it for detritus cleanup. Thanks for posting this.

 

[Paul B]

Thank you. Awesome was what I was going for. The words Great and Fantastic doesn't quite do it justice.

 

[Paul B]

I received all the parts to build the small diatom filter. This one will be rather expensive because the "frame, supports and base" will be 1/2" acrylic sheet. One square foot of the stuff is about $25.00 and each filter uses one square foot.

This one is just for me to experiment but if I ever made any more I don't think I would use acrylic just for the cost. But I like it so much better than any other material and it looks like jewelry.