Paul B
NJRC Member
MadReefer. That cap is only for the prototype but I will replace it with plastic or rubber as as soon as I go to Home Depot. It is just a "cup" that holds the canister to the base and there are 4 stainless steel sheet metal screws in it to hold it in.
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.
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.