# Other Aquarium Forums > Equipment and Accessories > DIY Projects >  DIY Canister Filter Question

## taytay

So right now I have a 55 gallon tank with a small Oscar fish and a small pleco in it.(when they get crowded i'll remove the pleco). My only filtration is two Penguin 200 HOB's with bio filter inserts added.
I'm pretty sure the penguins won't be able to handle them later on so..

I'm planning on making a DIY canister filter with a 5 gallon bucket.
I was hoping I could get some ideas or opinions on the project?

How Powerful should the pump be? How can I make a *silent* setup? because the tank is in my bedroom...

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## stormhawk

What I do remember is, the bucket or container, must have a good seal and the cover/lid's clamps, should be able to withstand the water pressure. Some folks went with those Lock n Lock containers, but the lid's clamps were not strong enough to withstand the pressure.

I have no idea how powerful the pump should be, but making it "silent" should be easy if you used foam around the whole thing. I doubt you can effectively make the DIY canister totally silent, if there is trapped air within the container. 

The most silent canister I've used to date is still an Eden 501, but it will be insufficient with an Oscar and a Pleco in the same tank. I am fairly certain your Penguin HOBs should be sufficient, if you keep to regular water changes and don't overfeed the Oscar and Pleco.

Rather than DIY a canister of your own, you might want to consider doing a wet/dry sump filter instead.

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## ervinelin

> So right now I have a 55 gallon tank with a small Oscar fish and a small pleco in it.(when they get crowded i'll remove the pleco). My only filtration is two Penguin 200 HOB's with bio filter inserts added.
> I'm pretty sure the penguins won't be able to handle them later on so..
> 
> I'm planning on making a DIY canister filter with a 5 gallon bucket.
> I was hoping I could get some ideas or opinions on the project?
> 
> How Powerful should the pump be? How can I make a *silent* setup? because the tank is in my bedroom...


I don't think this is a good idea. The seals are VITAL, and to do up something proper will probably end up requiring more money than buying an existing (or 2nd hand) external filter.

Take it from someone who has DIYed stuff like this and have them fail and flood the whole room because of leaks.

Unless you have the proper know how, time and tools to do it. I suggest you don't try to DIY a canister filter.

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## Fuzzy

I think what he has in mind sounds more like a 5 Gal DIY bucket sump than a DIY canister.

Get a pump/powerhead with around 1200 - 1500 L/hr with a 2 metre lift as your return pump and it should be enough flow.

But I agree, its probably not worth the time or effort if you're trying to DIY a canister, unless you have access to materials and tools already.

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## Blue Whale

> So right now I have a 55 gallon tank with a small Oscar fish and a small pleco in it.(when they get crowded i'll remove the pleco). My only filtration is two Penguin 200 HOB's with bio filter inserts added.
> I'm pretty sure the penguins won't be able to handle them later on so..
> 
> I'm planning on making a DIY canister filter with a 5 gallon bucket.
> I was hoping I could get some ideas or opinions on the project?
> 
> How Powerful should the pump be? How can I make a *silent* setup? because the tank is in my bedroom...


The way I see it, unless you have 800 pump, then it is a strong flow rate. The penguins shouldn't be creating a strong one. Put your hand under near to the floor bed and feel.

Perhaps instead of DIY a canister, and you still think flow rate is still strong, how about getting a few small driftwoods, 2 laid down front to back, then one covering on top and at the back, just a small "cave" there for the fish to hide. You'd be lucky if you can find just one piece with a caving hole there. It will be like a santuary for the fish, I always create pockets of small holes, so that if the fishes are really tired, they can rest there especially at night.

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