Diy filter floss/fuge divider >$10

[chaostactics]

Gather supplies: fresh razor, .08" acrylic, ruler, sharpie, drill, pilot bit, heavy duty gloves, pizza stone (or similar), oven, optional sheet metal pliers, and a material the thickness of the aquarium wall youre moimunting to (i used 1/4" acrylic). Measure and mock up on paper. Mark the acrylic where folds/bends will occur. Score deeply in ONE cut where the break points will be on the acrylic.

 

[chaostactics]

Once you've scored the acrylic put it score side up over the edge of a hard flat surface and pin in place with a hard flat object (piece of wood, that college text book you couldn't sell back, etc.), snap off the acrylic by giving a Hard and fast palm strike to the piece to be broken off. (Smart people will wear safety Google's and gloves for this).

Put in oven for approx 4-5 min on solid heat retaining surface to make malleable.

 

[chaostactics]

Put on gloves, the acrylic will be HOT AF. Fold the edge that will "clip" over you chamber wall over a material that's of equal thickness (in my case I used 1/4" for the rear chamber thickness of my innovative marine 40 gal). While you have your folds on place hold till it's cooled or apply a cool wet rag to cause the acrylic to harden and keep it's form.

Once done use a ruler to mark even increments or free hand holes in your acrylic for flow. Using a pilot hole bit makes things easier you're going to be half drilling/half melting the acrylic with the bit. (Bigger holes for more flow like in the case of filter floss, smaller for keeping Cheato in place)

 

[chaostactics]

Clip to applicable chamber and enjoy.

 

[chaostactics]

I made 3 of these (well 2 and messed up one for the tutorial while trying to remember how long and at what temp to bake it for about 8-9$ in acrylic) see below for what happens when you go too long/too hot

 

[._Z_.]

Awesome! I might have to try this on my jbj 45. Where did you get the acrylic and at what temperature did you bake it?

 

[chaostactics]

Awesome! I might have to try this on my jbj 45. Where did you get the acrylic and at what temperature did you bake it?

Acrylic came from home depot or lowes they both sell it in little 10, 12, 18" squares or rectangles or something inch sections for >$10. Enough to screw up once or twice if you're only building one or two.

375 at 4-5 min. In a non-convection oven. The thicker the acrylic the longer it takes but be careful to not overshoot it. You can always heat longer but you can never "undo" overheated acrylic.

PS PROTIP:

If you bend it it in the wrong spot you can toss it right back in the oven on your cookie tray, slate, pizza stone, other flat surface and wait for it to go flat again I a couple of minutes and then just try again.

 

[._Z_.]

I’m going to give this a try at some point. Thanks!

 

[chaostactics]

I’m going to give this a try at some point. Thanks!

It's a fun little project. I messed up the first 4-5 experimenting with temps, thickness, and drillbit types. Hopefully others can replicate with guidance from my mistakes.

 

[._Z_.]

It's a fun little project. I messed up the first 4-5 experimenting with temps, thickness, and drillbit types. Hopefully others can replicate with guidance from my mistakes.

I’ll be sure to post my results here when I get around to trying this. Also need to find a way to make my own inTank media basket on the cheap...hmmm

 

[Starblenny]

I have a custom tank and there's no media basket out there that'll fit in my chamber... This will definitely work for me. Thanks!

 

[chaostactics]

I’ll be sure to post my results here when I get around to trying this. Also need to find a way to make my own inTank media basket on the cheap...hmmm

You can make a full blown media basket with some Weldon and similar "score and snap" methodology but I'll be honest for a full blown media basket with multiple levels you might be better off investing in an "in tank media basket".

That being said by modifying the depth/height of the tray you could make it deep enough to hold a small bag of carbon/chemipure/what ever right under your filter floss sheet.

I made my refugium separator a bit deeper than my first attempt so that I could put a bag of purigen on top of it. I'm considering making adeeper one for the floss side so I could put a bag of chemipure/phosban/carbon if I ever had a tank nuke or something.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Well done! I was just thinking about doing something like this. I don't like changing out socks.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

What filter floss are you using?

 

[chaostactics]

@revhtree Thanks for the interest! Yea I love these vs the socks in my tan and it gives me room have a stack of LR rubble underneath for pod breeding an natural looking frag plugs.

I'm using a generic bonded filter pad from my LFS with a layer of generic 50 micron under that on days vacuum/water change.

I rotate the pads 180 degrees once a week so that the part that is away from the filter grate is now under the grate (the right at the grate gets clogged after 3-4 days.) Then throw it out once a week.

 

[George Lopez]

To bend mine I use a blow torch and the edge of a bench or piece of wood

 

[chaostactics]

To bend mine I use a blow torch and the edge of a bench or piece of wood

I'm guessing you're not the legendary comedian gracing us with your presence?

A blow torch certainly works, figure more people have an oven on hand but the torch wold make it easier by allowing for one bend at a time.

 

[George Lopez]

I'm guessing you're not the legendary comedian gracing us with your presence?

A blow torch certainly works, figure more people have an oven on hand but the torch wold make it easier by allowing for one bend at a time.

LOL no I'm not and trees it does allow for single bends which I have found useful. I was just throwing it out there.

 

[SciGuy2]

< less than
> greater than

Examples: Greater than $10 could be written as: >$10. Less than $10 could be written as: <$10

 

[chaostactics]

< less than
> greater than

Examples: Greater than $10 could be written as: >$10. Less than $10 could be written as: <$10

Yea hit the wrong key on the keyboard but don't have the ability to edit the title.