# Bio-Filter Questions



## sharkbun (Mar 8, 2010)

Hi all,

I am a newbie here and hopefully someone can give me their two cents to my following questions.

I went to Luckys (Market Village at Kennedy and Steeles) two weeks ago and saw them selling a tank top bio-filter that made of glass for $300. It works the other way around versus the traditional bottom wet/dry filter. The powerhead is inside the tank to pump water to the filter on the top and there is a return on the other end of the filter which theoretically sounds equally fine with me compare to a bottom wet/dry filter.

I am planning to build a new tank for arowana and I want to use wet/dry filter for it. I do not have any space for a bottom wet/dry filter and I also do not want to drill through my tank. After I saw this tank top wet/dry filter, I decided to make one myself if possible. I have been looking around to get glass or Plexi-glass for it but not quite successful yet.

Here are my questions:

I have a 40 gal breeder tank where the size is 36" x 18" X 16" and I want to build the filter with a size of 36" x 10" x 10".

1. Is glass better than Plexi glass? How thick of the glass or Plexi-glass do I need? It is going to be 3 ft long and I would guess I cannot use something that is relatively thin. Is 5.6mm good enough?

2. Where is a good place to get glass or Plexi-glass for a reasonable price? At Rona, a 2' x 4' (5.6mm thick) Plexi-glass cost $60

3. I have read some forums that use Weld-on #4 to glue plexi-glass and where can I find the Weld-on in GTA?

4. Where can I get cheaper tools to cut plexi-glass or glass?

Hope that there are not too many questions and someone will generously throw their two cents to me.

Thanks and have a nice day


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

If you don't understand acrylic, and you want to build something your first time out of acrylic, for your fish tank, you will have four months of joy followed by floods, rot, insurance claims, horror, plague, and raining frogs. Don't do it.

If you want to hear some amateur acrylic HORROR stories. Pops, leaks, cracks, floods, ask Wtac and Aquatic Designs.

Acrylic is the finest material known to the aquarium hobby- but have a professional do what you need done or buy it from a reputable dealer premade.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Wait, arowana in a 40 breeder? Nope. Not a chance.

Go with at the very least a 125g 6' tank. Aros get big.


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## dl88dl (Mar 8, 2010)

It will still cost you alot if you build it yourself. Do you have room for a canister filter like the Ehiem 2227/2229 wet dry filter. If you do then try and get one that is used.

BTW, how big an aro are you getting for that 40gal breeder tank?
It wouldn't take long for a 2" to 3" aro to out grow that tank


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## sharkbun (Mar 8, 2010)

Thanks for all the replies. I will take the advice and go get some professional help for this. I have asked a glass store to build one for me. I just placed the order today and hope things will go well after that.

Thank you for you folks' two cents, I am becoming a rich guy soon.

PS. 40GAL tank for a aro is not gonna to hold for long but it is a good excuse to get a bigger tank down the road. Hope my wife will understand if you know what I mean.

Have a good day.


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## InSpirit (Mar 14, 2009)

The reason they are made out of glass has to do with the length they must span. You could get away with a hybrid and use a thick 3/8" plate glass to span the tank and have the filter made out of 1/4" acrylic sitting on top. The amount of partitions within the filter really strengthens the overall design. The 1/4" acrylic is fine as long as you stay below 12". Besides it's only half filled at any one time. I do think these are somewhat limited as a filter though.


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## dl88dl (Mar 8, 2010)

sharkbun said:


> PS. 40GAL tank for a aro is not gonna to hold for long but it is a good excuse to get a bigger tank down the road. Hope my wife will understand if you know what I mean.
> 
> Have a good day.


That is a great excuse to get a bigger tank and hopefully your wife will get attached to the Aro and maybe she will tell you to get a bigger tank or 2


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