The current filter was my husbands idea, based on my original but not so good idea. Mine was to make the canopy a bit wider then the tank so it would go all the way to the wall, this would allow enough room for the shelf for the filter and for the lights and still let me feed the fish and change water etc. then I originally made the filter out of plexi I got cheep at home depot because it was scratched. but apparently I am not that good at cutting and siliconing together plexi so mine leaked (can you see the water stains?). so my husband asked me if the filter had to be square? could it be rounded? so he made the pvc pipe filter based on my plexi idea. we also ordered a in line pump to put next to the filter so it won't be in the tank. My husband doesn't want to see any equiptment, which is why I decided to put the filter in the canopy. the heater is also in the filter.
here is my original filter before the canopy was even done:
The filter works by pumping water into one end where the water runs over the heater and through the filter media and then is dumped back into the tank at the other end.
preaty simple (well the concept is anyway). the canopy is simple too. just a box with no attached top or bottom. just pine 1X3s screwed into oak 1X10s. I used metal L shaped thingys (technical term) to hold it together from the inside so you can't see any screws or nails on the outside.
Unfortuantly my husband thought my suspended light idea was "tacky" so no, the filter can't really get any light. there is TONS of algae on the tank though.
I am changing the tank though from tang to south america. I already removed the rocks and got some plants. it still needs a ton of aquascaping. when it is done I will post a photo of it.[/b]
but here are some photos of my canopy and in canopy filter:
