20cm Automatic Roller Filter

20cm Automatic Roller Filter for Sump – Crystal Clear and Healthy Water (DIY Design)

Maintaining biologically healthy and visually crystal-clear water is one of the biggest challenges in marine aquariums. This modular 3D Printed design consists of a 20 cm wide Roller Filter, specifically developed to optimize the mechanical filtration of your system without compromising space or budget.

Unlike traditional filter socks that quickly saturate and require constant washing, this system allows for efficient renewal of the filter media before organic matter begins to decompose in the water. The project is designed with a purely DIY (Do It Yourself) approach: the download includes the 20cm roller core and the mechanically optimized main supports so that each user can design, adapt, or manufacture their own custom housing tray within the sump, adjusting precisely to the specific divisions and flows of their aquarium.

🛠️ Required Parts

To complete the assembly of this filtration system, you will need to prepare both the 3D Printed components and some common hardware items:

3D Printed Components:

• Main Roller (20cm): Optimized central structure (available in one or multiple pieces depending on your printer size).
• Side Supports and Shafts: Fastening parts to secure the assembly on your tray or sump.
• Advance Controller: Ergonomic design for automatic felt winding.

Hardware and Consumables:

• Roll of felt / filter media (20cm wide): Standard filter material for aquariums (suggested porosity: between 20 and 50 microns).
• Plastic Screws (M6 x10mm): It is highly recommended to use nylon screws to avoid any type of corrosion or contamination with saltwater.
• PVC Tube / Acrylic Rod (Optional): Can be used as a central support shaft if you want to give extreme rigidity to the assembly.

💡 Recommended Printing Parameters:

• Material: PETG (Completely avoid PLA due to degradation from constant humidity and saltwater exposure).
• Screws: Nylon M6x10mm, M6x12mm, and stainless steel for the motor area m3x8mm
• Motor: JGA25-370 5rpm 12v
• Actuator Relay: JK11 v1.5 or higher
• Various Adapters: 3x 20AWG 5.5*2.1mm female for the connection box.
• 12mm ½" Push Button
• https://www.aliexpress.com/p/wish-manage/share.html?adc_manifest=wish_manage&disableNav=YES&wh_ttid=adc&smbPageCode=wishlist-amp&spreadId=9015a2834d50a6b87a595e8ac10530253c4cb78665af50afa2cb4c128d7496ef

📐 Assembly Instructions

1. Part Preparation: Once the prints are finished, carefully remove all supports. Make sure to smooth the axle and thread areas using fine sandpaper so that the rotation is completely smooth and friction-free. (Initially, if they fit well, skip this step, as tolerances have been corrected)
2. Roller Assembly: Join the 20cm roller segments (if your print bed required printing it in sections) using the internal 3D Printed pins or aquarium-safe adhesive (high-density cyanoacrylate).
3. Tray Design and Installation: Measure the internal space of your sump. Fabricate or adapt a containment tray (it can be made of acrylic, cellular PVC, or 3D Printed with PETG) where the aquarium's water outflow will be channeled so that it must pass through the felt. Install the 3D Printed supports on the sides of this tray.
4. Filter Felt Placement: Insert the clean felt roll onto the passive receiver shaft. Cross the felt strip through the water flow area of your tray and firmly secure it to the 20cm extractor roller using the design's clamp or slot.
5. Adjustment and Verification: Place the controller. Activate the manual push button a couple of times to check that the felt advances aligned, taut, and without snagging at the edges.

6. Controller assembly diagram:

   

☕ Support this and future 3D Aquarium Projects!

Developing, testing, and optimizing these designs for the marine hobby requires countless hours of modeling and physical prototyping. If this design has been useful to you and you want to help me continue releasing innovative tools, reactors, and accessories for our aquariums, I would greatly appreciate it if you consider joining my Patreon community.

You can collaborate by supporting with the basic subscription (equivalent to the value of 1 coffee). Your contribution makes a huge difference in continuing this development space and allows me to cover the cost of filaments and materials for testing.

👉 Join here: Patreon - DuritosReef 3D Models