Simple step by step guide to make water fountain with filtration for your cat. No tools are required to finish this project. You will need: -flower pot -pebbles -ceramic filtration rings -activated carbon -filter pad -pond pump
No, you don't want ceramic beads on a drinking water source! those are designed to keep bacteria alive in aquariums, so you'll only create a bacteria friendly environment. It's better to use non reactive, smooth river stones, but those must be all natural, no chemically/wax treated like the ones that decoration stores sell for flowerpots. If unsure, just rub them and smell your fingers.
I was instantly coming here to warn the same when i saw them. Product packaging doesnt help as it just says filter rings for in a filter..so people naturally assume its for filtering the water. The packaging should say bacterial colony filter substrate..or similar.
1st .. Looks nice and kudos for putting the effort in for your pet!..& sharing. I have acsimilar pot i would have never thought to use! 2. Safest bet is to just buy the stones from the aquatic section of a pet store. 3. Any filtering medium should be as much as possible, an even layer. This ensures the water passes through it. Otherwise channeling will occur ( aka path of least resistance) Example: The carbon can be layed out in a full ½ or ¼ inch spread in a large mesh bag. Or two smaller side by side. 3. To make it all easier if you can find a same diameter shallow bowl flat or even a slight taper... you can drill one big mug sized hole or many holes in same diameter and have all the top rocks in that... this will let you lift all the rocks at once to access the filter media.. AND .. Channel the water to the smaller hole which will allow you to use smaller sized pads and carbon right beneath that water is forced to pass through. ( you could even use a pvc pipe that the top bowl sits on with holes drilled at the base for the water to exit at the bottom.) Also if you layer your filter pads from largest to smallest going down and maybe a shallow-ish diameter bowl
@@drewlong77Could you create one and show the step-by-step? I’m tired of changing the filter and cleaning my cat’s water fountain because it gets so slimy within a few days is disgusting 🤮! I’m worried about my cat drinking this awful water 😰
Perfect in concept. Ive designed and built filtration systems for decades and you hit the nail on the head here... There are options in materials and assembly but the core concept here is perfect for low cost... So often you see people preaching bad information... You must have experience not mentioned to have used in this implementation... What ever the case great job. I recommend this as a gold standard in concept to judge all other pet water filter concepts against... because all the rest will fall short in some or many ways... again, great job! to maker of this video.
@@agoodun You either didn't watch the entire video or are basing your comment on the thumbnail. Because you missed the ceramic filter rings, activated carbon, and the entire sequence in which they're employed.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this simple and well-thought out solution. I am going to get a cat in the next month or two, and I have been studying all the things I will need to keep him/her happy and well cared for. This is both cost effective and much more aesthetically pleasing than the plastic pre-made pet fountains that are sold online. Feeling a lot of gratitude. :)
Just a couple of thoughts here....Adding the mesh/sponge filter is a must. I'm glad you did that as that would be the main deterrent to getting cat hair and muck into the pump. That is the item that will have to be cleaned routinely. Everything below it should be in good shape for much longer, especially using the bio-filter system as you've set up. Also, I would worry about running the tank dry as you can't see the water level. Have you considered a glass or acrylic basin?
This is a must have, I am a slave to my cat constantly turning on the water for her at the sink and forgetting to turn it off, Getting some great ideas here, Then I will make it turn on with a pressure mat switch.. The dogs can enjoy it too. And here I always thought dogs were more work than cats. HA! "Dogs have owners, cats have staff"
The secret is to never get your cat used to drinking from the sink. Still water in a bowl is perfectly fine. Turning on the tap seems easier at first, but it's not in the long run. If they become picky about drinking from the sink, it will become a nightmare later in life when you need to always turn the tap on or off and lift your old cat up to the sink.
I just have a big stone IKEA bowl that I fill with ice water in the morning. And throughout the day I just go in the refrigerator and grab one of the bottles of water and add a little more. That is Yum Yum time. Then supper time. Yum time and coffee time are the treats. And they do pretty well with that big bowl.
1st .. Looks nice and kudos for putting the effort in for your pet!..& sharing. I have a similar pot i would have never thought to use! 2. Just stones pads and carbon. Safest bet is to just buy the stones from the aquatic section of a pet store. 3. Any filtering medium should be as much as possible, an even layer. This ensures the water passes through it. Otherwise channeling will occur ( aka path of least resistance) Example: The carbon can be layed out in a full ½ or ¼ inch spread in a large mesh bag. Or two smaller side by side. 3. To make it all easier if you can find a same diameter shallow bowl flat or even a slight taper... you can drill one big mug sized hole or many holes in same diameter and have all the top rocks in that... this will let you lift all the rocks at once to access the filter media.. AND .. Channel the water to the smaller hole which will allow you to use smaller sized pads and carbon right beneath that water is forced to pass through. ( you could even use a pvc pipe that the top bowl sits on with holes drilled at the base for the water to exit the pipe at the bottom and or just have the pump in the pipe.)
I don't get your 2&3 , is the type of pebbles used in the video wrong? For point 3 do you mean the way the carbon and ceramic rings are arranged is wrong ? Should be arranged in full layers?
Is your cat helping you.make this new, or is it helping you put its water fountain back together? Good project. I've ordered most of the parts excluding container. Thanks
this setup will require far less work cleaning over the long term then any other setup meant for same purpose... Anything requiring frequent cleaning is a flawed system... Also many pet water systems which filter are designed to require frequent cleaning to keep people buying replacement filters on purpose and is a large part of the profit model... anything which uses filter components which only fit it does so to force you to keep paying money that adds up over years.. this system here seldom needs cleaning and only a quick rinse even then... this is a bio filter and does not need constant cleaning.
@@WildSuns42 have you built and used one yourself? There's no bio filter here it's a bunch of foam and some pebbles, and I bet after a couple weeks it would start to get slimy. I wish something this simple worked but I doubt it... I would think you'd want to minimize the surfaces on which biofilms could form and make it easy to take apart for cleaning, but that's my opinion.
@@WildSuns42 ...agreed. The only part that should need routine cleaning is the mesh filter. Cat air, food, and gunk will accumulate quickly so that filter is the key. I'm here now because my Petsafe system I've had for years is finally kaput. It's always been a flawed system, in my opinion, because the only filter keeping cat hair and junk out of the pump is a plastic strainer. The charcoal filter is on the wrong side of the pump. Plus it's got noisy plastic pieces that drive me nuts. So going to make my own. I'm going to look into a clear basin though so I can keep up with the water level.
Are the ceramic rings necessary for filtering the cat's water? I understand that they are used in fish tanks to grow good bacteria which removes ammonia and nitrites in a fish tank, but would they serve any other purpose in the filtering of the cat fountain? Thanks for your thoughts! :)
How much did all the materials cost to make yours? I was looking to make one but getting the ceramic filter rings, activated carbon, pump and filter pad already costs €16! I can get an already made machine online for about that price. Not as pretty, but costs less... :/
Great idea and great job of creating it!! A couple things though....Seems like a lot of replacement items to have to replace each month of cleaning. (The ceramic filter ring pieces, that I suppose can just be washed and re-used? and the activated carbon? would need to be replaced each month? and it is a bit tall for a kitty cat to have to work that hard to get a fresh drink of water but then my kitties don't care if the water is running upside down...they'll drink it cause they love water! Your kitty seems to like it and couldn't wait for you to finish making it for him/her, so it looks like it works! The pond fountain pump, is that a BPA free pump? Safe to use for consumption? and is this affordable for the general public for their pets? Thank you for hearing my comments and very imaginative creation. :)
Hello, I am not the maker of this video but I can answer your questions. I have designed and built filtration systems for ponds, fish tank, and animal needs for decades. Most fountain/filter setups that you see for dogs/cats are at best very flawed in design, cheaply built, hard to keep working long term and just a waste... What you see in this video is as far as for a simple low cost all in one is in concept perfect.. This type of filter is actually a bio filter and very rarely would ever need to be taken apart and in fact should not be.. all of the filter material can and should only be gently rinse to remove any excessive large debri that may clog and prevent flow and then put right back to work and kept wet the whole time... The carbon also just rinse if needed.. This is a massive anount of carbon used here and for this application under normal situations Id say nothing needs replacing for the life of the pump itself which should be several years, possably the life of the pet.. There may be times the white filter pad layer may need replacing if it starts compacting but there other filter materials that could be used in its place that will not compact.. there are options for all the materials used here and some slightly different ways it could be put together but the core concept here is ideal for a low cost both at setup as well as over long term... The only or I should say the next step up in filtration would be the addition of UV component to the filtering system but that would be a huge increase in cost and arguable if even useful here if this is for indoor pets with wildlife exposure possible... Myself I would use slightly different materials but thats more about preference and that I have sources Ive used and fine tuned for decades... The design concept used here is perfect.. Also all pond/fountain pumps of any quality are designed to be safe for fish which are very sensitive to anything harmful in the water. So yes should be perfectly safe for cats and dogs... My own dogs, like my kids I have a rule of thumb about what they drink and that is if i wont drink it they won't either.. I would drink water from a fountain like this myself as water in a filter like this is better then tap. Hope I answered your questions.
@@WildSuns42 thank you for being so kind as to answer these questions. (I've built a couple of koi ponds so have a *little* knowledge about filtration systems). I'm wondering what the filter pad is made of. In my travels, I just used green scrub pads as recommended by my local pond place. I will do some research, but since the video maker didn't include any links for materials, would you be so kind as to let us know what you'd suggest to use for the filtration circle? I'm relatively confident I can find the other items on my own.
get creative. Go to a store and see what they have that will work for your needs. Do you need someone to do all the research, fabrication and assembly for you? ffs. do it on your own. The op did all the hard work for you all.
I think the root problem of all cat fountain on market is the pump. These pumps are designed for fish tanks, using it to recycle cats' drinking water often build residues within the pump.
yeah, but these are made to be dissasambled and cleaned, water in fish tank build gunk inside evven faster. factory cat fountain pumps are ever worse since they are smaller (i owned dseveral of them)
Hi there, came across this video while learning how to DIY cat fountain filters. I see there are aquarium carbon infused media pads for sale, and a, wondering what your opinion is on that being the only filter in the fountain?
oh we have huge aquariums and those are the things I think we have on hand except the pupm and the pot haha however I am always debating is it really needed this whole thing?>
OK, so, I know what activated charcoal is - I have never seen anything like those "pebbles" you used or the ceramic filter rings. I suppose I can find all these things, however, what is the purpose of the ceramic filter rings?
Pebbles are river pebbles used for decoration and filling space. Ceramic rings are commonly used in aquarium and pond filtration systems (some keywords: Ceramic Filters Rings Biological Filter Media). Hope that helps
@@kokokaification I am going to effort making one like yours. I do have a ceramic pot already that's just sitting around. I can probably collect enough real pebbles in the area, so not having to buy those ... are the rings necessary? I know the charcoal is. Thanks for your advice and help. Diana
Interestingly, our cat, a rescue, (Abby), was named "Bubbles" by the humane society where she lived, terrified, until I brought the little princess into our home.
Where do I find all items in the UK on Amazon please? I bought a pump before I saw this video and it didn't come with this long tube part, can't find a pump that does.
this one is slightly stronger but it should be fine: AllPondSolutions FPP-600 Pond Pump with Fountain Attachment for Outdoor Garden, 600 Litre/Hour Flow Rate www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01E74H296/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_ENANCCAY3PRBDZQF4XF1?psc=1
I know this is old, but I wanted to know how necessary the ceramic filter rings are?? I can find everything else for a moderate price, but the filter rings are pretty expensive here. Would the activated charcoal and filter sponge be enough?? Thank you so much for sharing your process, I've been wanting to make a fountain for my cats for a while, since they aren't drinking enough water...
No ceramic rings is perfectly fine, I stopped using them after first time. Use charcoal, replace sponge from time to time, change water often. Take care! :)
I am considering making a fountain for my cat. I'd love to make it out of concrete. I havent been able to find any information on how safe that would be for her though. Would it be safe if i comletely sealed it with a food safe concrete sealant? I understand that it would be an expensive project but thats no object. I'd do anything for her. Does anyone have any thoughts/concerrns with that?
you can use sealant for water tanks, these are used in industrial environment. however such surface can be hard to clean. alternatively you can pour concrete around another plastic/glass container that will have direct contact with water
I'm going to be using a glass serving bowl from target for the basin, to see when the water is low and its only $10 The dollar tree by me sells smooth pebbles, but I'm looking for the rest of everything myself too
It's not entertainment. Filtered water is healthier for animals and humans (generally speaking). Moving water doesn't stagnate either. So you're wasting less water over the long haul - not dumping and refilling a bowl every day.
It is not good for cats to use a raised feeder or water dish. That filter media is going to get gross. I hope people realize you can’t set and forget this.
