Cheap DIY Mechanical & Bio Filter Media for Aquarium | Pond

Cheap DIY Mechanical and Biological Filter Media for Aquariums and Ponds:

I purchased a big used canister filter but its media baskets were empty. I found some branded filter media at fish stores but their prices were very high so I chose to DIY some filter media for my canister filter.

If you want to setup filter media for your canister filter or a Hang on Back filter or an internal filter at a low price, then this post will help you.

Cheap DIY Mechanical & Biological Filter Media for Aquariums & Ponds

Low price filter sponge (mechanical filtration media):

I found a branded sponge for my canister filter but it was quite costly. Therefore, I visited a pond shop to find a cheap sponge. I discovered a pond filter sponge that was very cheap, & it was created from almost the same material as the branded sponge.

I purchased a single large mat & cut it into 2 small sponges. I could make many small sponges from the same mat.

 

Low price bio filter media:

I decided to buy some bio media for my canister filter. I thought that the ceramic ring is the best option for the canister as it can wipe out ammonia, nitrites & nitrates. I found a branded ceramic rings bag but it was costly. It had 250 grams of ceramic rings. Therefore, I chose to buy brand-less ceramic rings. In the United States, the price of ceramic rings is a bit lower than other countries but brand-less ceramic rings are cheaper especially if you buy in large numbers. 500 grams of Fluval ceramic noodles & 2000 grams of brand-less ceramic noodles have the same price.

 

Filter floss:

Do not purchase branded filter floss for your canister filter or any other filter. Purchase a big bag & layer it yourself.

 

How to setup your canister filter?

When you purchase all the required filter media, it is time to install them in your filter. Cut the sponge to the size of the filter basket so it can stop all the solid debris. Use scissors for cutting the sponge. I setup 2 layers of sponges in my canister basket. It is recommended to setup your canister filter in the following order: a layer of filter floss at the bottom followed by sponge, & bio media on top of it.