It is so expensive to buy premade filter pads and carbon, especially when you have 4 filters to change it in! So I wanted to share what I have been doing.
I buy this filter pad stuff (got at Petco for $5.99) Marineland Bonded Filter Pads. It comes in a sheet about 18" x 30". I then cut a piece the size I need. Last one I bought lasted over a year!
I buy the loose activated carbon from petco too. A 11oz jar costs $3.99. I then take mesh (you can get it at a fabric store for about 50 cents a yard) and make little bags. I fill those up and have my carbon bags too.
I just spent $10 on this stuff and got 8 small carbon bags and approx 30 filter pads! One filter will cost $9.00 to get the inserts for! Just saved a butt-load on this.
The top pic is the pad you can buy, the next is the carbon and the last is my home made carbon bags.
Just wanted to share my cheap way of doing things :-)
Cheap Filter Media DIY
8 posts
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doomydarkdoom - Posts: 167
- Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 4:00 am
No kidding! I grew up pretty poor, but luckily my parents have a lot of arts/crafts skills, so I was raised to improvise a lot. It's cheaper, and usually ends up better because it's custom. Plus now I can make my own Star Wars costumes. XD
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ChristinaBug2890 - Posts: 299
- Joined: Fri Oct 05, 2007 5:15 pm
Ok. i took a look at my local pet smart for this type of stuff but it seems to be just as expensive. Maybe i'll try a pond supply place...or a landscape place that also supplies pond stuff. How would one go about making carbon from scratch?
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Tmercier834747 - Posts: 887
- Joined: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:33 pm
These are great tips...I'm afraid my girlfriend would leave me if I were to consume more time with all the fish maintenance I do, though.. Why'd I ever go planted...
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acerkai640 - Posts: 108
- Joined: Wed Jun 11, 2008 1:09 am
so i assume you sew the mesh into the bag form right? sounds pretty tempting i just might have to try it
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dizzcat - Posts: 648
- Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:30 am
Chris, I have no idea how to make carbon from scratch. I looked at Petsmart for the carbon and it was more expensive. I got mine at Petco, its a store brand.
For me this way was much cheaper. I wanted to change the carbon on 3 filters and the price of a 3 pack was close to $10. So I bought the loose carbon instead for $4. If I only had one filter to change media in, then I would have just bought the premade stuff.
Doing it this way, I can cut a piece of sponge filter off the big pad, and change the media around as I need to. In the long run it is a whole lot cheaper. Not as neat and tidy looking as the premade, but all those are is a pad attached to a plastic frame, and carbon in a mesh bag. I just stuff the sponge into the filter where the water flows out and the carbon bag behind that.
When I change the pads during a water change, I will take my filter to the sink, squeeze the gunk out of the old pad into a bowl of tank water, then soak a new pad in that while I clean the plastic parts of the filter. Then put it all back together. That way some of the good bacteria gets into the new sponge. I usually change the carbon when I notice the water not as clear or I start to get the "fishy" smell.
Acer, Yeah, I sewed little bags together with the netting stuff (its a pain too!). Then used a funnel to pour the carbon into them and sewed them shut. I think it took me 30 minutes at most (I have a sewing machine)Then I just rinsed them off to get the black dust off and replaced the bags. You could probably use the feet of nylons too and just tie the open end closed. You could probably get the knee highs at a dollar store. It just needs to be something the water can flow thru. You can also buy premade netting bags at the pet store for like 89 cents for a small one.
For me this way was much cheaper. I wanted to change the carbon on 3 filters and the price of a 3 pack was close to $10. So I bought the loose carbon instead for $4. If I only had one filter to change media in, then I would have just bought the premade stuff.
Doing it this way, I can cut a piece of sponge filter off the big pad, and change the media around as I need to. In the long run it is a whole lot cheaper. Not as neat and tidy looking as the premade, but all those are is a pad attached to a plastic frame, and carbon in a mesh bag. I just stuff the sponge into the filter where the water flows out and the carbon bag behind that.
When I change the pads during a water change, I will take my filter to the sink, squeeze the gunk out of the old pad into a bowl of tank water, then soak a new pad in that while I clean the plastic parts of the filter. Then put it all back together. That way some of the good bacteria gets into the new sponge. I usually change the carbon when I notice the water not as clear or I start to get the "fishy" smell.
Acer, Yeah, I sewed little bags together with the netting stuff (its a pain too!). Then used a funnel to pour the carbon into them and sewed them shut. I think it took me 30 minutes at most (I have a sewing machine)Then I just rinsed them off to get the black dust off and replaced the bags. You could probably use the feet of nylons too and just tie the open end closed. You could probably get the knee highs at a dollar store. It just needs to be something the water can flow thru. You can also buy premade netting bags at the pet store for like 89 cents for a small one.