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.