DIY wet-dry filter

[Jennewt]

I thought I'd show you a homemade filter that I made. It is being used in a 120-gallon turtle tank, but something like this could be used for a smaller aquarium that is not completely full of water. It would have to be scaled down for smaller tanks.

The basic ingredients are:

• plastic box with small holes drilled along the bottom, and one big hole in the back near the top for the tubing to go in
• mini pump
• 1/2-inch tubing to fit pump
• right-angle joint for the tubing
• stack of bricks (in this case siliconed together to prevent the turtle from knocking them over)
• layer of biofiltration media (a.k.a. gravel)
• filter media (I am using a layer of 100 micron filter topped with polyester floss. In the past I was also using filter carbon in a media bag, but I quit this.

Now the question for all of you. Can anyone think of some sort of filter media I could use that would be 100% FREE - no cost? I'm tired of the expense of ordering filter media for it, as I'm trying to trim expenses for the nature center where this is used. My best idea so far would be to cut up discarded T-shirts into rectangles that would fit the filter. The pieces could be thrown away after use. But maybe there are other things I could try.

Here are the pictures.

 

[carsona246]

For mechanical filtration I use poly fiber at walmart. I did a lot of research on it, and I've found quite a few others who use it as well. I will admit I was pretty nervous about using it the first time, but I've used it for months with a dwarf puffer, who are pretty sensitive, with no ill effects. Not free, but I think it costs like 5 bucks max and it's enough to last me like 5 months while switching it out once a month. For bio filtration, the best cheapo bio media I've heard about is pot scrubbies you can buy at the dollar store. These work as well as bio balls when used in the part where water trickles down the media, but not quite as well when submerged. Again not free, but you only need to buy bio media once.

 

[Otterwoman]

I think what I use is similar; polyester batting for quilting. It's more like $15 for enough to make a quilt, but it lasts a long time. I like the t-shirt idea though. Maybe old blankets too.

 

[Viv]

This is a good idea! I might try it. What type of turle are you keeping in there?

 

[FRANCOIS]

I built a very similar filter for my outdoor pond way back when, works great for a while but then it cloggs... To use this for a tank is a great idea. I may build one.

 

[Molch]

I've used cut - up cotton fabric in uplift tubes as filter material; however, after some time the stuff will just disintegrate into a fine dust which will leak out into the water.

 

[Jennewt]

Thanks for the suggestions. I've looked at polyester batting in stores. Some of it contains flame retardants, and that scared me away. If you have a brand that you know isn't flame retardant, it should be fine. I may try that.

The turtle is a red-eared slider. Not a great thing to have (especially at a nature center that features native species of NM), but we are kind of stuck with him.

For completeness, I'll also show photos of a second filter I made of the same type. This one does occasionally "slow down" as the holes begin to clog, but I just poke out the holes again and it's fine. This one is installed at the upper end of my indoor pond.