DIY Aquarium Filter Bags and Media

There are several safe household materials that you can use to make DIY canister filters bags. You may not think an individual filter media bag is particularly pricey, but depending on its size, a filter media bag can cost as much as $5 for a single bag. Even smaller bags cost nearly $3 apiece. Not a huge amount of money, but if you have more than one aquarium, and you have to replace the media bags fairly often, the cost can add up. Using ordinary household materials, you can make media bags for a canister filter for a fraction of the cost of what you'd buy them for.

Pantyhose Media Bag

For the same $5 you would spend on a single filter bag, you can purchase a pair of nylon pantyhose or tights and make at least a half dozen or more filter media bags. Simply cut the hosiery to the desired size, leaving a bit of extra length to close the ends. Tie one end in a knot, or use a small rubber band to close the opening tightly. Fill the hose with the desired media, such as activated carbon, zeolite, ceramic rings or bioballs, then close the other end with a knot or rubber band. Voila, you have your do it yourself media bag at a fraction of the cost of a store-bought bag.

Depending on the size of your filter media, you can also use a fine nylon or polyester mesh material, such as tulle. Tulle is sold by the yard at fabric stores and is commonly used for making veils and dresses.

Cheesecloth Media Bag

Another do-it-yourself media bag option is fine cheesecloth. Because the cheesecloth has larger pores than hosiery or commercial filter materials, you'll have to use several layers, but ultimately it works pretty well. Fold the cheesecloth about four layers thick, add the media in the middle, then pull the ends together and tie them off by knotting them or securing them with rubber bands.

Because cheesecloth is made with cotton, the material will eventually break down in the water, so be sure to check it periodically and replace it if it begins to deteriorate. If the media bag is left too long and it begins coming apart, pieces of the cheesecloth can end up in your pump.

DIY Filter Sponges

Another do-it-yourself option for filters is to use quilt cotton batting in place of sponges in the filter canister. Quilt batting is sold by the yard at fabric stores. A bag or a few bulk yards of batting will provide you with numerous filter pieces that can be cut to the desired size and shape, and at a fraction of the cost of conventional filter media.

Cotton batting will degrade in the water, so it should be replaced frequently. Polyester or other synthetic batting material can be rinsed out and reused a number of times in your canister filter chambers.

Lava Rocks for Filter Media

Instead of buying ceramic rings for your canister filter, consider using lava rocks. They are inexpensive and offer a huge surface area for bacterial colonization. Be sure to use only new lava rock, as a rock that has been used in landscaping may contain residual materials from lawn treatments that could add toxins to the water. You can buy lava rock by the bag at home centers and gardening centers. Rinse it off before use. Periodically rinse the media in the chambers of the canister filter to remove particulate waste so the water can flow through it easily.