Tuesday, July 15, 2008

How to Make Your Own Aquarium Filter

Last night (we usually do this on Sunday evening but we're a day behind) we were changing the water and filters in the aquariums - One Tropical - One Betta and One Frogarium - and I got the last ready made filter out of the box. Hmmm - I thought - frugal/conserving me - I can make a reusable filter...

So I quickly knitted a little square of the roughest acrylic in my stash (leftover from Nanny's afghan - I'll post about that later) and seamed up the long side and one end...

Then I filled it about 1/2 way full of Activated Charcoal...

I intended to sew the end shut or put a drawstring on it - Then I thought of a better design - it seemed to me that it would be better to hold it open and let the water flow through the bag instead of over it - so I needed something to hold the bag open...

...and right there in front of me was the ring on the top of the water jug...

...so I popped that off and slipped it into the opening...

5 comments:

  1. I love it! Please teach me how to knit. I have aquariums in need of filtration!

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  2. Hi Kristy,

    Knitting worked best for me - cause I'm frual and all and like to use what I have at hand - but I think you could probably buy some quilt batting and just hand stitch around a pouch to hold some activated charcoal - it wouldn't take much.

    Affectioknit-ly,

    Teresa

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  3. how is it working? is your "sock" collecting the debris? good idea - rich's big tank has 3 - 20 gallon size filters - lot's of water needs to move to keep those big, dirty oscars healthy! i might try something like that (not knitted, of course!) love, k

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  4. Hey K,

    Try it with some quilt batting - it looks sort of like the fabric on my store bought filters...

    Love,

    T

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