northtexasfossilguy

I'm pretty dead set on being cheap when it comes to filter media. I don't think it's necessary to constantly have to change media at $10 a pop, so I wanted to come up with my own alternatives.

I recently bought a bag of essentially organic cotton from a big box pet store, and that stuff seems to be pretty great. It collects all the sludge, and it's disposable, organic, slightly reusable, and probably a good place for bacteria to grow.

I also use sponges, you can get these pretty much anywhere, just be sure it is very porous. I'm on the lookout for big sheets of the stuff.

I also reuse my clay media, but I came up with the idea of using broken Bisque (which is usually trash) from my local pottery stores. The only thing you have to look out for there is that the pieces are entirely unglazed. These do seem to wear out over time, I'm trying to bleach some to see what happens with them, obviously I will soak them in water to remove the bleach.

I don't use carbon that often.

I usually don't vacuum as I tend to cover every square inch with plants and I have a jungle type look to everything.

What are your thoughts on DIY filter media for a planted tank?
What are your thoughts on a proper filter setup?