DIY Pond Filter Made EASY From Trash Can! 

I can't even express my gratefulness for this video. I've looked at over 30 videos of DIY pond filters. They are either too complicated, expensive, too large, too small, or just way too confusing for someone as inexperienced and me. I can't wait to set this up. Thank you thank you thank you!! Also, do you have an estimate of how much everything costs, minus the pool that is already set up. Thank you again😂🥰

I've gotta say...this is the best filter DIY ever!!! My husband and I built one of these large scale. Our pond is like a giant aquarium in our back yard. It's 16'x3'x4'. We've had the filter about a year. I've only had to clean it out twice. With our old setup, I was cleaning twice a week! It's really an amazing setup. We built ours with a 40gal trash can. I highly recommend this for a pond. It was so easy to build. All the directions were understandable. Can't say enough how much we love this filter!!

I’m a 55 year old woman building my 3rd pond. This time I’m doing it on a budget and really enjoyed watching your instructions. You are a great teacher with a fun sense of humor, the humor is very appreciated! Thanks:-)

I AM AN 88 YEARS YOUNG AND IVE BEEN KEEPING FISH FOR A WHILE NOW AND HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR CHEAP WAYS TO FILTER OUT MY PONDS. THANKS FOR THE TUTORIAL AND WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK

for your t-sprayer, if you drill slightly smaller holes on the sides instead of the bottom, you get more spray/aeration. half way through my build i figured that out. keep up the great work

Drill the in hole just below the lid so it can open with no disassembly,and easier to clean the spray bar which will clog up.

You forgot one of the supplies you need... A broom to clean up all the plastic bits from drilling in the kitchen! 😂

Been looking for a simple to follow filter guide for the last few days. Thanks for making something that’s easy to follow and actually diy

On the spray bar, offset the holes so they spray in a zigzag pattern. It will help with the straight down pressure and spread the initial contact points from a single line.

Yes this is perfect! I’m building a modern pond for my new house and I can totally do this! Thanks for sharing🙌🏽

Nice project and excellent presentation. Quick remark; I've built a similar setup but inverted the filter where the initial intake to the filter's first contact is with the larger media and as the filtration process clears the water, finer media is encountered (long way of saying start with lava rock and ends with fine material.) It improved my water quality by about 20%. (Hard to improve on good quality already achieved with this good system. For final water polishing, I added some plants (Aquaponics!!) in the outlet. Happy fish, happy plans and beautiful amazingly clear water. Well done!!

Great value for Small scale interested fish farming DIY projects thankyou God bless.

instead of going through the lid, a third uniseal close to the rim of the can would not only eliminate one elbow, but would mean you could preform maintenance without disconnecting anything.

This video was our bible in making our own homemade filter. We have gone even cheaper using a bucket that we already had. Our fish are happier, healthier and better than ever. Thanks for your help 👍🏼🙂

SC should easily be as big as King of diy

This was 100% filters for dummies. I APPRECIATE THIS.

This was exactly what I’ve been looking for forever

Awesome video! Take note people, if you're going to upload a video on RU-vid do it like this! No shaky camera, no stupid music, good lighting, etc. This is something I'm trying

Made this filter last weekend and my pond is much clearer! Thank you so much for posting this

Thinking 2 upgrades: 1. Water return set higher and a filter drain added to remove settled solids that will collect in the bottom. 2. Direct the spray bar arms in opposite directions to disperse flow over a larger field of the media. This might also add some circular filtration keep solids from reflowing into the tank, and later removed via the drain mentioned in item 1.

Helpful hint: when using a hole saw through plastic, run it in reverse.

Used a plastic tote and a similar pump, I did have difficulty when the tote was on the ground, but once I raised it up a little it worked perfect and my water is crystal clear!

I dont have a pond, and I wasn't looking for a filter but now I'm going to build the best filter for my dog's water bowl. Love your video and your sweet girls 💜

hi SC fish keeping i made this filter and set it all to a solar power system for under $150 I get 24/7 running time for free and love it. thank you for your video was so helpful

This is awesome! You made this look super simple. Saving this video for when I finally do a pond of my own.

Love your humour. That's amazing that that pump can push the water through all those angled pipes! Would you still recommend it or something else?

That's so badass. Years ago, I used to make my own filters for turtle tanks, water snake cages, etc. by using a power head, 3 liter soda bottle and media. Just cut the top of the bottle off to the desired height, then drill a hole in the bottom on the side. Using the rubber aquarium tubing, run the tubing into the hole on the side of the bottle and up to the power head suction cupped to the side of the aquarium. Then, stack media in the bottle, plug in and bam, we have a biological filter. That trash can pond filter is genius. I love it. I live in western Washington, just outside of Seattle, and i want a small pond with a couple of koi, as the weather is always cloudy, sometimes rainy, cool and winters are moderate. the winter varies from the high teens with snow to mild, 30's with no snow. the cold lingers for months which is why fish selections are very limited. So, I'm planning on using your brilliant trashcan idea. Although, I will probably be using a 50 gal Brute trashcan, as my pond will be around 9' L x 4' W x 3' D. as the fish will need the depth to survive the winters.

Thank you! Of all the diy videos I watched this is the only one with a SIPLE AND CLEAR explanation, with a little bit of humor 😎. Great job!

Definitely going to build one like this, thanks, I'm currently breeding tilapia so something like this is exactly what I need

So am I right here. The water is essentially dripping through the sponges (or flowing a bit) and then pooling in the lava rocks before pouring out the exit pipes. So the fill level is at the height of the exit pipes. Is it primarily bacteria in the lava rocks doing the filtering, with the sponges clearing bits of solid gunk? Looks good though, cheers! Would having the exit pipes further up the bucket, and the input pipe going all the way to the bottom of the bin (so the bin fills up) work even better?

Yes! I learned so much!!!! Those little ladies at the end are so lucky to have parents who will guide them through life with such hands on get up and go!

Great video! I found it very informative and educational! Keep up the great work!!😋😋👍👍😜😜

Put some perch in the pond they would look perfect

Should I get the DCT-1200 for a 829 gallon saltwater pond? Would that work?

I’m going to save this video. This is exactly what I need in a future project

NICE video! Perfect build. I'm taking notes. I've built tons of filters before but needed container ideas.

"Retrieve your pvc" I cracked up

I really like the pump being in the box also because I am worried about my fancy fantail goldfish getting their tails injured. This is definitely something that I am going to put on my spring project list! Thank you for adding parts lists and making it look easy to do!

Been wanting to have a fish pond for years. This looks really cool and easy to modify to the size of the pond you want and your imagination. Its great how you listed the materials and steps. I’m going to give this a go this spring. I will use fish and critters from the creek behind my home. Thanks and God Bless.

Wow, this video is extremely detailed. Thanks again sir 👍

Thx for telling me one how to make this filter because I have been wanting to do pond diy from last video

Just watched the video on RU-vid today and thought you might want to no it was brilliant and enjoyed watching it thank a lot and keep going. I have surcribed john

Thanks for posting this - I'd be interested in seeing a follow-up to this once it's actually filtering something and what sorts of steps you take with one of these filter setups. Do you have to switch out that batting? What about those other materials? Thanks much!

What size pump would I need for a 250 gallon pond?

Hey Zac, just wanted to say thanks for posting your videos. I just built the DIY filter system for my goldfish/koi pond. It’s working great. I was pretty stumped and frustrated with the cost of buying a system. You’re the man.

A few more Tweeks and a water wall into the pond with a couple vines and solar lights and I'm sold on the awesomeness of the project!!!!! Thanks man! 😎

Hi Zac, WOW, this is my first time watching your show, Kudos, will definitely use your methods building one filter pump for my fish tank. Thanks so much for the tutorial. Simple to follow as well.

absolutely the cutest girls. Thanks for the great video Zak

Great design only depending on size of pump you may have to increase the size of your output or it will just overflow. I went with two outputs at 3" to 2" out the can that "wyes" into four 1 1/4 inch flex pipe to my waterfall. Works perfect! End of day one and I'm starting to see deeper into the bottom of the pond.

And you still need to explain to your neighbours why there is the constant sound of someone peeing 24x7 near their bedroom

We used this system thanks to this video and it works amazing! We have 2 ducks that love to be in their pond all day long floating, bathing. Eating fish now and then. It has little minnows in it and for 4 days it is still crystal clear! Thank you for this video and I wish I could share mine using your system. I love it!

So far , its the best video we've seen .. Cheap , efficient & easy to understand . Thanks for sharing !

Great video Zac! I really like these DIY videos! I just learned how to do a filter build because of you!

This is genius! I spend 200 on different filters for my turtles and they were completely useless. I'm going to mimic your steps here to create my own filter. Thanks!!!

Love it, nice and simple plan. I do a very similar design. No need to have the media within a bucket in the bin.. only minimising the available space but it's such a big flow rate it doesn't really matter. Another advantage moving the pump to the other end is you're getting better flow through the pond and not re-filtering the cleaned water.

Hi! This video was fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing and walking us thru it in such an easy way! *Could the trash can be lower and the waterfall part be higher up on the can? As a way to sort of hide the trash can? Would it still function that way? More like a HOB filter look?

Great DIY !! Quick question, would you use a 1” hole saw for the uniseal/ 1” pvc or go a little bigger ? 1 1/8”

I wonder if this would be ideal for a small duck pond for about three or four ducks?

Uni seals are the game changer, I made my own filter with similar techniques and my water clarity is amazing! Thanks for posting.

11:44 need to add threaded disconnects…best $3 per disconnect you will ever spend.

Great job, I myself have stopped using the polyfill for the fact of the replacement, if u have some heavy bio load fish. Now I will say something u can do is remove the lid on that filtration system and add some bog plants. They will help filter as well and can dress up the filtration system.

How often do you change out the filter media? I want to use this design for a duck pond

As he's drilling through the lid of the can over his hardwood floor I'm wondering ,where is this guy's wife? She'd be pissed!

Thank you for explaining so well. As a total novice you have demystified how to create an effective, cheap filer. Blessings.

This video is now 2 years old. After using this system for almost three years would you change anything for longevity of the filter. Thank you for teaching us. Great video.

I love this! I so badly want a water feature! I'm a 72yo woman and this totally looks like something I could do!

I am using this system for a duck pond. I have the same black tub you have. O was looking for the uniseal link.

That is so Awesome! I really feel anyone can do that now! Thank you for right to the point easy as can be instructions!!! Gonna give it a try!

Where do you got those stopper and pvc? Amazon? Any link? I love this vid

Good idea. One recommendation I would make is to swap your intake/exit locations. By adding a downpipe to the bottom and putting the outflow up top you get more water contact with the media plus any debris is stuck at the bottom as it can't make its way up. You're method works but you may eventually end up with debris flowing out instead of settling to the bottom.

Check your hole saw before using and make sure the blades aren't bent out very far as they will be staggered to keep from binding it can make yourself fit looser, I had an issue on one had to been teeth in some on new hole saw

I have made a few trashcan filters over the years. I always used flexible tubes for my pipes and always had the intake at the bottom so the water comes in at the bottom and filters as it slowly rises through media then flows out my two output pipes and usually a third slightly higher overflow emergency pipe at the top. I liked watching your design though gave me a few ideas about raising my pump higher in my pond. great video and very good ideas.

Thank you for this and it really helps me to improve my filtration system. Here in Thailand there are too many varieties of tropical fish at a very cheap price so I don't need to worry my fishes will die due to toxic ammonia even if I put many fishes in my tank. New subscriber here from Bangkok!

Great job, I love this. I like to keep the pump's intake closer to the surface, so if/when something breaks or there's an earthquake or hurricane or something less water will be pumped out. Why let it pump out half the pond when you could easily restrict it to only a quarter pumped out before the "fail-safe" stops it? And keep the pump's intake as far from the exhaust as possible, or you're only sucking up just-filtered water to be filtered again. Also, replace some of the inert sponges with 2 inert fabric bags filled with activated carbon from the pet/fish store. Place each carbon bag under the spray arms so that the water falls on them. Don't replace the sponges when you replace the activated carbon, as they build up beneficial bacteria in the fibers of the sponges and you want to foster the growth of that bacteria - it breaks down waste products. If the sponges get too clogged up and start diverting the free flow of water THEN replace a only a few of them at a time when you replace the activated carbon. That way you're only losing half your beneficial bacteria. If you replace ALL your sponges then you also lose ALL your beneficial bacteria that took 3 or 4 weeks to grow. I also like to buy an extra bucket lid and cut the outer lip off and then drill many relatively large holes in it so that it can fit down inside the bucket to be used as a platform/support for the poly fill. You only need a couple layers of poly-fill, it's only to filter out large waste, otherwise it get clogged quickly and restricts flow. And it's quick and easy and cheap to just pull it out often and replace it without having to do a full-on filter cleaning/media replacement. As for pump ratings, they tend to be optimistic. And when you pump water thru filters and pipes, 90-degree elbows and especially when you pump water UPWARD, the amount of real flow is significantly less. I would get the next size up than what you need, especially when the pond has a high bioload (crowded with too many fish for the capacity of the tank & filter.) Better to have a little cushion in terms of filtration and flow.

Thank you i built this for my duck pond and it worked crystal clear duck pond!!! I have 40 ducks and its filtered on a larger scale but same size pump it worked thank you no more stinky duckies.

I love that you address the pump being off the bottom. I use milk crates, cut sections of the sides out with a sawzall leaving 4 legs, and the fish love to use the space as cover. They work great for plant stands too.

Babies stole my heart. Thanks for very clear instructions too.

Building a pond filter today. Thank you

Hi does the can have to sit up that high or can I have it lower-on a flat thing on the ground and then pipe the returns up and over the lip of the tank?

This might be a silly question. Do you drill a 1-in hole for the one inch uniseal? Or does the whole have to be slightly larger?

I just built mine 2 days ago and amazed how quickly the water cleared up. Thanks!!

Awesome man. Great video to help me with my outdoor stock tank pond. Very informative. Just one question. How about a heater for the outdoor stock tank pond?

Perfect! We want to put in a koa pond in the spring and the equipment is ridiculously expensive at the store. This is a great DIY solution.

Bro thanks am going to use this out in my back yard fish pond 👍👍👍👍👍

Really well done video and very informative. Thank you for making it and sharing.

My first DIY filtration system I actually understand and could follow Thank You.

Wow the best video I found on diy. I was scared and discourage on making my own pond until I found this video. Thank you

You must put the beautiful children clips in earlier. Sweet! (Great video too, I'm about to build my first pond)

Totally using this video! Appreciate ya making this content!

Question - how frequently to you wash the sponges and polyfill? Do you leave the lava rock ‘dirty’ or do you clean that too?

I did the two Uni-seals and one worked well but the other leaked, so I had to caulk the other. In hindsight, perhaps a sturdy pvc coupling might be better, as it would also reinforce the wall of the bucket. With the uni-seal, the bucket wall isn't reinforced, so the weight caused the output pipes to sag a bit.

I have a sizable aquaponics system and use a lot of 1 inch PVC tubing and fittings. I have yet to use PVC glue anywhere because I need to be able to take things apart from time to time. Since there is really no pressure to speak of on the pipes, the joints will not leak if you snug them on tightly. But, if anything that holds water is going into my house......yes, I would definitely glue the joints just in case.

Zach, a few questions. First question; The lava rock. Is this the stuff from bbq grills? Does it need to be treated in any way? Next question; The returns, are they just skimming from the level that they exit the can? What mechanism causes the water to flow to the bottom of the can and thru the lava rock? It seems to me that the water is just falling thru the quilt fluff and right back to the pond. Last Question; filters I've had in the past had activated charcoal as part of the media to extract toxic chemicals. Is this not required in a pond set up, or is there something else performing that function?

I dearly love my 100 gal Rubbermaid stock tank ! got it at TSC while supplies last TAXES every thing, out the door was? 119 dollars worth EVERY CENT💲 There the rite size for 1 person 👀 I'am hillbilly uptown NOW 👍👍

That another reason i got. TO RAISE FISH. But right now its a jacuzzi. I'am going to raise Tilapia fish YUMMY To me they taste JUST LIKE RED SNAPPER

Great setup! Glad to see it is working well, and the mods you made. I am in the experimentation process of a similar setup myself. Happy ponding! 👍🏼🐠🐟🐟

I'm just curious is it possible to make a cheap filter for a pond without any sort of electricity in Scotland

I have just got all my supplies to make this, So excited!!!! How often would you say you clean this out? And how often would you replace the polyfill and sponges ? Thanks so much for this video!

This is honestly the best cheap filter video I've seen. Thank you so much! Also thank you showing what you use as media and where you got them.