My Homemade Bio Filter 

Great job, on your next filter, I used a 55gal with same style set up. Put a drain port near the bottom with a valve opposite of the top return ports. You can clean the filter by back flushing and drain the water to use on the lawn and other plants around your yard. The fish waste is good for your plants.

I've tried a few different ideas, but your design is working really well in a pond in the Australian outback. It's hot here, dry too, and algae easily grows in the water. The version I have made uses the things I had at hand to try it out - an old 20 L bucket, odds and ends of old pipe fittings, a kitchen funnel for a temporary 'connection' until I can go to town and buy the right joiners, layers of old cushion filler, geotextile, shade cloth and homemade charcoal for the biofilter. It's working and the cleaned water runs through a hollow gumtree branch into the pond. It's great because I can landscape it into the garden so it wont be visible, but also be easy to access for cleaning. I'll build a bigger, more permanent version into a waterfall when i find some more odds and ends. Thanks for sharing the idea. :)

Made one based off this design last weekend. Turned a mucky nasty pond completely clear in two days!! Thank you!

If you add another bulkhead at the bottom for a drain pipe then it’ll reduce your clean out time significantly. You can drain out the solids at the bottom periodically without removing everything.

I made 2 of these following your amazing video! I’ve had then 18 months now and they have been impeccable, your video is amazing and I can’t thank you enough for this, god bless and thank you from England 🙏🤗

Great filter, for easier or no cleaning at all. Start with a pressure filter then feed it to your DIY filter. Then it's super easy to clean the pressure filter with the handle, at last once a week, takes 1 min. That will take all the muck out and only send clean water to your own filter. Clean once a year maybe. I got a descent pressure filter for 80$, worth it!

If you had your pump at the opposite end of your pond, it would circulate the water more efficiently. Nice job

I am going to make one filter based on this idea. Thanks a lot. By the way, this design have one small problem. If the pump switched of , all the water inside the bucket including the filtered waste will be pulled back to the Pond. You can avoid that problem by simply adding one airing point just before the water inlet to the bucket.

you should try putting the pump on the opposite side of the tank that way it circulates a little better I noticed it made a huge difference in my pond at 750 gallons

I built a filter for someone in Thailand based around what you show in your video. They have never had a clean pond and had to change the water every 2 months or they would lose fish due to the ammonia (I'm guessing). It took 2 or 3 weeks but now the water is crystal clear and the fish are so happy. As well as the bio filter, I added plants and aeration but for anyone watching.. this setup works a dream! Thank you for sharing!

Your instructions were simply stated and easy to follow and you sound a little like Rhianna. That's a win win in my book. Thanks 🙏

I like the filter and I commend you for your DIY project. I would like to offer some constructive criticism. Add another bulkhead at the bottom of your barrel so you can drain it and backwash all your solid waste out bottom. Second, ditch the layer of river rocks. While they do look nice, they aren't as porous as something like lava rock. Lava rock will give you another place to grow and house all those beneficial bacteria whose job it is to break down the ammonia and turn it into nitrite and nitrate, the food for your plants. You can grab a big bag of bbq lava rock from home depot for super cheap. Last suggestion, use the trashcans lid. You went thru all the trouble of building is amazing and "living" filter, why not protect your investment from any unforseen unfortunate incidents? Unwanted contaminants in your filter could foul up your water and kill both your fish and plants. Thank you for your video, and thank you for time spent reading this.

You can ad a bottom bulkhead with a shut off valve and just open it up to flush out the large particles.

Thanks for the video. I copied your method with the piping but used some different media. This design is simple but really effective. The water comes out crystal clear.

we just finished our koi pond...liked your design so our filter is a replica of yours. it's been working awesome. thanks for sharing.

Very impressive filtration, effective while keeping the costs down. Thank you for sharing your video.

Like your video and filter. I have been looking for the right design. I think this is it. Iwill be making one just like it. Thanks!

This design works awesome I have a 5000 gallon tank with 4000 tilapia and it keeps it cleaner that the sand filters

Nice demonstration of your DIY filter well done all the best Martyn 👍

I used your method and had a successful pond. But I had a week off and too much time on my hands. I washed all the media and tried to clean my pond. But I upset the balance and my fishes coats got sick. I am going to do your method again. It really works great!

Great idea here! Maybe you can use some expanding foam and silicone to give the trash can a rocky texture and then it would look like a nice waterfall at the edge of your pond.

its so easy to make one. i think it will nicely do the mechanical and bio filter job. i'll definitely give a try in my first aquaculture within a few days. thanks for sharing.

Quilt/ pillow batting works great

The water in the other side will not be filter that good because your WATER PUMP is near where the filtered water falls , so technically the water that had been filtered will be the one will pump up again to the filter. So to make it right , you must extend the hose and move the WATER PUMP to the other side of the pond so that All the water will be filtered completely.

there are many tricks..when we wanna cleaning water in a fishpond. .. I like this video. .

that tutorial along with your voice was just nice and easy

My filter is a bit different but very similar and it works amazingly. You hardly have to clean it, maybe 3 or 4 times a year. So cheap to.

It is not a perfect system, but at least there is a lady house's effort to maintain a clean water... good job kitty! Some good suggestions on the comment you may follow, which is to put the water outlet on the other side of the pond.

you made the easiest way to build it...other give too much description and blah blah steps in their video....and thnks ,I made a mini filter ....and it works great...thank you so much

Thanks for the idea my son and I just made one for our turtle pond came out great and saved us a lot of money

This is the best pond filter video I've ever seen. I feel like I finally understand how to make a biofilter! Thank you so much! We are putting in a swim pond next summer. How often do you have to clean out the filter?

If you install a plumbing fitting near the bottom of the trash can with a shut off valve (about a 1.5" fitting) then you could drain the sediment when it really got bad and needed a cleaning. Leave some bacteria in the receptacle, but essentially it would act as your "backwash" cycle. When you've drained off enough just shut the valve.

Good explanation of how to make a filter

We recently bought a house with a neglected pond and I’ve just started researching. I was literally going to go to the pond store to buy filter media for the waterfall box but now I’m going to head to the dollar store instead! Your filter is amazing!

instead of using a ton of little cleaning pads you can always go the your local janitor supply store and purchase the big cleaning pads for the floor machines, Starting from the black one on the bottom working yourself up to red, blue, green and then finally white, which is the most dense filtered one such as that white cotton stuff you were putting on top of your cleaning pads in your video... I think the smallest diameter pad is 11" 14", 21" working up to a diameter 27" inches wide. 1 inch thick and the hole in the center is 3 3/8 Inches which you can run your plumbing though. You can also purchase it online which will probably be cheaper. 🌞

I wonder if you could run an airline halfway down the center line. Would it create enough suction to make a makeshift venturi to add some extra air to the system? The beneficial bacteria thrives on oxygen which could be depleted by the waste building up on the bottom.

So nice I would swim in it when its warm :)

I want to do this for my 125 gallon pond but I don’t want the pump in the pond. Guess I need to find a pump that can use a output hose in the water to pull water into a setup like yours somehow. Thanks for the video. Very nice

Great job in building this swirl bio filter. May I suggest you place an air stone in the bio filter to promote good bacteria growth. Mine set up is similar but with a 5 gallon bucket.

great idea...have you considered having your intake on the other side of your pool (longer hose), this way you can filter the entire water quicker? Seems you are filtering the cleaner water more often.

Love your video at the end though, when testing you should use water that’s colored from a fish pond like the one you are showing but slightly filthy and show the difference with a glass of that filthy water and a glass of the water after filtration will be nice to see the difference, thank you

What are those floating things you've got in your pond? Are they for plants? Did they work? Maybe you should make a video on those

Thank you.😁❤️

Awesome. Thanks for the video. Now I “know” what to do for my large earthen ponds.

That is one heavy filter lol. I like that basket pump filted shield. Protects ur fishes from getting sucked into the filter.

You can also tie the sponges so they dont come loise and float up

looks like a swimming pool with plants

I freaking love this video. I think it shows an effective biological filter. What size pump did you use? I think plants on top of the filtration makes sense. Why does the water come in at the top rather than at the bottom? Just asking so I can understand that part of this set up.

Good ideas except filler parts, too much to clean each pad or replace them. I would recommend fill it with different size of rocks and have drain on the bottom (can hook up to a pump if that's bury underground). Then never have to replace rocks, just drain and rinse rocks every 3 months.

Next time you take it apart again put a bulk head and a valve on the bottom side so you can open it to backwash large debris. Then maybe you won't have to tear it down as often. Just a suggestion, other than that great idea.

Kudos to you..............................excellent design!

Thanks for sharing it my forever friend, i will do pond when going back to Philippines, Godwilling

Great Video. Two thumbs up.

Have you considered putting it in the pond and on the milk crate that way you free up some space?

Thank you. Followed your idea to made one on my own

hola muchas gracias por tú video me as dado muchas ideas para a ser mi propio filtro soy nuevo en tu canal ya me suscribi👍

Is this Pond have UV bulb? If available where it was putten?

Hey Kitty you said you would like to decorate the filter trash can, have you seen videos of spray foam carving? maybe you can decorate it into a statue fountain

Can you do a video tour of the pond and how it was made? It's exactly what I want to build.

great idea using scrubbies

looks great and effective but how you clean it?

very simple and awesome...smart idea

I have an in ground pool and I want to convert it to a natural poo..I would like to find a way to use my existing sand filter but may be that won't work like yours because it becomes pressurised when the pump is running..I see that most people have a regeneration zone for the plants, but I want to be able to have plants in baskets that are attached to the pool sides and also have lilly pads on the water..I plan to have frogs and goldfish also..most people would never do this to their pool but I love the idea of not using chemicals..besides, me and my dogs will be the only ones swimming..oh, and I love tofu to!

Really helpful and great idea! 👍

after lot of search at last I found the best video

The video is good and interesting, how consuming is the kind of pump used and how can it be made to fit for commercial fish rearing especially in developing countries like Uganda?

You did a great Job on this video.

Finally! Now i get it, thank u very fuckin' much this is super helpful.

Very impressive!!!

Awesome explanation and great and inexpensive way to make it work! Love it. How many gallons is that beautiful pond?

very good!!

Good idea,same likely my koi pon,with trash

bro..this chicks real deal!

How often do you have to clean the whole filter and what kind of fish do you have? I also live in Florida.

thank you Kity ; iam gonna make like you do...my fish have been dying already ..iam a new Pond lover

Thanks for sharing... great idea.... cheers from Australia

Hi, it was great ! did you use any motor to circulated the water

Great filter we'll done looks real good new subscriber Barry Manchester England 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍

Thank you so much for great exploration

Great video! Thank you!!

May I please ask how often do you change the water for goldfish? And also, how often do you clean the bio filter? That plant box looks so great as a filter :-)

Thanks for sharing. How often do you have to clean the filter? Reason for asking is I have to clean my filter every 2 weeks...

good idea... Thanks for sharing

Is there any particular reason to use all of the sponges and sponge pads instead of using rocks and then a sand filter and then the bio balls? Beyond keeping containers down? Newbie here!! Thanks!

Well done lady! Nice video

Daaaaaaaamn gina! That's alot to clean! 😂

I like your filter system, what pump are you using and does it consume a lot of electricity ?

I wanted to do this and aquaphonics but I have no friend know this

How often you need to clean the filter? Do you have a valve below to clear the feces once in a while?

Where is the drainer for the filter

Amazing !!

Nice 👍

what about a plastic planter instead of a trash can?? it might look like just a plant then

What happens to the debris which is below? Its still in the water column isn't it? The nitrates will slowly rise if it's in there for a long time. ..

Good job 👏🐠🐟🐡🦈🐳🐊

Kitty it is a awesome filter. Have you left it in the position shown in the video or you have masked it as a water fall? Show the latest video.

Brilliant - you're awesome

You need some ranchu in that pond

If you put one UV light is better

i like it man xD, mind blowing u know?