dannop
11-05-2003, 10:43 AM
An idea that I thought I would share... Take a plastic storage bin (I use about a 20 gallon one for a 120 gal tank) and stagger old used filter plates inside which support well washed volcanic rock (function as bio balls) and some activated charcoal and top it all with a layer of polyester quilt stuffing (cheap at wal-mart). I use an old power head to pump water back into the tank-it rests at the bottom of the storage bin. With a right size siphon hose into the filter from the tank you will end up with a trickle filter that will keep your tank's water in great shape for a very long period of time. Built in safety switch-make sure that the storage bin is at least as tall as the water in your tank-that way if the power head goes down you will not lose any water outside the system. I also have built my own plywood tanks (wood is a better insulator than glass!) with plans downloaded from the internet-they really work great and saved me a lot of money that I could put into fish!!! Please share any other such ideas you may have.