Hi Ken,
Here are some very good ideas for making a pond filter.
It's well worth it to spend some time learning about how
and why pond filters are built the way they are. It'll save
you a lot of extra effort, wasted time and grief in the long run.

http://www.mikebentley.com/ponds/homemadefilters.htm

http://www.wavepumps.com/state_of_the_art_filters.htm

http://www.skippysstuff.com/biofiltr.htm

Hope this helps,
Mark


"Iain Miller" wrote in message
...

"ken" wrote in message
s.com...
I am in the midst of making my own pond filter. I was going to use
charcoal brickets from the barbeque. A friend advised me to be
careful. Does anyone out there know if this is a good idea or not? If
not, what are the possible substitutes?
Thanks for all your help.
--

Charcoal briquets are just dust charcoal held together with some kind of
glue - personaally I think they make food taste funny so I never use them
&
I certainly wouldn't put them in a pond filter - I would have thought
they'd
disintegrate.

The easiest/cheapest thing to do is to get some of that black corrugated
hose they sell for pond pipework - about 1/2 or 3/4" dia should do. Chop
it
up into pieces an inch or so long and stick them in the filter. All you
are
looking for is as much surface area for bacteria to grow on as possible
but
without making it so dense that the filter will clog. I've read of people
using chopped up drinking straws - but I think it would be quite a loabour
intensive thing to try & do!

I.