I just build a my filter box 40''x42x 60''(with plywood,treated
lumber,simpson ties etc) for my 6000 Gallon pond, need a lot of medium
to fill the filter, my budget is very tight now, please advice on any
good CHEAP medium ( I believe I need both machanic & bio filter
medium). thanks in advance

I'm not sure of the cost but I think it is relatively inexpensive. We use black
vinyl screening that comes in 25 ft. rolls at Lowes. It acts as both mechanical
and biological (veggie is the monster water hyacinths we float on the top).
With 50 yards in a 150 gallon stock tank we clean it once a year and all gunk
smells river water sweet.


k30a
and the watergardening labradors
http://www.geocities.com/watergarden...ors/index.html

Kathy's suggestion of window screen is probably the best for both mechanical
and bio. If you just wanted bio, then the strapping material used for boxes
has a lot of surface and is easy to clean, as well as being relatively
cheap. You could put a goodly chunk of window screening in the first half
(water inlet) and some of the strapping material on the other end (outlet)
and get a considerable amount of surface area for your biobugs.

Lee
"John" wrote in message
m...
I just build a my filter box 40''x42x 60''(with plywood,treated
lumber,simpson ties etc) for my 6000 Gallon pond, need a lot of medium
to fill the filter, my budget is very tight now, please advice on any
good CHEAP medium ( I believe I need both machanic & bio filter
medium). thanks in advance

Matt Helliwell writes:

Or instead of window screening, you can use green house shading.
Probably the same stuff but, in the UK at least, seems easier to obtain.
You can also get a variety of mesh sizes.

Me, I swear by bird netting. Never clogs, slows down the water so that
particulates drop out.