Powerhead driven aquarium filters are common in the hobby. Several brands offer pumps with pre-made filter attachments for the powerhead. You can easily create your own and avoid having to buy a completely new unit. Here we show you how to make a custom DIY powerhead filter using a water bottle and some filter media. This simple and inexpensive project can transform an existing powerhead into an internal filter that provides adequate mechanical and biological filtration for your tank.

 

     All you need is some extra bio media of your choice, (bio balls, ceramic rings, etc.) and a few pieces of mechanical filter pad. The size of the filter attachment you make will depend on the size of your powerhead and the amount of filtration your tank requires. The 17 oz. bottle we use in this project should adequately filter a 20 gallon non-planted tank with reasonable fish load. Overall, making a DIY powerhead filter is a quick, adequate and often free way of filtering your tank.