i just picked up a 55 and i wanna try a different route with filtration. anyone care to explain the way an under gravel filter is set up what exactly you need and how you do it.
undergravel filter
- Thread starter zpetrichko
- Start date
thank you! i tried searching and there was nothing specific. usually when you do a search it gives you every single post that has either filter or undergravel listed. ok so i read that article and it seems like a really cool idea. now what are peoples inputs on it? does it work? is it worth the money or should i just get a regular filter?
If you have a lengthy power failure, you are almost guaranteed a massive bacteria die off.
If you lift up a plate for any reason you will release a metric ton of goo into your water.
If you house cichlids, they will dig and rearrange your gravel and every time they do, they render your UGF useless.
If you use a UGF, have it be one of 2 filters on the tank. A UGF by itself is entirely to delicate. Forgiveness is built in with a second filter.
If you lift up a plate for any reason you will release a metric ton of goo into your water.
If you house cichlids, they will dig and rearrange your gravel and every time they do, they render your UGF useless.
If you use a UGF, have it be one of 2 filters on the tank. A UGF by itself is entirely to delicate. Forgiveness is built in with a second filter.
I prefer the design of a reverse under gravel filter. Just get the powerheads that flow in reverse, and they will push water up through your gravel, creating the same bacteria colony but also keeping waste off the ground.
but if you do it reverse wouldn't it keep the water from being filtered? the article stated that you clean the "filter" by cleaning the rocks. i have a couple hujeta gars and a senegal that i'm going to put in the tank and they don't seem to mess with the gravel at all. so basically the powerhead sucks the water out via bottom of the tank and back in through piping. that article made it seem like you just hook it up and let it go. clean the rocks every week and your golden.
Try this. It's an old school posting, but good pictoral explanation.
http://ecology.pnl.gov/Rivers/Aquarium/Aqua.html
http://ecology.pnl.gov/Rivers/Aquarium/Aqua.html
it seems like a really simple thing i might wanna try it out. you can get the set up on petsmart for cheap, and obviously air pumps are pretty cheap. i think i'm gonna try it out, and if it doesn't work then i'm gonna just pick up an emperor or something. thanks for all the help guys!
I posted this in another UGF thread:
I've had great success in using UGFs over the years. I use a technique developed by Dr. Spotte. It calls for placing bonded filter pad material between the UG plate and substrate. The pad can hold a bacteria population up to 800 times that of gravel substrate alone. The pad also prevents clogging of the plate vents, allows a firm rooting medium for plants, and prevents detritus buildup under the plate.
I ran a 240 full of large preds (mostly Polypterus with a few mid and upper layer swimmers) for almost 3 years on such a setup, utilizing 4 powerheads, with minimum (twice a month) gravel washes/water changes. When the tank was broken down to relocate, the pad came out nearly spotless, the plant root bundles were massive and the plants had to be cut out of the pad, and there wasn't a speck of debris under the plates.
I've had great success in using UGFs over the years. I use a technique developed by Dr. Spotte. It calls for placing bonded filter pad material between the UG plate and substrate. The pad can hold a bacteria population up to 800 times that of gravel substrate alone. The pad also prevents clogging of the plate vents, allows a firm rooting medium for plants, and prevents detritus buildup under the plate.
I ran a 240 full of large preds (mostly Polypterus with a few mid and upper layer swimmers) for almost 3 years on such a setup, utilizing 4 powerheads, with minimum (twice a month) gravel washes/water changes. When the tank was broken down to relocate, the pad came out nearly spotless, the plant root bundles were massive and the plants had to be cut out of the pad, and there wasn't a speck of debris under the plates.