Under gravel or no under gravel

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Vincentaquarium

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 10, 2013
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newcastle
In the future as I have chosen wisely not to get such a big size tank YET due to the problems it will cause in an upstairs flat, but hen the time comes though is it okay to have under gravel filters in tanks 4ft+ like 6by2by2ft tanks.

Many LFS's advise to have them yet many online forum users disagree with them, is it just a matter of personal preference or what? Just my stepdads friend for example has had taken 30+ years and swears by this filter system and has had great success but he only has had 4ft or smaller tanks.
 
I'm sure some can post here to correct my impressions....

1) I don't care for gravel as many fish I prefer are sand sifters or spend some time in the sand. I don't believe sand is a good choice for a UGF. This could be wrong but I'm skeptical.
2) UGFs are not very efficient at cleaning the water (polishing) or as efficient at handling large bio loads as other methods. I want sparkling water and want all the fish my tank can handle. If the filtration is the restriction, I want that upgraded.
3) I don't want to have to break down my tanks simply due to crud under the plates. Using other filtration systems gives me a better option.
4) I want the interior of my tank to look as natural and pristeen as possible. Tubes and power heads don't appeal to me.
5) I like deep and wide tanks. IMO an UGF will cause me more of a problem than other options in that regard.
6) I already need to have filtration for mechanical reasons as well as for nitrates. I need to have heating and I want to have UV. I can handle these as well as the bio in other ways where the UGF becomes superflous.
 
Drstrangelove said:
I'm sure some can post here to correct my impressions....

1) I don't care for gravel as many fish I prefer are sand sifters or spend some time in the sand. I don't believe sand is a good choice for a UGF. This could be wrong but I'm skeptical.
2) UGFs are not very efficient at cleaning the water (polishing) or as efficient at handling large bio loads as other methods. I want sparkling water and want all the fish my tank can handle. If the filtration is the restriction, I want that upgraded.
3) I don't want to have to break down my tanks simply due to crud under the plates. Using other filtration systems gives me a better option.
4) I want the interior of my tank to look as natural and pristeen as possible. Tubes and power heads don't appeal to me.
5) I like deep and wide tanks. IMO an UGF will cause me more of a problem than other options in that regard.
6) I already need to have filtration for mechanical reasons as well as for nitrates. I need to have heating and I want to have UV. I can handle these as well as the bio in other ways where the UGF becomes superflous.
Click to expand...

Exactly.

They work, but there are far better options for most setups.


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I have never personally used an UGF, but from what I have read they are nitrate factories...just clogging up with waste and releasing large amounts of nitrates (which are not good for fish, especially at high concentrations).
 
wrslrcichlid said:
I have never personally used an UGF, but from what I have read they are nitrate factories...just clogging up with waste and releasing large amounts of nitrates (which are not good for fish, especially at high concentrations).
Click to expand...

If kept clean they are doable, but by design it pulls all the waste to just about the last place you want it lol

Reverse ugf on the otter hand can work well, but still leaves suspended matter in the water.

Either option work, but neither work well on all it the lightest stocked tanks.




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I make undergravel filters out of pvc pipe for all my large tanks. What I end up doing is using one lift tube which is connected to an AquaClear 110 filter. The AquaClear powers the ug filter. I don't have undergravel plates, just piping with holes in it. Any debris that falls through the gravel eventually ends up in the power filter. It works well. The AquaClear filter is loaded with sponge only. It can go quite a long time without being cleaned. Water always is sparkling clear. Hope this helps.
 
I would just do a big canister or sump and possibly some large hobs... undergravels are known to be okay but are not the best filter on todays maret compared to canisters are sumps or even large hobs...
 
I've been running a UGF on my 55 for about 10 years. To be honest I really like it! It's super low maintenance. An I dont have to suck the poop off the bottom the bottom of the tank almost everyday. Like I do in my 125 with a fx5. The only down side is you can't use sand. Although I thought about laying down a fine mesh over the UGF an trying to ad sand. But i don't want to drain the tank. Also any plants pretty much have to be potted.


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