Any other filter system is garbage UG filters are the best. 0 maintenance. .whatever current you want. Just clean the gravel. come at me bro.
Underground filters are the best Come at me bro
- Thread starter Vampire fish
- Start date
Hello; This has been cussed and discussed many times over the years, both on this forum and with people I know. I am on the side in favor of the UGF and have one currently in use. A number of threads can be found on this forum from the past.
Some fish shops are so biased that they do not even carry them in their stock. More the pitty.
Some fish shops are so biased that they do not even carry them in their stock. More the pitty.
They are not bad, if maintained properly. I thought reverse flow systems worked best. I do think there are better air driven filters out there IMO. They definitely are not zero maintenance though
Under gravel filters work great until you stop maintaining the gravel. If you don't keep the gravel clean they will stop working.
Hello; This is correct. The UGF does not remove material. Over time detritus will build up in the gravel. For a number of years during the late 1950's and eary 1960's, I did not appreciate this. I wound up having to break down tanks after a year or two. The gravel would be loaded with detritus (mulm).
When I caught on to using a siphon to clean gravel, the situation changed. My first attempts were to use a plain hose of sufficent diameter to pass the gravel and water during a water change. I would siphon out a volumn of the gravel with the water and have some cleaned gravel on hand to replace it. Over several water changes most of the gravel and detritus would be removed and replaced. This greatly extends the run life of a tank.
By the way I have found gravel cleaning to be needed no matter what type of filter system I have used.
I also tend to run a HOB along with a UGF setup.
If ammonia and nitrite are at zero then it doesn't matter what you're using. I don't get all these: "mine is the best" flaming thread
I've always liked UGFs for how they aerate plant root bundles. I always placed a layer of bonded filter pad between the UG plate and gravel so the plant roots had a firm foundation to anchor to. The pad also provided 800% more surface area for BB to adhere to.
As stated, if properly maintained UGFs are an excellent filtration system to use. A 4 powerhead system I used in a 240 was in place for over 2 years before I had to break it down to move. The pad came up still white and blue with only slight discoloration. And, the giant Crinum plants had to be packed with the pad due to their roots being widely intertwined throughtout the pad. Then, the plates came out with nearly zero sediment trapped underneath. The tank housed 11 polys, clown knife, SAm LF, 4 jumbo CLs, and a leichardi aro.
Yeah, I'm a long-time supporter of UGFs.
As stated, if properly maintained UGFs are an excellent filtration system to use. A 4 powerhead system I used in a 240 was in place for over 2 years before I had to break it down to move. The pad came up still white and blue with only slight discoloration. And, the giant Crinum plants had to be packed with the pad due to their roots being widely intertwined throughtout the pad. Then, the plates came out with nearly zero sediment trapped underneath. The tank housed 11 polys, clown knife, SAm LF, 4 jumbo CLs, and a leichardi aro.
Yeah, I'm a long-time supporter of UGFs.
Had my ugf running for 14 years (55galllon). I change water and siphon gravel not regularly I could'nt give you a routinely schedule I follow. Maybe every 2 months. Had the same pleco for about 12 years or a little less. He is in a 75 now. Plug power head into timer and im done. The most maintenance I have to do is clean some dumb snails out of the power heads when they slow it down.