can i do this to get rid of poo?

[Jkoziatek]

can i put in an undegravel filter system... hook it up to a powerhead with reverse flow... then during water changes turn it on and let the filter and python get that crap out?.... my question to the pro's out there is what is the best powerhead to do this with if i have a 55 gallon and i plan on getting a 48long by 12 deep undegravel filter

 

[soggysandwich]

why dont you just use the python how it is suppose to be used? aka stick the hard plastic part into the gravel to suck out the poop. you will save a lot of money this way.

 

[Jkoziatek]

well i was thinking that occasionally i could run the undergravel filter to shot up waste so my other filters pick it up... helps with maintenance... possibly could even allow for smaller water changes....

 

[Dr Joe]

Basically get the strongest power head you can to really mix it up. I'm just against this type of thing because it screws up the water sooo bad and the fish have no choice but to 'breathe' it. I prefer a gravel vac type system. I made a wand with a horizontal bar as wide as the tank w/ a slot cut in the horizontal bar facing down and have it hooked to a 800/1000gph pump and dump into a filter system if I'm saving some of the water, then it goes back into the sump.

Dr Joe

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[Jkoziatek]

i mean is it reallt hat bad for the fish?... what if i did it once every 2 days...not alot of waste would have built up so the filter could collect it?...

 

[Jkoziatek]

could you explain the gravel vac idea a little more.... or show pictures?

 

[Sturgeon]

jack black's VaPoorizer

 

[95socalstang]

Dr. Joe,
Can we see a pic of your gravel vac? I am very interested to see what you came up with....

Eric

 

[Jkoziatek]

no pics?

 

[Trouble247]

I use overhead box type filters, and they can make gravel vac'ing a pain... Every time I clean my gravel, this design pops mysteriously into my head:

I haven't worked up the nerve to build it yet, but maybe someone else has... My thoughts are that all poo eventually works its way to the bottom of your gravel, so why not have a void under it and let gravity do its job. Then every time you do a water change the poo gets sucked out with the dirty water... My original thought just used a gravity siphon, but i figure a pump would probably help... Then again, it might not even work at all... I'd be curious if anyone has something like this that works...

Warning: Unmonitored or excessive poo removal may result in premature replacement of laminate flooring, shortness of fish breath or even death...