I'm not sure what you mean by reverse direction. Are you pumping air Down the Tubes and running the air hose completelty under the Platform itself?zennzzo;3990648; said:Those are set up with pipe and outlets all over the bottom, the UGJ's are...
I'm talking about using the UGF plates just as the come, using Powerheads in the reverse direction... it flows water up through the gravel, not across the top of the gravel like UGJ's do...
Do you use Under gravel filter?
- Thread starter fishtician
- Start date
In all of my tanks, I have a undergravel filter with powerheads. I also have Aquaclear HOBs and in one I have a Rena XP3 cannister filter. The best filter is the undergravel filter in my opinion. The surface area of a undergravel is the size of the bottom of your tank which surpasses all the other filters.
I know are a lot of haters on undergravel filters but please don't knock something that you never have used. A person has to vacumm the gravel to maintain the filter so it will not get clogged up.
I know are a lot of haters on undergravel filters but please don't knock something that you never have used. A person has to vacumm the gravel to maintain the filter so it will not get clogged up.
When I bought my 33g long, it came with the ugf with the pipes all along the bottom, so I thought I would give it a try and I thought it was doing a fine job, until I moved and had to take it down and I was horrified by the amount of stuff under the gravel. I also had a AquaClear 70 running as well. I just figured I must have set it up wrong but I've actually never heard any good things about them.
No...there are two ways of using the UGF...1 is by using air lines and airstones to create an uplift of water in the risers...the 2nd way is by using a POWERHEAD to move the water. They are capable of moving as much water as you want, by getting the size of powerhead based on the GPH rating. Powerheads are sold like pumps by the Gallons Per Hour or GPH rating...fishtician;3990679; said:
There is a way to reverse the flow and have the Powerhead pump water into the riser, rather than out of the riser...Out of the riser, is the conventional direction for the undergravel filter to operate and INTO the riser is the unconventional method call Reverse Under Gravel Filter...
Airlines and airstones can only move water in the conventional direction...
Here is a pic of the powerhead in the reverse flow configuration on an undergravel filter plate...
im with zennzzo on this use the plates but put the return line of the FX5 on the "uptubes" this way you will be pushing water down the tubes and under the gravel bed and keep it from accumulating debris
I still run of our tanks using an RFUGF. It is on one of our PearlScale tanks which is overstocked for its size and keeps the water conditions perfect running along with an AC110 HOB.
The problem is once or twice a year I need to tear down the tank and lift the plates to get the 100 - 200 fry out of there because the eggs somehow got by the powerhead prefilter.
I am thinking a can is better that a powerhead to drive the plates in reverse and be a little more diligent in maintaining the prefilters.
The problem is once or twice a year I need to tear down the tank and lift the plates to get the 100 - 200 fry out of there because the eggs somehow got by the powerhead prefilter.
I am thinking a can is better that a powerhead to drive the plates in reverse and be a little more diligent in maintaining the prefilters.
Red_Belly_Pacu;3990687;3990687 said:
As Pharoah said it is a matter of personal choice.
I have a 240 that has used a UGF successfully for over thirty years. That is not a missprint, Thirty years. I took the system apart one year ago to move the tank and was pleasantly surprised at how clean it was. I attribute this to : comparably high (1000 GPH) flow rates , regular maintenance vacuuming and the use of effective mechanical fitration on the return side.
Anyone who says flatly that all UGF's are junk is doing this sport a disservice. It is the functional equivalent to saying "flatly" that all canister filters are junk, regardless of capacity or design. Can you compare a Magnum 350 to an FX5 or an Ocean clear 325 ? No ? Why not ? They are all canisters. Are all Sumps created equal ? Can you compare a wet/dry to a refugium to a Berlin filter ? Why not ? They are all sumps.
There is not one filtration method out there that does not need regular maintenance and a UGF is no exception. If you don't maintain your filtration system you will be tearing it apart to clean up the mess. This applies equally to UGF's, Sumps, Canisters, PPF's, RUGF's ,whatever.
Is a UGF powered by a bubbler or a powerhead the right choice for a large tank ? Probably not. Is there an option that includes a UGF/RUGF ? Absolutely. Are there applications where a UGF is a bad choice ? Sure. If your fish like to dig then it is a poor choice. Is it the right choice for you ? The only one that can answer that is you.
Having said that , I am about to convert my UGF to an RUGF. Not because the UGF doesn't perform flawlessly, but to extend the interval between gravel vacuuming sessions.
Think outside the box.
Well said!!
I was in this hobby as a kid when Under Gravel Filters first came out...they were the bleeding edge of technology at one time...
It was all about no more packing floss and carbon in those "OLD" corner filters anymore.
Carbon now came in "slide on cartridges" A filter the size of the entire footprint of your tank!!
That was a long time ago, but if it kept our fish alive then, why wouldn't it do the same now?
I was in this hobby as a kid when Under Gravel Filters first came out...they were the bleeding edge of technology at one time...
It was all about no more packing floss and carbon in those "OLD" corner filters anymore.
Carbon now came in "slide on cartridges" A filter the size of the entire footprint of your tank!!
That was a long time ago, but if it kept our fish alive then, why wouldn't it do the same now?
I've used undergravel filters, and would not use one in the conventional direction again, whether driven by air or a powerhead.
I dislike vacuuming gravel, and so changed to a planted tank with EcoComplete.
It has been many years since I've vacuumed gravel now, and I'd not care to go back.
My total maintenance now consists of occasional water changes, and very occasional filter maintenance.
However, for a non-planted tank, I would consider a reverse flow ugf as an option, probably driven by a canister.
For those who are interested, Vortex makes a reverse flow ugf which is cleverly driven by air. Try to think how rising bubbles can push water down, and then check out this page to see how they did it.
http://www.diatomfilter.com/products/reverse_flow_undergravel_filter.htm
I dislike vacuuming gravel, and so changed to a planted tank with EcoComplete.
It has been many years since I've vacuumed gravel now, and I'd not care to go back.
My total maintenance now consists of occasional water changes, and very occasional filter maintenance.
However, for a non-planted tank, I would consider a reverse flow ugf as an option, probably driven by a canister.
For those who are interested, Vortex makes a reverse flow ugf which is cleverly driven by air. Try to think how rising bubbles can push water down, and then check out this page to see how they did it.
http://www.diatomfilter.com/products/reverse_flow_undergravel_filter.htm
