Reverse undergravel filtration setup

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
suckerfish said:
Take the airline out. It seems to me that your just pushing water down from power head straight into the canister, bypassing gravel. Hey, some people keep filtration, some keep fish. I think your in the first category.
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Dang...hard to type while laughing. :) I love this! ^

I'm having a hard time understanding what you are trying to accomplish. In one post you said that the intake of the canister is attached to the UG tube, with a powerhead on the other one. In that case, you are indeed just pumping water into and then immediately out of the UG plenum, bypassing the gravel entirely. What's the point?

You also have a venturi hooked up and blowing air bubbles down the UG tube, but are wondering why they are bubbling back up again. Sorry, but...where did you think those bubbles were going to go? What's the point of the venturi in this set-up?

Succesful DIY projects require two things: first, a clear idea of the goal you are attempting to accomplish. I hope you have one, but I can't tell what it is. And second, a good understanding of the processes that need to be controlled and manipulated to achieve that goal. I'm not really seeing that either.
 
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Well...sorry for thr confusion. I have outlet of powerhead through the lift tube of ug in one end and in other end of ug outlet of canister. They are pushing water through each end of the ug filter. I have vrnturi connected to powerhead. Should i do that or take off the venturi in reverse ug filter?

Did i make it simple?
 
jjohnwm said:
Dang...hard to type while laughing. :) I love this! ^

I'm having a hard time understanding what you are trying to accomplish. In one post you said that the intake of the canister is attached to the UG tube, with a powerhead on the other one. In that case, you are indeed just pumping water into and then immediately out of the UG plenum, bypassing the gravel entirely. What's the point?

You also have a venturi hooked up and blowing air bubbles down the UG tube, but are wondering why they are bubbling back up again. Sorry, but...where did you think those bubbles were going to go? What's the point of the venturi in this set-up?

Succesful DIY projects require two things: first, a clear idea of the goal you are attempting to accomplish. I hope you have one, but I can't tell what it is. And second, a good understanding of the processes that need to be controlled and manipulated to achieve that goal. I'm not really seeing that either.
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I have output if both the canister and powerhead attached. I know you guys are gurus here. But whats the use of making fun of someone who is trying to learn. I think i approached you guys as I am new in it and would require some help to identify if am doing anything wrong.
 
Well, one of the benefits of new equipment is that it is designed for simplicity of use, even by fishkeepers who are not necessarily familiar with all the intricacies of how it works. As a beginner, it would be best to stick with methods that are proven to work, and are backed up with equipment designed to work without requiring any in-depth knowledge and without tinkering or DIY "improvements". Your first car should be a stone-axe-reliable Toyota Corolla, not a British-made Triumph Spitfire that needs work on the brakes, steering, electrical and carburetion. The Toyota...or the canister filter...will work if used as intended, no tinkering required or desired. Don't mess with either one until you know what you are doing.

Sorry if you took offense; none was intended, but I'm a codger who grew up in a different world, where silly mistakes would be laughed at by everyone including the fellow who made them. The sensitive new-age folk of today are on a different wavelength. I'll see myself out! :)
 
Well...i have my canister filter for last 3 years and it does what it says. However, i thought of utilising my gravel and turning them into more good bacteria storage dor my fishes to be happy. So that made me invest in reverse ug filter. Can you suggest if the venturi usually be working in reverae ug filter? Or should i take it off?
 
No venturi. No powerhead. You are pumping dirty water under the UG plate, which negates whatever dubious advantages the reverse UG filter might ever provide. If you feel you must use the powerhead, then remove the venturi and also mount a mechanical filter on the powerhead intake to clean the water. Or...disconnect the powerhead from the UG tube and just use it, with the venturi in place, as a circulating pump for water movement. In this case you would seal off that UG tube to prevent water escaping through it.
 
jjohnwm said:
No venturi. No powerhead. You are pumping dirty water under the UG plate, which negates whatever dubious advantages the reverse UG filter might ever provide. If you feel you must use the powerhead, then remove the venturi and also mount a mechanical filter on the powerhead intake to clean the water. Or...disconnect the powerhead from the UG tube and just use it, with the venturi in place, as a circulating pump for water movement. In this case you would seal off that UG tube to prevent water escaping through it.
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I already have a spinge attached to the inlet of powerhead and a filter booster attacged to my main canister to prevent waste going into my tank. I will turn off my venturi. Do i still nwed a air pump to create dusturbance in water so that fishes have mire oxygen?
 
I didn’t mean to offend either. Some people on here would take my comment as a compliment. I’m a middle aged fart with a bad back @ 47. But I agree with jjohnwm jjohnwm maybe we’re confused though.
I don’t know, but you maybe over doing it IMO- if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. UGs are like using a screw driver when you have drill gun, especially on a 300g.
 
There are some serious filtration pervs on this site, but I haven’t seen them around lately, other than duanes duanes
I can’t even remember their handles, but I’ll look and tag them for you.
 
Back in the day....the effective way to use a undergravel filter was to use it as normal ...even better with powerheads...regular style...but if u wanna go up a level....drill the tank under the plates and pipe into the the canister filter. Since canister filters are pressurized everything will be finr in a power outage and this way all the crap u usually find under the plates go thru the cannister abd clean water back in. I had great success with this way back on a 300 gallon with diy plates and 4 bulkheads draining thru and into those old ocean clear inline canister filters
 
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