UGF question
- Thread starter KABB44423
- Start date
if i buy a ugf whats the best way 2 run it? reg or reverse
I've only had normal UGF but from what I've heard reverse is much better.
Normal UGF a lot of stuff gets sucked down into the gravel and you have to do a lot of siphoning to make sure it stays clean and to prevent buildup of nitrates.
It also seems like reverse would grow bacteria a bit more efficiently since gravel with a normal UGF seems to get compacted, and that would limit oxygen flow compared to a reverse UGF.
Normal UGF a lot of stuff gets sucked down into the gravel and you have to do a lot of siphoning to make sure it stays clean and to prevent buildup of nitrates.
It also seems like reverse would grow bacteria a bit more efficiently since gravel with a normal UGF seems to get compacted, and that would limit oxygen flow compared to a reverse UGF.
Reverse flow requires a secondary mechanical filter to keep the water clean. Reverse flow will cause the gravel to be a bio-filter only. Normal flow works best if you put a filter pad over the grate before adding the gravel to trap small sediment.
I think any UGF benefits from a secondary filter, with or without the pad.
We always ran our UGFs with powerfilters and they worked fairly well, because though the UGFs are pulling waste towards the bottom a strong power filter will catch a lot of it before it makes it there.
We always ran our UGFs with powerfilters and they worked fairly well, because though the UGFs are pulling waste towards the bottom a strong power filter will catch a lot of it before it makes it there.
When I read the first post I automatically thought the intent was to run a mechanical filter on the UGF. As already said, you won't get very much biological action if you run an undergravel filter by itself reverse or otherwise.
If you run it with a canister (reverse flow), you'll get good results. Keep in mind that you'll eventually have to remove and clean the plate/s and that is absolutely no fun.
If you run it with a canister (reverse flow), you'll get good results. Keep in mind that you'll eventually have to remove and clean the plate/s and that is absolutely no fun.
well i have a casscade1500 a magnum350 and a tetra 110 running on my tank and its still cloudy and getting smelly do u think i should run the regular or reverse with that?
I don't think that the problem lies so much in the filtration you're using. The tank is certainly not overstocked. Perhaps your filter/s haven't been on there long enough. Sometimes it takes a few months for canister filters to hit their peak with enough bacteria to clear the water. That would be my first guess. What kind of media do you have in them? That might have something to do with it too.