under gravel filter

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
I don't know just trying to get rid of some leftovers on on the gravel because I was Gonna you sand but I stayed with gravel my catfish cleans a lot but I just need to get a little bit more


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Hello; I used commercial undergravel filters (UGF) for several decades with good results. At first because that was all that was available except for air powered bubble up type filters. I suppose there were some power filters, but they were out of my price range for a long while. I have read the negative posts about UGF and do not find the objections to fit with my experience. UGF work and are very reliable except for the failure of an air pump from time to time. The best combination was an UGF with a hang on back (hob) filter of some sort. The early hob type using a spinning magnet were pretty weak, I have the bones of some of the early Metaframe units in a box.
There seems to be a consistent stream of negative comments whenever someone posts about a UGF. They will work and I have kept a lot of healthy plants and fish while using them. That being said I never tried to build one. My guess is some PVC pipes linked together with a lot of small holes drilled in them may be a place to start??
 
skjl47 said:
Hello; I used commercial undergravel filters (UGF) for several decades with good results. At first because that was all that was available except for air powered bubble up type filters. I suppose there were some power filters, but they were out of my price range for a long while. I have read the negative posts about UGF and do not find the objections to fit with my experience. UGF work and are very reliable except for the failure of an air pump from time to time. The best combination was an UGF with a hang on back (hob) filter of some sort. The early hob type using a spinning magnet were pretty weak, I have the bones of some of the early Metaframe units in a box.
There seems to be a consistent stream of negative comments whenever someone posts about a UGF. They will work and I have kept a lot of healthy plants and fish while using them. That being said I never tried to build one. My guess is some PVC pipes linked together with a lot of small holes drilled in them may be a place to start??
Click to expand...

Thank you very much this is going to help so much


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just need some of that cheap plastic screen used for needlepoint, then a piece of 1/2" pvc, cut pieces just to hold the screen off the floor of your aquarium. I would zip tie, or wire the needlepoint screen together, then just use some 3/4 pvc for up-pipes and then add gravel and you're done. I have used this undergravel filter in my aquariums with power heads and have found it to be superior to any hang over the back filter. UG filters just won't work well with growing plants.
 
When people say that UGF "work well" or whatever, they might be commenting on physical waste removal (from sight). TBH, UGF are nothing but big waste traps. The idea of the UGF is to hide waste until it can be broken down by the heterotrophic bacteria, and then eventually processed into nitrates. It would be a lot better to just remove the waste in the first place. Using an UGF WILL lead to higher nitrate creep than not using one.

Now, Reverse UGFs are a different story.
 
I used to build my own with PVC and a power head. Your water will stay clear but nitrates do become an issue if you don't take measures to counteract them. Add live plants vacuum the gravel well and do frequent good sized water changes.

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This is my personal experience with ugf's in my 55gal I was doing wc every other day trying to lower my nitrate I would go to the fish store to get a free water test and the guy would ask how I'm feeding what's my filtration how's the water look bc the nitrate is off the charts I told him my water was crystal clear..long story short .he finally ask me to list everything in my tank and when I told him I had ugf's he told me that's the problem those are out dated technology and to pull it out slowly,I pulled half of it up and is was a blanket of crap on the bottom .three days later I go back to get a water test and everything looked good,so for me I don't recommend it to know one

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wow_it_esploded said:
UGF are nothing but big waste traps.
Click to expand...

so in other words, they are a filter...
like any other filter, you need to clean the filter. vacuum your gravel once a month and you've got one of the greatest filters around.
leave it sit for a year and, just like any other filter, you've got a mess.
 
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