undergravel filter

[zpetrichko]

whats a bonded pad?

 

[Oddball]

The filter pads that are blue on one side 'bonded' to a white layer on the other side.

 

[zpetrichko]

is it one big pad or would i have to piece a bunch together?

 

[bullwinkle]

The filter pads that are blue on one side 'bonded' to a white layer on the other side.

Does it matter which side, blue or white, is facing down on the plate?

Did you use anything else to supplement that UGF setup on the 240?

And just so I'm clear this wasn't a reverse; it was regular UGF, pulling water down through the gravel and up through the tubes?

Sounds really neat.

 

[Oddball]

I put the pad blue (coarse) side up.

Back then, I only ran a diatom filter once a week after a water change (pre-gravel washer era).

No, not reverse flow.

 

[Oddball]

is it one big pad or would i have to piece a bunch together?

I bought one large pad and cut slits for the lift tubes.

 

[bitteraspects]

youre better off with a HOB or canister.
in fact, youre just as well off with no filter at all.
while it will take longer for the bacteria to colonize, it will still grow in the gravel w/o the UGF tray, and you wont have all that rotting detrius under the plates raising the ammonia levels in the tank.

 

[zpetrichko]

i do weekly gravel cleanings so would it really be that big of a deal if i used to ugf?

 

[bitteraspects]

even using a gravel vac on the UGF, you will miss most of the detrius trapped below. the only way to have a thurough cleaning is to remove the plates all together. whis is just not practical.

 

[Oddball]

youre better off with a HOB or canister.
in fact, youre just as well off with no filter at all.
while it will take longer for the bacteria to colonize, it will still grow in the gravel w/o the UGF tray, and you wont have all that rotting detrius under the plates raising the ammonia levels in the tank.

Should have read my 1st post in this thread. I had no 'rotting debris' under the plates in a large pred tank.