Undergravel filters (Need advice and your thoughts)

[dogofwar]

"just out of interest if the gravel has such great filtering property's does that mean a tank with substrate has a much better surface area to support bacteria than a bare bottom tank"

Gravel has more surface area than glass.

A strategy with a bare bottom tank is to move the biological filtration (i.e. media with surface area) to some place where it's not going to get a lot of solid waste in it.

For example, having a sump full of bio balls / scrubbies on a bare bottom tank (with a mechanical pre-filter...that's regularly cleaned) will have much, much more area for bacteria to grow than the same tank with gravel (or gravel and a UGF)...

 

[Merbeast]

If I may sum up arguments (as I see them):
Dogofwar: UGFs are not the best filters
Chompers: UGFs are fine as filters

Can you spot the difference? UGFs work, and they work just fine. Are they the best? No. Do millions of people use them every day and have happy healthy fish? Yes. If you have one and you are using it, great. If you have lots of money to upgrade to a different, better filtration method, great. For a cheap, reliable, easy to clean filter, UGFs can't be beat. You never have to replace the media, and you clean them with a gravel vac (which you would have to do regardless of the presence or absence of a UGF). The UGF works as long as the powerhead/air pump works, and you can get battery back-up air pumps. If the power goes out, you don't have to rescue your media from a cannister and put it in the aquarium with a UGF. They are good filters, but perhaps not the best.

 

[tcarswell]

mmmm interesting read but i still think UGF are a thing of the past things have moved on a long ways since the days they were popular

just out of interest if the gravel has such great filtering property's does that mean a tank with substrate has a much better surface area to support bacteria than a bare bottom tank

Ofcourse it does ! Even a tank without a UGF gathers lots of BB on the substrate. Thats why you can jumpstart your cycle by seeding your tank with other peoples gravel regardless if they us a UGF

 

[CHUPA CABRA]

let me tell you something about undergravel filter.
i have a 75g tank scinse the year 2000, for filtration i have an undergravel filter powerd by a powerhead and a 350 magnum.
the only time i change the water and clean the gravel with a vaccium hose on the tank was when the water level has gon down about 3", and i feed my fish 2 to 3 times a day and i never had a sick fish, they always look healthy and live for ever.

3 month ago i desided to buy a 220 gallon fish tank, on that fish tank i went with sand (no undergravel filter) a wet dry filter (300 bio balls--1200gph pump) and a cascade 1500, i took all my fish from the 75 gallon tank and put them in my 220g tank. i did water changes every 2 weeks (30%) and fed them twice a day.
2 month later i had planaria warms and the only silver dollar i had in the tank for about 4 years got sick and when i look closely i had planaria warms (no other fish got sick). now i have to do water changes every week and feed them once a day instead or twice a day
i never had that problem on my 75 gallon tank with the same amount of fish and the same feeding (2 to 3 times a day) and i change the water and only vaccium the gravel every 2 month (fish 100% healthy)

so what im trying to say is that with my experience with undergravel filters not matter what people say, undergravel filter are one of the best filters out there

and i will be removing the sand of my 220g tank and switching to undergravel filter
that will cut down on my meintnance by about 70%
AND YOU CAN TAKE THAT TO THE BANK

 

[gomezladdams]

I still use ugfs in many of my tanks.In terms of biofiltration its the best bang for your buck especially if you plan on having gravel anyway.And as stated if you got gravel,weekly gravel vaccing is a must anyway.
Ive visited a sucessful tang cichlid hatchery a few times, well over 1000 tanks and everywhere you look ....ugfs powered by bubblers.When asked why the ugfs the answer ....results! For stability, ease of operation, and price they cant be beat.

They have thier drawbacks.Rooted plants prevent you from doing the deep gravel vaccing you need to do to keep them operating well.Tanks with a lot of rockwork can crush the plates and/or block too much flow.
And fish that do alot of digging can uncover areas of the plate and disrupt the flow.

 

[cudatim68]

I've always had success with UGF's......One of the things i liked the best is i would zip tie fake plants to the UGF and not have to worry about them being dug up as they sometimes are with substrate, this worked very well when i had a 55G with a pair of breeding Oscars.

 

[tcarswell]

Thanks for the new input guys.Sorry to hear about that chupa but im glad to have more reassurance of my UGF doing its job To everyone BTW i am still running mine in my 55 gallon with two air stones and the tank is probably cycled by now. But it is most definately stable. Thanks to all. Any more input / experience is always appreciated.