UNDERGRAVEL FILTER... Read This Please

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Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


spongebob4460
 
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 8:37 am

UNDERGRAVEL FILTER... Read This Please

by spongebob4460

Well guys, I tore down my tank after a year only to uncover my undergravel filter. Let me start off by saying i have gone through NUMEROUS threads regarding the filters, and since the first few weeks of having my tank setup, i switched from airstones, to two powerful powerheads. The week following my install of the powerheads there was MUCH waste that entered the water column, but eventually it all cleared and my water has been crystal clear since.

However, when I tore down my tank this weekend, I removed the undergravel plates only to uncover the thickest amount of waste sitting under the plates!!!!!!!!!! It was horrific. I have had the powerheads on full blast for a year and clean religiously... and although my water tests always came back well, there was a time bomb sitting under those plates. Someone had warned me a long time ago when they unearthed their plates in a tear down, and took pics, but i believed I used MUCH more power through my ugf and kept it clean. I stand corrected and am no longer a believer in that filteration. Thank goodness I had two hob filters working at "sea level".

For those with UGF's... you have been warned!!!!

Spongebob


rcgman35055364
 
Posts: 27
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:44 pm

by rcgman35055364

yeah i have a 150 gal and had undergravel filters in it. i noticed the water clarity was poor and cloudy and after trying the chemical approach which worked temporarily, i took the things out. water is 110% clearer now.


a1k8t31524
 
Posts: 939
Joined: Sat May 26, 2007 5:10 am

by a1k8t31524

you know the same thing happend to me when i broke down my 55gal....
http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/enlarge.php/16917


Peterkarig3210
 
Posts: 1980
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:04 am

by Peterkarig3210

I'm still holding onto using them in a couple of my tanks. I think a lot of what may build up underneath should be able to be broken down into mostly non-problematic material by benneficial bacteria so that though it looks yucky it shouldn't cause major nutrient spikes.

They have gone out of voge in the hobby except for some die hards like me. I still will probably use them for my low light planted tanks with the use of small to medium plastic coated natural looking gravel. I also use them in a tank that has mostly flourite and never have problems with this tank.

I also have a UGF in my 100 gallon and I am really bad about water changes and the water quality stays perfect except for a general trend toward acidity.


Sumthing_Fishy
 
Posts: 193
Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:47 am

by Sumthing_Fishy

I haven't had a problem with them. I have underground filters in 10, 30 and 125 tanks and the bottom of the filter after I stripped the 30 down twice and the 10 down several times, and both were perfectly white on both sides. No gook whatsoever. I have 2 air pumps connected for use of 60-90 gallons on the 30 gallon tank and a 30-60 air pump on the 10. I don't have any real plants and only use the lights for a few hours at dusk till dark.


Peterkarig3210
 
Posts: 1980
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:04 am

by Peterkarig3210

I broke down and cleaned the gravel in my 100 gallon and when I lifted the filter plates there was only a small a amount of fine sand. I do have 2 huge powerheads the size of softballs.

We used to think that with the low flow when air stones are used to power the PH that that was the reason some people find gunk under their filter plates and that powerheads with their vastly better flow would prevent this. Now I don't know how to explain this unless one uses large sized gravel which may allow fish poop and stuff to fall through the substraight and into the undergravel space..

What kind of gravel do you use Fishy, how deep is it, and how much do you feed per day?


kspops
 
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2008 8:51 pm

by kspops

I am new to this site, but have had an aquarium for over 10 years now. My first was a 39 gallon freshwater with the under gravel filter, and for the last 4 years, I have had a 135 gallon fresh water tank with under gravel flter. I believe, in theory, the size of filter versus the flow will have an effect on the Sludge under the plates. I had no major build-up til I went to power heads with my 39G tank. The 135G has a lite coat of buildup that I can see. I will know more after I transfer the inhabitants to my new 75G tank. I am considering a canister for the 75G, or making another UG filter for it. More later.


spongebob4460
 
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2008 8:37 am

by spongebob4460

Yes A1... it was you who warned me!!!

As for my powerheads, they were each rated for my tank size, and I had two... so i definitely had more than adequate flow going through the risers.

Peter, I agree with you about the waste being neutralized... my water parameters were always squeeky clean (apart from the issue with my driftwood we discussed once that was causing acidity).

I just don't believe in them anymore, and will not be putting one in a future tank. Also, ugf's dont fit perfectly in the tank, so edges where gravel sits without a ugf are zones that capture and dont neutralize waste. These become problematic and are extremely hard to clean without getting gravel trapped beneath the ugf.

I dunno, some people like them, some don't. I used to like them, now i don't. I'd rather use the money and the maintenance time on other different filteration types.


Sumthing_Fishy
 
Posts: 193
Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:47 am

by Sumthing_Fishy

PK, my gravel is about 1/4 inch in size and it is 2-1/2 and 3 inches deep. I feed them a good pinch, which is a big pinch with all five fingers, probably a tablespoon of fish flakes once a day, but there quite a few fish in there and none hardly ever reaches the bottom. I have 2 air pumps hooked to each side of the undergravel filter so that keeps it flowing underneath. After a few months, there will be a little gook in the clear intake tube where the airstone goes and I have to clean that out with a wire scrubber, but no gook on the plates or under it.


Peterkarig3210
 
Posts: 1980
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:04 am

by Peterkarig3210

Sorry I steered you into buying the powerheads Spongebob. Maybe you can find other uses for them. I have quite a few powerheads running in my tanks with only sponge filters attatched and it increases the overall biological filtration.

I have a lot of plants in my 35 gallon and I like a lot of current in this tank so I have 2 powerhead/sponge filter set ups in this tank going full blast. All my fish love the current and none have big bulky fins. It's nice to see the plants blowing in the "breeze" and I like all the little bubbles swirling around.

UNDERGRAVEL FILTER... Read This Please

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