under gravel filters???????

[jackm]

hi
in my undergravel filter will bacteria still grow on it. i am tinking of breeding small cichlids which stay near the bottom, do you recomend buying a small sponge filter and use that instead.????
thanks
jackm

 

[Tiffi]

You could use either or. I don't have any experience with undergravel filters though, how or if you clean them. I would go with a sponge filter. It'll be cheaper and easier to clean.
I don't know what an undergravel filter could do to chiclid fry.

 

[Guest]

If you can, get rid of the UGF and get a sponge filter... UGF's tend to be more work than they are worth becuase they suck all the gunk down into the gravel and you just have to gravel vac it right back out. I had one and i got rid of it after 3 months and got an Aquaclerar for my 55 gallon and i have never looked back!!!

But yes, with the UGF bacteria will grow in the gravel because oxygenated water is constantly being pulled into it. Which is one of hte pluses of having a UGF. also, i see that you are still cycling, so be very very careful and test your water on a weekly basis at the least.

 

[tkos]

UGF's are perfectly fine. they use water flow to create a bacterial bed in the gravel. So you can't use sand or fine gravel, but standard aquarium gravel is fine.

You clean it using a gravel vacuum to suck out the accumulated junk or else you setup a reverse UGF which actually blows the gunk up and it collects on the surface. Really easy to maintain and a really good filter system.

Both are fine for cichlid fry as they are quite hardy and the amount of flow is only as much as you want it to be.


But try a google search for RGUF and you should find some neat ideas.

 

[Guest]

UGF's are pretty much out of date with all of the advanced filter choices there are now... and why vacuume all that gunk out when you can have a filter that does it for you? When i do my gravel vacs now all i have to do is barely go over the gravel and it sucks up all the poo and wastes... whats not filtered out that is.
Also, if you want to have Live plants, UGF are not recommended.

 

[Toirtis]

I quit using UGFs over a decade ago...just not worth the trouble for the mediocre filtration that they provide....a nice big ATI Hydro sponge filter would really suit your needs well, though.

 

[Sati]

I bought a used tank that had an UGF. When I ripped it out, it had years of accumulated poo gunk that you never could have sucked out because it went underneath the gravel. I threw that thing away. What a mess...

 

[gheitman]

I think the overall consensus here is that UGF (and to a lesser extent RUGF) are not recommended for breeding tanks. I have never used them myself. I recommend sponge filters for breeding tanks because they are easy to clean, protect the fry from getting sucked up into a filter and the sponge surface acts as a feeding ground for new fry that are too small to eat prepared foods. I have sponge filters on six of my tanks right now. UGF/RUGF is definitely not recommended for planted tanks.

 

[greenmaji]

IMO fry tanks has got to be the last use that the UGF is useful for..
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=61113

This is a fry tank question.. I didnt see anything about adult fish or plants in the original post..

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Will this tank be used for the fry or the breeding fish? I think we are under the assumption that it is being used for the adult fish.

 

[greenmaji]

Will this tank be used for the fry or the breeding fish? I think we are under the assumption that it is being used for the adult fish.

after reading the original post I can see were that would be asumed..

I think that the UGF would be fine for a fry grow out tank, but for breeding the fish, the normal filtration options are much better.