Undergravel filters?

[jonstinton]

Hi all! Just wondering what the deal is with undergravel filters. I have a Rekord 60 tank which has a built in filter, but i've seen people here who have and undergravel filter as well as their regular filter. So, what is their purpose and how do they work and are they successful? Is it worth the extra plug?

Tar muchly!!



Jon

 

[Bearfan]

I do not use, nor recommend an UGF. They are nitrate traps and ineffective.

 

[jonstinton]

Ok, thanks.

So if they're inneffective why do people use them?

 

[Bearfan]

It's an old fashion method. It was what people thought was best back in the day, and how I started. But all it does is traps waste materials. Notice in you LFS, they don't make an UGF that fits a bow front, which is a newer, but common style.

 

[jonstinton]

Ok thanks bearfan, that answered that question and saved me a few £££!!

Thanks!

Jon.

 

[fletberbill]

ugf are ok for smaller tanks and you don't get small bowfronts

 

[smooth_rivers]

as are (to throw a bit more confusion in here) reverse flow UGFs. Where the water pumped out from under the gravel, instead of sucked through it.

 

[Terry]

Time and time again i see people putting down the UGF, I agree they are not the best filter in the world but when it come on to the market many moons ago it was the latest in technology for the hobby. maybe in 25 yrs time the bio wheel that a lot of people are useing now will be called inaffective. Technology changes and things like the UGF will be called useless, but in it's it day it was the best.

I am going to stand back now and wait for the flack LOL.

 

[fletberbill]

i agree well said

 

[TankGirl]

This topic comes up from time to time, and I certainly used them faithfully years ago when you did not have a larger tank without a UGF. They work by drawing water through the gravel, which becomes a biofilter where bacteria reside and ammonia and nitrite are broken down to nitrate. There are many who still use them, and you will not see a larger fish store that does not carry them, new in the box. I don't like them because, as mentioned, they accumulate a lot of waste that at some point has to be dealt with, and I would prefer to skip that!

 

[Bearfan]

I've tried to deal with that waste several times in the past when I used them, and thought I was gretting it pretty well, until I broken down my tank and saw the sewage under my UGF. That was the last time for me, and I've had several successful tanks since I quit using them.

 

[tbonem91]

Okay, so I have a 26 gal bow that I retro-fitted a ugf in and that is currently my only filtration. I still have my temporary residents in from cycling months ago and will be purchasing my puffers and scats in a few weeks.

Do you guys suggest any changes in my filtration? Should I leave the ugf? Should I add an hob? Or should I remove the ugf and add an hob?

 

[TankGirl]

I personally would add a HOB, if it was my choice, just after having had UGF's in the past, and like Bearfan, not enjoying the "sewage" (perfect description!) that stays under there. At some point you would have to deal with said sewage, and some get a syphon started with a long piece of airline tubing and suck out the gunk, but if you have the opportunity, before things get settled, I would switch it. You may have a mini-cycle result from the disturbance of getting it out, but better now than when you have a carefully selected community of fish in there.

There is certainly nothing wrong with keeping it in there, and using it as your filtration, as many do this and have done this. You can put a powerhead on the uplift tube and run it in reverse as reverse flow UGF and get a small HOB to supplement, and then you won't have to worry about the trapped particles so much. Coin toss!

 

[Sati]

I run a UGF because it came with my (free) tank. I think when I move I will rip it out because now I want the thing gone, lol.

ugf are ok for smaller tanks and you don't get small bowfronts

And yuh huh!

 

[Sati]

Oh, also in terms of tbonem91 and me removing the UGF, a thought is that you could remove and thorougly clean one panel a week or so, until you eventually have all of the grates removed. That way you don't disturb all of the bacteria at once. I think that's what I'll do. I have 3 plates with 3 tubes that need to come out.