Undergravel filters

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ReyvinWolf

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Mar 30, 2013
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Indiana
What is your opinion on them?

I have one, but is not my main nor my secondary source of filtration. Using it more for water circulation and aeration. I have it in my 55 gal fresh water and was thinking about adding one to my 55 gal brackish.
 
Unher gravel filter are really only used in large fish rooms any more due to the fact that you can run them all on one large air compressor. They offer little actual filtration value and require yearly tear outs to remove the trapped waste. If you want more circulation and aeration get a circulation pump or power head. On my 55 gallon planted tank I use the hydor koralia 600 wave maker.
 
Tank Filtration

What is your opinion on them?

I have one, but is not my main nor my secondary source of filtration. Using it more for water circulation and aeration. I have it in my 55 gal fresh water and was thinking about adding one to my 55 gal brackish.

Hello Rey...

Under gravel filtration (UGF) isn't the best choice. It works, but is difficult to keep clean and tends to clog up with waste material. This will cause water chemistry problems.

I use HOBs (hang on the back) filters. These are relatively inexpensive, last a long time and are easy to clean. I use a couple of Hagen Aqua Clear 50s placed on opposites sides of my 55 G tanks.

Don't forget to change half the tank water every 7 to 10 days, faithfully. If you simply take care of the tank water, you'll avoid 99.9 percent of the reasons for tank keeping failures.

B
 
Okay evidently you didn't read that I had two other filters in place. And the only thing I use the UGF for is aeration, and the pretty column of bubbles! Since my tank IS planted it isn't really necessary.

I can't use to strong of a power head, my gouramis don't like it. I get quite a bit of current anyway with the two HOBs. My tank chem is fine, my water great. I know, I test, I vacuum, et.

All I wanted was an opinion on UFGs. Not what I should be using, doing, et. Just an opinion on the UGFs.
 
Tank filtration

Okay evidently you didn't read that I had two other filters in place. And the only thing I use the UGF for is aeration, and the pretty column of bubbles! Since my tank IS planted it isn't really necessary.

I can't use to strong of a power head, my gouramis don't like it. I get quite a bit of current anyway with the two HOBs. My tank chem is fine, my water great. I know, I test, I vacuum, et.

All I wanted was an opinion on UFGs. Not what I should be using, doing, et. Just an opinion on the UGFs.

Hello again Rey...

Okay. No problem. You asked, I gave an opinion. Sorry it wasn't what you wanted.

B
 
The opinion that they suck and are not good filters, was fine. The extra unasked for instructions on how and what to use was not.

Just wanted to know what people thought of them. Because personally I can't see what kind of filtration it creates. But it does make pretty bubbles.
 
Oh well my opinion about under gravel filters is that they are useless for filtration but good for circulation/aeration. I didn't mean to offend you about telling you how to maintain them I misinterpreted your post. By the way what is the point you are trying to get to with this thread?
 
Hi, I used to use them in the past but I don't think i would bother now unless really pressed for room. I used to lose loaches and catfish into them which I wouldn't find for weeks after (but I guess they liked it) and find plants roots growing through them. It was also a backup filter. Yeah, just thinking through the pros here (I remember it was simple, never lost fish if there was a power outage - I assume my gravel bed was shallow and thus not a problem, and I was always amazed air bubbles could push water like that). So I could swap the air stones to a ug filter but couldn't see myself bothering (if that makes sense). However if someone wheeled in a fully set up tank (I wish!) that had one as secondary filtration I would be in no great rush to pull it out.
 
What is your opinion on them?

I have one, but is not my main nor my secondary source of filtration. Using it more for water circulation and aeration. I have it in my 55 gal fresh water and was thinking about adding one to my 55 gal brackish.

Here's the pitfalls of Ug filters:
If you use them correctly, they will be working against your other filters as they are designed to drag detritus through the substrate to under the filter plate where it will break down and be a source of nitrate production.
Having other filters in the tank will not change this.

At one point, people were using powerheads to blow the water down the pipes so that the water would flow up from the plates so no detritus would get stuck in the substrate or remain under the plate. That didn't last too long as it became more obvious that the UG filter was not really necessary to achieve this goal.

I would suggest that if you continue to use the UG filters already in place, drain your water for water changes by directing your drain hose down the pipe and under the plate so that you can get whatever material is laying there out of the tank. You may need to use a 1/4" flexible tubing to do this which will mean a longer time to drain the water but in the long run, your tank will be healthier.

Having been through the whole UG generation of fish keeping myself, I would not suggest using these filters in your Brackish tank and if possible, I'd remove them from your current tank as well. They were an idea whose time has not only passed, but other more effective means of achieving their goals have been produced and with much safer and more longer lasting better results.
That's my opinion ;) Hope it helps(y)
 
I don't like them because one took the life of my green spotted puffer :'(
 
Filtration Question

The opinion that they suck and are not good filters, was fine. The extra unasked for instructions on how and what to use was not.

Just wanted to know what people thought of them. Because personally I can't see what kind of filtration it creates. But it does make pretty bubbles.

Hello again Rey...

Maybe you read someones else's post. I didn't say they were bad filters, I said they work, but there are better filters. Apologies for offending, if that's what happened.

B
 
If you are using them why not run them in reverse if water movement is what you want

Use a power head to pump water into them
 
Thank you all. Gave me some things to think about.

I got it just to play with, though I do like how it raises my "bed" up higher as if I had a thicker layer of substrate. I use pool filter sand btw. Just for aesthetics on my part. Love the bubble show. I have never seen how a UGF could be really "useful" as a filter system as the whole concept was wonky. Someone else pointed that out in previous post(s).
I haven't been able to dig up much on them so was wanting to know what the "experts" really thought of it.

Though if my plants send their roots down into it...... Then I can quit having to rebury them. And might be something to see with my brackish plants as I can't keep a single one planted because a certain VGD keeps everything stirred up. I hadn't thought about the plants using it to root! Wonder if I could put a light layer of good plant substrate down, then the UGF, and then some sand..... Yes I would have get into the gravel underneath at least once a yr for a good vacuuming...more like twice a yr... Hmm. Stuff to ponder.
 
Thank you all. Gave me some things to think about.

I got it just to play with, though I do like how it raises my "bed" up higher as if I had a thicker layer of substrate. I use pool filter sand btw. Just for aesthetics on my part. Love the bubble show. I have never seen how a UGF could be really "useful" as a filter system as the whole concept was wonky. Someone else pointed that out in previous post(s).
I haven't been able to dig up much on them so was wanting to know what the "experts" really thought of it.

Though if my plants send their roots down into it...... Then I can quit having to rebury them. And might be something to see with my brackish plants as I can't keep a single one planted because a certain VGD keeps everything stirred up. I hadn't thought about the plants using it to root! Wonder if I could put a light layer of good plant substrate down, then the UGF, and then some sand..... Yes I would have get into the gravel underneath at least once a yr for a good vacuuming...more like twice a yr... Hmm. Stuff to ponder.
Just something to throw out there: If you do lay a layer of something below the filter plate(s) just make sure you have space above the layer and below the plate for the water to move through easily. Otherwise, you are defeating the purpose and possibly creating a bigger problem. But the idea you described sounds like an interesting project.
Keep us posted (y)
 
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