help please

[juggalette]

i just bougha new aquarium for my piranah petey =)
we are used to using the waterfall type filter, this kit came with an undergravel filter and the instructions are sooo confusing, they make no sense. I realize this is a stupid question but could someone please help!
thanks
mandy and Petey

 

[Devilishturtles]

IMO, ditch the undergravel filter and get the HOB kind! I'm not one for the undergravel filters, but somebody will be along soon that knows more about them that myself! Good luck!

BTW: how large is the tank you just bought?

 

[Menagerie]

[center:3444a923b5] Welcome to AA, juggalette!! [/center:3444a923b5]
Waterfall filter is the HOB, I believe. The UGF are outdated and harder to clean. If you still have your HOB, you will want to make use of it--at least the media that has the good bacteria on it. With the new tank, try to use as much substrate and tank water from the old tank to avoid cycling from new. If you haven't read about cycling your tank, there is an excellent article here, just click on the Articles link.

 

[crazie.eddie]

UGF's are not outdated and not hard to clean. UGF's were originally used with airline hoses in the uplift tubes, which is the outdated method. The modern method is using a powerhead. This allows better circulation under the UGF plate. A UGF offers better biological filtration than a HOB. With a UGF, you are using your WHOLE SUBSTRATE as the biological media. Another good thing about a UGF, no running to the store becuase you are out of media. THERE IS NO MEDIA TO CHANGE. All you need to do on a regular basis is perform a clean the gravel. I hope you guys do that anyways. The only additional cleaning is, every 6 months or so, you stick your gravel hose down the uplift tube to pick up any detritus underneath and also in each of the openings of the UGF plate. I used UGFs on all my tanks for over 8 years and had no problems.

With a HOB, if you remove too much of your tank water and then replace it, the water will go down in the HOB, therefore, you have to prime the HOB. If you don't prime it, you run the risk of running the filter dry and burning out the impellers. With a UGF, once you fill the water back up, you turn on the powerheads. Simple, isn't it?

 

[deli_conker]

UGF's are not outdated and not hard to clean.

I'm not sure how you would really clean one without tearing the whole tank apart.

I had a UGF (using air hoses) in my 10 gal tank coupled with a HOB (penguin mini).
When I bought my 55 gal, I tore the 10 gal down for cleaning. The UGF was disgusting. Ended up pitching it. The HOB was more than adequate for the tank.

It really depends in the fish though. I have african cihlids and they dig, dig, dig all the way down to the glass in parts of my tank. An UGF wouldn't work well with them.

 

[Christmasfish]

I have found UGF to be a pain in the patootie with larger tanks, but it a larger biofuilter surface and is less likely to experience swings in water quality once it beccomes stable (aged). If you need to tear down you tank..it is NEVER pretty. Even if correctly maintained..the mulm, bacteria, alage mix looks groooossss.
But crystal clear conditions does not equal good water. The water can be over tired and lacking electrolytes and minerals your animals need for health....it can have an ammonia spike and you be none the wiser.
Most of my tanks have waterthat looks like weak tea when in the white change out bucket..but my water is Zeeero cross the board. And most of my tanks are full dutch or ugf.(I am at 13 I think now..don't feel like counting)

That said....
if you already have an HOB and are familiar with it, stick to it.Specially if you are considering sand.

 

[Menagerie]

With a UGF, you are using your WHOLE SUBSTRATE as the biological media.

Any substrate is a biological media, once the bacteria start to grow. And as far as running to the store because you are out of media, check out http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=21721 . I don't use carbon in my tanks and if a filter becomes clogged, I rinse it in tank water.

juggalette, it comes down to what you feel comfortable with. With either filter, you still need to clean the gravel and with an HOB, you pour some tank water in and start it up. You never said how large the tank is. You may want to consider a canister filter—possibilities are endless

 

[crazie.eddie]

UGF's are not outdated and not hard to clean.

I'm not sure how you would really clean one without tearing the whole tank apart.

I had a UGF (using air hoses) in my 10 gal tank coupled with a HOB (penguin mini).
When I bought my 55 gal, I tore the 10 gal down for cleaning. The UGF was disgusting. Ended up pitching it. The HOB was more than adequate for the tank.

It really depends in the fish though. I have african cihlids and they dig, dig, dig all the way down to the glass in parts of my tank. An UGF wouldn't work well with them.

If you take apart ANY filter, it woud be disgusting too. I have a $300 Eheim canister filter, which I took apart for maintenance and it was pretty disgusting too. I think it was more disgusting that the detritus that my $50 UGF (UGF plates and powerheads) had on my 55 gallon tank. Just think, I ran the UGF for over 8 years and just recently took it down for a different look. My canister filter is only a few months old.

It's not necessary to tear down a UGF just to clean the filter. Just clean the gravel as normal. Also, you need to just stick the gravel vac down the uplift tube and also each of the other uplift tube openings.

The UGF with the airhose is the outdated method. It should be used with a powerhead on the uplift tubes. This allows better circulation. For smaller tanks under 5 gallons, it's best to use a sponge filter.

 

[deli_conker]

How big of a tank did you get for petey? And are there going to be any other friends in there with him?