Reverse Undergravel Filter

[hookthefish]

Any advise or opinion on my planed RUGF system.

I have a 50 gallon acrylic wich I put two 3/4" bulkheads though the bottom (centered on each side) with a perfecta flow plate. I plan on puting 2 more bulkheads on the back tank wall, above the gravel line for the intake.
So the 2 back wall bulkheads would be piped in to one, then to a 950 GPH external pump mounted to 2- BIG BLUE house water filters. One being 20 micron cartridge, the other being 2/3 carbon, 1/3 fiber fill. Then piped back up to the 2 bottom bulkheads for output UGF.

Any sugesstions?

 

[WhiteDevil]

I dont see how this will work.
the bottom holes are meant for the overflows but either way you will need to pipe it up above the water line so if the pump shuts off you dont drain back thru the return pipes.

I use the BB house filters and even with a huge canister filter, several pads and sponges later I still get only 48 hours of filtering out of them before I have to clean them and not use any of the sediment filters for a day or two.

Where are your holes located on the back glass? about 2-3" from the top?
To be honest with you, you are wasting time having the UGF plate in there, they are not meant to flow that mugh gph(yes I am taking lift into consideration and a few 90 degree flow changes) and really I think would push the gravel around especially close to the 950's outlets.

Ive used powerheads with elbows to run a reverse undergravel filter(marineland 660R powerhead) and even that pushed the flourite around especially right at the outlets.

 

[hookthefish]

Let me explaine better.
I have holes in the back tank wall above the gravel, wich has bulkhead fittings conected to pipe that go's down to the pump wich is connected to the 2 filters then go's back up to the tank though the bottom of the tank with 2 bulkheads. Then there is the gravel plate and gravel on top so the water is going up though the gravel as my biolocical filter.

Do you have live plants or alage? It tends to clogge pleated filter cartridge often. Either go larger pump and pipe or use a refillable media cartridge and use more carbon.
Copy from another post.

Yes, I do have ball valves and larger 1" pipe and tubing. I would like to show people that reverse undergrave filter will work and the filters at the pet stores are a joke, and INADEQUATE.
First, Biological filtration is the most important when it comes to stocking number and feeding. The more square feet of surface area for the bacteria to grow on the beter it breaks bown waste and ammonia. After looking online for bilogical square feet for gravel. I found that 3" of 1/4" gravel for my size tank gives me 300 square feet of bioligical surface area.( not including tank decorations)
Second, once you buy a filter at a pet store, they got you. They are to small, ( for a few fish its ok) and you have to buy they're filter pads, media bags, ect, ect... for as long as you have they're filter. House water filters like Watts Big blue filter gives you options for diffrent pleated cartridge from different companys, and/or buy an empty refillable media cartridge and put in your own filter media like fiber fill, zeolite,carbon, biological media. I allso belive you can make your own fluidized sand bed filter by reversing the flow in and output, pipe the center with cap, drill holes though the cap and put a sponge at the output.
Third carbon greatly decreases organic waste and pervents algae from cloging filters, tubing or pipe wich resticts the water flow. Most pet store filters don't give enough carbon and the carbon pads are a joke.
Forth, water pumps are allways under estimated, allso pipe and tubing size. Allways go larger because the more tubing, pipe, elbows, filters and the smaller the diameter of tubing/pipe restict's the flow rate and would hold back the full effectiveness of your filter.

5 years research and study, 12 years of tank, pond, pen aquaculture.

 

[Fishguy2727]

Chill out. You ask for help and then go on a rant when people share their opinion. Use paragraphs, some people won't even read a run on block of typing like that.

I don't use or recommend UGF or gravel, I use sand and it is amazing. It is cleaner, much more natural, and no maintenance.

 

[WhiteDevil]

With my fish, carbon is a big no-no.

Besides, if you have that much experience in this why are you asking a question on UGF filtering?
The store bought stuff is a rip off I agree, thats when you think outside the box do some research and find it repurposed as something else and buy it nearly 75% cheaper.

Ive never seen a tank where the bottom of the back glass is drilled as well as the bottom of the tank.

Do yourself a favor on here, ditch the attitude and ditch it fast.

 

[Fishguy2727]

Agreed, carbon is unnecessary if you are doing enough water changes.

I use canister filters. I use the foam that comes free with them and can be used over and over for years. I use biomedia that also lasts years and years. The only other thing I use is polyester floss that I cram in one of the trays. I buy this in the craft section at W**-Mart and a few bucks worth lasts at least a year. I use Fluvals. For HOBs AquaClears can be just as thrifty (and are the best anyways).

What did you study and research for five years? Was this in college?

 

[hookthefish]

Don't take it the wrong way. There is no attitude here. I just never had smaller good looking filters that can be hidden.
Most of the filtering I had in the past were huge Ugly looking for vast filtering.
Im only doing this system for my son's turtle and gold fish and after having the turtle for a year, this little guy is messy and growing fast.

I have an acrylic tank so dilling holes are no problem.

Agriculture schools have class in aquaculture.

 

[Fishguy2727]

I think you will still end up with debris under the plate like any other UGF. Water will always take the path of least resistance and will go through the gravel before spreading out evenly and moving all the debris.

Goldfish will definitely like sand over gravel.

What kind of turtles?

 

[hookthefish]

I allso live in a town that charges the highest water and sewer rates in the nation. My last water bill for 3 months was $679. so fewer water changes would benefit me.

 

[hookthefish]

Eastern Painted. My wife friend gave it to my son as a gift.

 

[Fishguy2727]

You can't compensate for water changes. Whether you have just enough filtration or 10x what you need you still need the same amount of water changes to keep the water quality up.

Acrylic scratches really easily, turtles can turn it into a road map.

 

[hookthefish]

Let me ask you a question. If there was no rain for a month and no river to feed a pond, will the fish die?

 

[Fishguy2727]

Actually yes, many fish die during the dry season. This is one of the reasons why a pair of oscars has to have thousands of fry every time they breed for their whole life. They succeeded if two individials that they ever made live to be breeding adults.

Again, no matter how much filtration you have it will never compensate for a lack of water changes (especially with goldfish and turtles in the equation). When I had the same mix in a slightly smaller tank (40breeder) I did 80-100% water changes every week.

 

[meegosh]

Let me ask you a question. If there was no rain for a month and no river to feed a pond, will the fish die?

You are also talking about a large body of water here. It takes longer for things to build up to lethal levels when you have hundreds of gallons of water. Compare that to a 50g tank and that time frame drastically shortens.