Under"sand" Filter

[aquafreak]

Which under"sand" (undergravel) filter would be best for a Caribbean Arigonite sand substrate? I'm guessing that I couldn't just use any but I don't know. I'd like to use a Lee's. Any takers? Much obliged!

 

[aquafreak]

Does a reef tank need an undersubstrate filter like freshwater?

 

[Biggen]

No. Undergravel filters are on their way out (actually have been considered "old school" for a while) for saltwater tanks. They trap all kinds of "junk" under the plates and will eventually need to be broken down and cleaned thoroughly.

Most people have gone to the Berlin method of filtration. You can read about it here: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=10

In a nutshell, as long as you have enough LR, good water circulation, and enough light, this is all the filtration you need.

 

[aquafreak]

Puzzled me while reading, so I've asked. So, Reef Tank aquascapers use powerheads for circulation only it would seem. I wonder what the best way to 'blend' them into your environment is (make them less visible)?

Thanks!

 

[darb2]

corraline will cover them, blending them in with the tank

 

[BillyZ]

Some folks go the "extra" step and instead of using powerheads they will get a larger pump and plumb into the tank a closed loop. Basically all a closed loop does is pull water out of the tank into the pump, then it's pumped back into the tank through multiple nozles. This Accomplishes the same thing as powerheads, but instead of having 3 or 4 big hulking pumps visible in the tank you have one "pipe" that draws water out of the tank, then just a couple of nozzels that barely break the surface of the water that return the water to the tank. And the pipe and nozles, like darb2 mentioned, will become covered by coraline and other algaes and will quickly become less obvious.

 

[malkore]

And for the record, a FW tank doesn't need a UGF either. In general this sort of filtration is outdated. It works, but you have to pull the UGF every 6-12 months to clean the plate. There are a few situations when a UGF is good, especially if you run it in reverse, using a powerhead. But for SW setups, UGF is old school.