UnderGravel Filter Question

[hammerjoe]

Howdy Folks, I'm new here and have a question. After having our 55 GAl tank for over 5 Years, we let go down hill. It has set empty for over a year now. I am now setting it back up. We decided to go with a undergravel Filter, with a power head. I know the powerhead goes into one of the lift tubes, my filter came with 4. My powerhead has 300 GPH flow. This may sound STUPID, MY QUESTION is do I also need to install the remaining lift tubes for flow?? Thanks for any help, GREAT FORUM BTW!!!

 

[jsoong]

If you use a UGF, it is best to run it in reverse using a power head. You would then set it up so the PH push the water down the tube & up the gravel. This helps in preventing clogging of the plates. A rUGF like that needs only one "lift" tube. <That is actually a "push" tube as set up!> This is assuming that your plates are interconnected. If you have 4 seperate plates, you would need to connect them somehow. either split the PH into 4 & use the 4 tubes, or cut slots where 2 plates meet so water can get from one plate to the other.

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

I run a 55 with an old UGF, penn-plax white corrugated kind, 2 plates, running a penguin 550 on each, normal flow, and it's fine that way. However I plan on pulling it and switching to a canister filter as soon as I can swing it, I have plants but want to jam it full of them, and UGFs are not the ideal filter system for a heavily planted tank.

 

[hammerjoe]

This may sound stupid, but how do I "REVERSE the Powerhead Flow"??? I have 2 seperate plates, tht I can connect with a T thru the holes where the tubes go. HELP????

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

You need to have powerheads that are compatible with a reverse flow kit. They look like this:

Penguin 660R Powerhead

Here' s a pdf from marineland that shows it also

http://www.marineland.com/sites/Marineland/Documents/psponge_manual.pdf