Switch from UGF to HOB

[Celestial]

Hi All! New here because I have a Question I can't find an answer to... I have a pump driven UGF that sits in the middle of a 5 gallon. Heavily planted and doing well. I have Contasoil in one and gravel in the other. I keep CPDs and Cherry Shrimp.
I want to turn off and remove the UGF pump and leave the bottom plate and replace with a small HOB or internal filter.
Will this kill my gravel bacteria? Cause an ammonia spike? Is there a safe/safer way to do this? Thanks All!

[charliebankston]

Just curious, why are you wanting to switch?

[Celestial]

The pump housing is large and in the center of the tank. It takes up alot of space that I could plant etc. Not sure if the pic shows

https://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...1&d=1614444370

[Celestial]

The pump housing is right in the center of the tank. I'd like to plant that area etc.

[fishwonder]

Originally Posted by charliebankston

Just curious, why are you wanting to switch?

Yeah, I agree. An under gravel filter with a power head (not air) is a superior filter that never needs cleaning. Can you move the plumbing to another area?

[Celestial]

Unfortunatly not. Trying to find an answer

[fishwonder]

Originally Posted by Celestial

Unfortunatly not. Trying to find an answer

OK. First if you just remove and cap the UG filter, you will always have build up of food and waste underneath. This is not good and will cause problems with water quality all the time. It would be best to totally remove the UG filter so this does not occur.

With that said, what would be the best course of action? This is what I would do. Put fish in a bucket with and air stone temporarily, an hour or so. Remove the UG filter. Your gravel with a UG filter has a lot of your good bacteria in it since you had fast moving water through that gravel, so you want to get that bacteria to your new filter media.

Put in your new filter with good media, like 20 ppi sponge or just fill it full of as many simple plastic pot scrubbies as it will hold. Turn it on. Now, really the best thing is to just stir up your gravel so all the good bacteria is in the water column now and your new filter will suck it up and deposit all that bacteria on your new filter media. If you want, you can also help by putting some of that gravel in a mesh bag and put it in your new filter also. Put fish back in when water clears in about and hour or two.

@charliebankston any thing to add/change?

[Celestial]

Thank you Sir. Does running both for awhile help the new hob get started better? Add gravel to hob while doing this?

[fishwonder]

Originally Posted by Celestial

Thank you Sir. Does running both for awhile help the new hob get started better? Add gravel to hob while doing this?

Yes, actually if you fire up your new filter with good media and stir up the gravel, you are on your way. Don't think the fish will mind.

[charliebankston]

Originally Posted by fishwonder

OK. First if you just remove and cap the UG filter, you will always have build up of food and waste underneath. This is not good and will cause problems with water quality all the time. It would be best to totally remove the UG filter so this does not occur.

With that said, what would be the best course of action? This is what I would do. Put fish in a bucket with and air stone temporarily, an hour or so. Remove the UG filter. Your gravel with a UG filter has a lot of your good bacteria in it since you had fast moving water through that gravel, so you want to get that bacteria to your new filter media.

Put in your new filter with good media, like 20 ppi sponge or just fill it full of as many simple plastic pot scrubbies as it will hold. Turn it on. Now, really the best thing is to just stir up your gravel so all the good bacteria is in the water column now and your new filter will suck it up and deposit all that bacteria on your new filter media. If you want, you can also help by putting some of that gravel in a mesh bag and put it in your new filter also. Put fish back in when water clears in about and hour or two.

@charliebankston any thing to add/change?

No, that's what I'd do too, short of continuing to use the ug

[charliebankston]

The new hob won't ever prob have the bio capability that your ug has tho, just fyi to keep an eye on

[fishwonder]

Originally Posted by charliebankston

The new hob won't ever prob have the bio capability that your ug has tho, just fyi to keep an eye on

Hence the media change up...

BTW I found out the @ sign does nothing on this forum.

[charliebankston]

Originally Posted by fishwonder

Hence the media change up...

BTW I found out the @ sign does nothing on this forum.

Haha! No, I got notification that you had mentioned me in a post

[fishwonder]

Originally Posted by charliebankston

Haha! No, I got notification that you had mentioned me in a post

Really? I think it's because you subscribe to the post only, or have posted.

[Celestial]

Thank you gents!

[charliebankston]

Originally Posted by fishwonder

Really? I think it's because you subscribe to the post only, or have posted.

Oh, maybe so. I think it's cuz biden said I'm vip

[Caliban07]

Originally Posted by fishwonder

Yeah, I agree. An under gravel filter with a power head (not air) is a superior filter that never needs cleaning. Can you move the plumbing to another area?

Why do you think this? Please don’t link me to aquarium science.

[Caliban07]

I would use air. Remove the internal pump then plant in that space. It’s such a simple and obvious switch up.

[fishwonder]

Originally Posted by Caliban07

Why do you think this? Please don’t link me to aquarium science.

Pretty simple. Not enough air flow to pull a lot water through the gravel. You need fast water movement through your media for bacteria to grow. That's why a power head for more water movement is better. Simple.

[Celestial]

So is the now lack of flow over the substrate going to cause a bacteria die off thus an ammonia spike?