Reverse flow UGF blows sand up

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daebjosd

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Nov 14, 2006
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16
After cleaning sponge prefilter from Reverse Flow powerhead (Penguin), sand started to be blown up near tube.
It was hard to disconnect, may be I displaced something. Tried to restore the best way I could, all the same. And visually there all is all right, except blowing up.
What could be done?
Thanks.
 

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UGF get clogged easily which is probably what is causing it to expel close to the tube. Have you tried changing the flow back and forth to unclog it?

How much lr do you have in your tank? Do you have a sump? Any other means of filtration?

UGF usually aren't very helpful for bio-filtration in SW setups because sand usually ends up clogging them over time. If you have 1.5+ lbs of live rock and good flow in your tank you could do away with the UGF (not remove, just not use)
 
LR- hard to say, all times re-aquascaping. I would say, not less than 1Lb/gal. Filtration - the smallest sump with 50 micron sock, changed daily, carbon and Phosguard, plus 5g refugium (tank is 20g L) with LR rubble and macroalgae - a lot of it. Skimmer (ASM mini) is already ordered, waiting for arrival. Always can add more bio-media into the sump, if ammonia will ever appears.

What is bothering me - this sand fountain started after I disrupted system for a cleaning pre-filter. Day before it - all was normal. May be I slightly lifted plates in the corner, and now sand prevents return them being tightly on the bottom.

I know about using UGF for saltwater tanks, this was the last try to find manageable solution for a debris, collecting under the rock.
The first tank was with 2" of aragonite - eventually collected a lot of debris. Then was babre-bottom version - again, debris under the rock. To clean, have to move rock, what is unacceptable.
More flow is not an option (already 15x tank volume), LPS (scolymia, cynarina, candycane) don't like it.
I thought about possibility to blow debris up periodically, and get them collected by micron sock and Quick Filter attachment, which collects particles up to 1 mk.

Ammonia and nitrites are always 0, so I assume that there should be enough substrate for bacteria. Tank is with high bioload (filter feeders, brains and mandarin), aragonite 1/2- 3/4", for the sand-sifting cucumber, which can't keep all the area clean.
 

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daebjosd said:
May be I slightly lifted plates in the corner, and now sand prevents return them being tightly on the bottom.
That's what I was thinking.

daebjosd said:
I know about using UGF for saltwater tanks, this was the last try to find manageable solution for a debris, collecting under the rock.
Since it's a small amount of lr have you ever considered raising them off the sand? Still confused how the reverse flow UGF keeps waste from building up in the sand. Last time I used UGF was with my brackish tank and I still collected a ton of waste when vacuuming the substrate.
 
Since it's a small amount of lr have you ever considered raising them off the sand? Still confused how the reverse flow UGF keeps waste from building up in the sand.
Did that in the first setup, sand and LR. Same problem in debris accumulation in the sand, and impossibility to clean it in the not readily accessible places.

UGF: my fault, I thought that the thread name would be enough. I meant reverse flow UGF. How it works - you know: powerhead pushes water under plate, flow lifts accumulated debris from the sand, filter filters it.

Quantity of LR is below recommended, I know, but it seems that it does the job - ammonia and nitrites are always 0, bacteria are able to handle bioload.

If I missed something, please, let me know.
Thanks.
 
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