Rscomia
Aquarium Advice Addict
So I am totally reaquascaping my freshwater tank for cichlids It has a undergravel filter and a hob whisper ex 45 Should I leave the under gravel or take it out??
Undergravel filters??
- Thread starter Rscomia
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BillD
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If the fish are diggers, and most cichlids do like to rescape, a UGF is not a great choice. If they dig down and expose the plates they render the filter ineffective.
Mr. Limpet
Aquarium Advice Addict
I'm not a big fan of UGF's just because them are made to collect detritus under the substrate and at some point I feel it becomes critical to remove it. IME 2 HOB filter are a much better option so i have lots of filtration and I can clean/service one and still be filtering the DT.
Fishguy2727
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Take it out. Go with sand, it is a better option with cichlids. It is much more natural for them.
What size tank?
What kind of cichlids?
What size tank?
What kind of cichlids?
OP
OP
Rscomia
Aquarium Advice Addict
29 gallon tank with the intent of upgrades Im still resarching them to find what is best for the tank now I which ones i want
glassbird
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I have never kept cichlids so I have no advice to add there, but I have had many UGFs over the years. If you choose to go that way, get at least 2 of the biggest powerheads you can find...don't bother with air stones. Using airstones will guarantee a build up of detritus under the plates.
Be sure to use a gravel cleaner well, and often. And have some other sort of filter too, either a HOB or a cannister. Your choice of gravel is important too. I have only ever used gravel of about 1/8th inch in size, but it has worked very well. Do not go any finer than that, or it might clog up the plates. Coarser might be ok, but I have had no experience with that.
And use tank-safe silicone to glue down any caps on the plate that will not have a riser tube and powerhead in it...especially if you have digging fish. One missing cap will give you a whole batch of troubles....
Be sure to use a gravel cleaner well, and often. And have some other sort of filter too, either a HOB or a cannister. Your choice of gravel is important too. I have only ever used gravel of about 1/8th inch in size, but it has worked very well. Do not go any finer than that, or it might clog up the plates. Coarser might be ok, but I have had no experience with that.
And use tank-safe silicone to glue down any caps on the plate that will not have a riser tube and powerhead in it...especially if you have digging fish. One missing cap will give you a whole batch of troubles....
glassbird
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Hmmm...on re-reading my post above, it sounds like I do not like UGFs! Not true! I was just going over the potential problems.
I removed a UGF plate from my 75 gallon tank last winter when I finally bought the Eheim 2028 that I had wanted for so long. But the next time I get the chance to pull the gravel out of that tank, the UGF plates will be going back in. Without the UGF in the tank, poop just lays on the surface of the gravel until it disintegrates...very pretty. When the UGF was running, that stuff vanished within a few hours. Same fish, same diet.
I removed a UGF plate from my 75 gallon tank last winter when I finally bought the Eheim 2028 that I had wanted for so long. But the next time I get the chance to pull the gravel out of that tank, the UGF plates will be going back in. Without the UGF in the tank, poop just lays on the surface of the gravel until it disintegrates...very pretty. When the UGF was running, that stuff vanished within a few hours. Same fish, same diet.
glassbird
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???
Do you mean leave the plates in place, but don't have any powerheads running the UGF? I would not suggest that. Crud will build up under the plates, and provide a prime breeding place for some very undesirable bacteria.
A UGF system with a high volume of water being pulled through the gravel IS a good backup filter if the HOB or cannister fails...but it can do nothing if water is not actively being pulled thru the gravel.
Fishguy2727
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Definitely don't use UGF if you have sand, not going to end well.
Do you mean leave the plates in place, but don't have any powerheads running the UGF? I would not suggest that. Crud will build up under the plates, and provide a prime breeding place for some very undesirable bacteria.
A UGF system with a high volume of water being pulled through the gravel IS a good backup filter if the HOB or cannister fails...but it can do nothing if water is not actively being pulled thru the gravel.
Do you mean leave the plates in place, but don't have any powerheads running the UGF? I would not suggest that. Crud will build up under the plates, and provide a prime breeding place for some very undesirable bacteria.
A UGF system with a high volume of water being pulled through the gravel IS a good backup filter if the HOB or cannister fails...but it can do nothing if water is not actively being pulled thru the gravel.
What I should have written is: It can be set up almost instantly as a backup filtration system.
Debris under a ugf that is not in use (no powerhead, airstone, etc.) are very easily vacuumed out by removing a cap and placing the vac's nozzle over the hole.
A UGF system with a high volume of water being pulled through the gravel IS a good backup filter if the HOB or cannister fails...but it can do nothing if water is not actively being pulled thru the gravel.
Do you mean leave the plates in place, but don't have any powerheads running the UGF? I would not suggest that. Crud will build up under the plates, and provide a prime breeding place for some very undesirable bacteria.A UGF system with a high volume of water being pulled through the gravel IS a good backup filter if the HOB or cannister fails...but it can do nothing if water is not actively being pulled thru the gravel.
What I should have written is: It can be set up almost instantly as a backup filtration system.
Debris under a ugf that is not in use (no powerhead, airstone, etc.) are very easily vacuumed out by removing a cap and placing the vac's nozzle over the hole.
glassbird
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I had a UGF on a 10 gallon tank years ago, with a HOB. The powerhead died, and I had no money to replace it, so I capped the hole and sort of forgot about it. The tank was on a metal stand that allowed me to see thru the bottom of the tank, and gave a perfect view of the underside of the UGF plate. About two months after the powerhead died, I was cleaning the floor under the stand and just happened to look up...and was treated to the lovely sight of a thick layer of brown scum under the plate. I knew that had to be bad, so I removed the fish and tried to suck it out with a basic gravel cleaner (not a python), placed over the hole. That cleared a half circle of about 6 inches, so I removed the other cap and repeated the process. Nothing I could do would get the crud at the front of the tank, away from the hole. I even tried threading airline tubing under the plate, as a mini siphon...no success. Eventually, I took everything out of the tank, and rinsed everything, replaced the plate, bought a cheap powerhead, and put the fish back. Big pain in the butt.
BUT, I learned something from it all. Without a powerhead, crud will build up, fast, and it is hard to get it all out. (And it would be just as hard with a bigger tank, even with a python at full blast.) That amount of rotting biological material has to be a ticking time bomb in an enclosed ecosystem, like a tank. I, personally, would never leave a UGF plate in a tank without a serious powerhead (or 2) on it.
BUT, I learned something from it all. Without a powerhead, crud will build up, fast, and it is hard to get it all out. (And it would be just as hard with a bigger tank, even with a python at full blast.) That amount of rotting biological material has to be a ticking time bomb in an enclosed ecosystem, like a tank. I, personally, would never leave a UGF plate in a tank without a serious powerhead (or 2) on it.
thuffman03
Aquarium Advice Activist
I agree, either keep the UGF running or remove it.
spoonman
Aquarium Advice Addict
+1 on removing the UGF. I had one in my 84 gallon tank with 4 ph's on it. It still built up a layer of scum, despite water changes and gravel vac's. When I decided to get rid of the UGF for a cannister (not knowing the scum was under there, so didnt take the fish out) I stirred it up and killed my fish before I could even do a water change to get the stuff out. Get a good HOB and be diligent about vaccing and water changes and you will be golden. You could even go with one of the smaller canisters on a 29G.
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