Virginia Lee
I buy my fish at nnnnnn
Posts: 32
Posted: 8/12/02 10:29 am
Undergravel Filters????
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How do undergravel filters work? I just purchased a 2 gal tank with an undergravel filter for my Betta. It just does not seem like this type of filter could possibly filter the water. There is no media to actually filer the water? Does this type for filter work on biological filtration only? If so how does it work?
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MYLUV4GFISH
Posts: 168
Posted: 8/12/02 1:18 pm
Re: Undergravel Filters????
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Having two fancytails in a 10gal. tank makes for alot of poop and ammonia. The UGF will force it down thru the gravel. That takes alot longer than it being sucked up by an over hanging bio filter. Which means more ammonia and poop in the tank longer than it should be.
But this is my own opinion from my own experiences.
~chris and his pals winnie & tiggs~
Edited by: Rachel at: 4/21/03 9:06:21 pm
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jsrtist
Posts: 2171
Posted: 8/12/02 1:21 pm
Re: Undergravel Filters????
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Yes, the UGF is only for biological filtration, nothing else. It sucks everything down to the bottom of the tank and just leaves it there, it doesnt get out of the water. It might work well on a betta tank but I definitely dont recommend it with anything else. Especially goldfish. They tend to be very messy to maintain, because you have to lift the plate to get all the garbage out and it messes up your water. I prefer external filters and have them on all of my tanks.
~ Jenny~ and my babies • Right? • Meeko • Buck •
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Lahela
This board is my second home
Posts: 676
Posted: 8/12/02 1:51 pm
Re: Undergravel Filters????
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UGFs pull waste through the gravel and trap it under the plates.
Now you can put it on reverse flow to where it goes in...reverse, and pushes stuff out of the gravel and into the water. I don't know many who do this.
It is recommended that folks who keep goldfish, not bother with them because they won't do much in the way of filtration. And goldies need a lot of filtration.
I use them simply because I grew up using UGFs in conjunction with a powerfilter. I like them. I know how to use them(not that they are exactly difficult ), and I know how to keep them clean.
~ Kristin
Hey, don't write yourself off yet.
It's only in your head you feel left out or looked down on.
Just do your best, do everything you can.
And don't you worry what the bitter hearts are gonna say.
It just takes some time, little girl you're in the middle of the ride.
Everything (everything) will be just fine, everything (everything) will be alright (alright).
Edited by: Rachel at: 4/21/03 9:07:19 pm
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ok71cbes
What are these words under my name?
Posts: 115
Posted: 8/13/02 9:40 am
2 types of UGF's
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there are 2 types of UGF's, regular flow and reverse flow.
Regular flow sucks the water and debris down into the gravel, under the plate and then up through the riser tubes, some have carbon attachments to the risers. However much of the debris never makes it to the riser and remains in the gravel and under the plate. This creates a perfect place for bacteria to breed, good and bad it is a biological filter. Thorough cleaning is required and still does not get everything under the plate.
Reverse flow sucks the water down through the risers, sometimes through a pre-filter of carbon and then under the plate and up through the gravel. Less gets stuck under the plate but it is not perfect either and still needs to be cleaned.
With the advent of extra media chambers in canister and power filters that can contain bio-media the UGF is starting to fall out of favor except in the case where a hang-on filter cannot be used. This makes maintenance of the tank much easier and prevents pockets of Hydrogen sulfide gas which can occur in tanks with over an inch of gravel and UGF plates.
Heavily planted tanks do not use UGF so the roots stay cool and basically the plant roots keep fresh water and oxygen moving through the gravel.
So it's really a matter of personal preference and how much work you want to be doing to clean the tank each week. If you have bio-media in your power/canister filter then there is no need for a UGF.
Cheryl
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