What problems have you had in keeping a planted tank using an undergravel filter? Let me know in the comments below. Also if you have a planted tank with an undergravel filter, send me a picture over on instagram at gingerbeardaquatics.
I used a play sand substrate due to its cheapness, and installed a 1/4" layer of fine filter floss to stop tiny sand particles from getting through. I tried using a poly screen door mesh on a different aquarium, but it turned out not to be small enough and the water pump got clogged with sand, though this wouldn't be an issue with an air pump. Still, without the floss, the sand could clog the outlet holes drilled into my diy ug unit made with 3/8" tubing. Because sand can also compress more easily than other substrates as well, I can only imagine these issues would make it only workable with a reverse flow ug jet system, and only with a thin layer of sand. This is kinda why I was mentioning pre-filtering with canisters in another comment, as the pumps and filters kinda get in the way of my scaping. The original system had two strong powerhead's inlets hooked to the ug unit, and I figured I could get decent flow across the whole substrate because the unit was large enough that I figured I could get enough water percolating through the mulm to keep the pumps working even if the floss gets somewhat plugged. I was wrong, and it got too plugged over the course of several months. It might have worked if I'd started with low flow, however, idk. I've got the same system, though I took the sand out, filtered the smaller particles out with a sieve made from window screen, added the larger particles back in, reversed the flow by connecting the pumps' outlets to the ug unit, and added filters to the pumps' inlets. I wanted to use fine filter floss on the inlets, but they got clogged way too fast, so I had to replace them with more course fabric. I like the concept of ug filtration, but I also wouldn't mind having a ciclid tank one day, I just don't know how to make it work with ug other than how I'm doing it now, though I'd probably have to remove the floss from the unit itself so there's no chance of it getting clogged considering I don't have to worry about sucking up fine sand particulates with a reverse flow ug jet, and probably just avoid planting in the sand. I'd also probably put in a layer of screen mesh between layers of sand so the fish could only dig so deep, with the layer on top being a somewhat finer sand like pool filter sand, and the layer under the mesh could be the larger aggregate of my sieved play sand. Sorry about the wall of text reinventing the wheel here, but I'm not hearing a lot of solutions for sand substrate from anyone, just "It's hard to do sand"... No shit.
A couple things come to mind. First is using a coarser sand right off the bat to avoid it being moved around so easily. I know that is more expensive but that is an option. Crushed coral is the first thing that comes to mind, particularly if you are looking at African cichlids. Second, I like the idea of the mesh, and if you have enough room in your tank or don't mind about the depth of substrate you could put some egg crate/lighting diffuser above the undergravel filter plates rather than the mess. That way when cichlids dig they dig and hit that and can't dig out the sand past that point. I also agree that the reverse flow using a canister filter makes a lot more sense in this comment than it did int your previous comments. I would say though that I like the idea of using powerheads the reverse way to blow water down the pipe. I think a coarse intake sponge with a heavier sand would greatly diminish the problem of sand getting into the power head. In a situation like that I'd almost want to have PVC or tubing attached to the bottom of the tube to direct the water all across the bottom of the tank through tiny holes drilled into the PVC. Otherwise I'd be concerned that the water wouldn't evenly distribute underneath the panels and just rise up right after it hit the tank bottom near where it came.
IV not had any problems the opposite the plenem with crashed coral n red clay n aqua soil n layers has improved my paramiters my gh n kh is higher as using crashed coral
@@TheAquariumLibrary yes I was ment to buy kitty litter baked clay I got catsan Kat litter it said 100% natural no additives I thought it was clay but I found out litter it's clalk which I looked up its crushed coral calcium carbonate I tested the water and it's took the gh a good bit up the kh has also raised a bit but slowly came bk down to 9 as it's 8 out tap the ph stayed the same as out the tap think it wida raised it if there wasn't the auqa soil as that's ment to Gee u a ph of 6.5 my ph is 7.7 from tap 5year ago my ph was 7.2/7.4 from my tap but over the years it's got higher n higher I'd like a ph of about 7/7.2 but my fish are used to 7.7/7.8 so no point messing with it I just hope it don't go over 8 or I wouid start adding ph down
My parents owned a ~65 gallon back in the '80 with nothing more than lighting and... an undergravel filter. When I set up my aqarium over a year ago, I bought 2 Fluval undergravel sets, put some powerheads on them and added 2 spray bars for a nice and even flow at the surface. Now, one year later, still very happy with the choice, it's zero maintenance and just does the job.
Zero maintenance? You got to clean the gravel, or too much waste builds up regardless. The only way I would have a UG filter is on a 20 gallon or less tank. A cleaner tank with less bacteria and waste is a healthier tank for my fish. I love the silent operation of a canister filter over noise of a UG filter or the sight of tubes in back of tank as well. Silence is golden and ease of maintenance too.
My first tank was as a 10 year old. My dad had tons of stuff. I wanted my own tank. He agreed, but he was gonna give me some of his old stuff. Old 20 long, rigged with 2 UtG filters. Said if I could keep the tank nice and my fish alive for a year, he'd buy me whatever I wanted. Taught me a lot, especially as a kid who had only "helped" before. I think he had it right, they work, and a lot of the time, they are a great option if you know how to use em properly. And after learning to use one, trial and error style, all other filtering systems I've came across are comparably a cake walk. And as you said, tank crashes are really an oddity with them. I really think it's a thing everyone should learn, if for no other reason but to set up a retro tank.
Great to hear that under-gravel filters and living water plants are not mutually exclusive in aquariums. Using a pair of bulletproof glass doors as the front and back walls of my aquarium, I created a 300-gallon freshwater aquarium with a robust under-gravel filtration system powered by an industrial-strength hatchery air pump connected to EIGHT lift tubes to generate a swift current down through the substrate with comprises 2 inches of granite gravel topped with 2 inches of river sand. Inspired by this video clip you've posted, I'll head down to the creek and scout for plants that will take root in the sand since I don't plan on adding potting soil to the aquarium substrate due to concerns about cloudy water from the inclusion of that soil. If I find that river plants require some mud to take root, I'll probably plant them in a shallow plastic perforated tray holding some soil that I may at least initially wrap in fabric so the soil doesn't dissolve. I am betting that the sediment trapped atop the sand layer in my tank will suffice as the primary plant nutrient especially as I begin to add more fish to the tank.
Been using undergravel on my 215 with powerheads on tubs and several magium 350 under it. Also have plants but our water is super hard but it works. It is a great way to keep tank safe when I go away on vacation. Love undergravel.
When I entered this hobby in mid 90s, the only filter option available in Pakistan was the UG filters made of PVC pipes. When I re-entered the hobby a year before, there are numerous types of filters. I have tried many except the canisters, and have reverted to UG (this time plastic trays). I am running them with power heads as I can't bear the air pump noise. And they are doing great. Scientifically it uses the substrate as the filter media, which is under utilized otherwise. And they work well for almost all types of fish.
Huh that is surprising to hear that there were only UGF in the mid 90s. I’d have never thought that. I’ve found that an airstone drastically helps reduce the noise or the air.
@@TheAquariumLibrary I had been using air stones, but the problem is with the vibration sound of the air pump. Now recently I have bought a "mute" (labelled) air pump, and it is amazingly silent.
I’m 56 years old and have been a aquarists since I was 10. All I used was under gavel filters for decades with much success. Now all of a sudden they are taboo. Forget that nonsense! I’m converting a 250 gallon from salt to fresh, I’ll have a canister in the base, but I’m also putting in an under gravel.
My dad is turning 54 years old and he would say a very similar thing to his usage of UGF over the years. And now people are starting to use them once again. What will you be running in a 250 gallon freshwater tank? I am getting a new tank here soon and plan to run an anoxic UGF to try out and see how well it works. It seems like it would be a very good filter but time will tell.
@@TheAquariumLibrary I was going to use the one I had. Its 20 years old but new power heads would bring it up, then I saw the new perforated tube ones that go into the gravel that you can custom shape an ebay.
The horse and buggy were in fashion at one time too but went out. I rather drive a car to get to point A and B then take a slower and uncomfortable horse ride. UG filters are horrible to tear down if the tank gets sick plus harder to medicate due to excess bacteria and waste in its gravel bed. Plus canister is silent! Silence is golden.
I remember years ago we needed a large filter bed of an UG filter for saltwater fishkeeping but for freshwater it was not required. HOB. etc were all that was needed for freshwater.
I'm glad I found this video.. this is a subject I've been studying on. I recently bought a 33 gallon lowboy. it is already equipped with an undergravel filter. I was planning on removing it, because it will be a planted tank until I found a video by Colin Barsby where he explains using the powerhead method that pumps a warm slow trickle underneath the substrate. I've asked the others if anyone else had ever heard of this and haven't had much success. In my mind this method makes perfect sense, but I didn't know if I was experienced enough to try this. Colins videos have been very inspirational. So when I found this video I was really excited. I'm going to check out your links! I really appreciate you taking the time to make this. I enjoyed the video and subscribed! Your tanks look amazing!!! thank you again and I hope you have a wonderful day!🌱🐟🌿
I’m glad that this video was helpful. It definitely seems like people’s knee jerk reaction is to ditch the undergravel filter because it it old but there is literally nothing wrong with it. If I wanted to spend a lot of money I could have bought a nice filter but I’d rather spend that money of fish or plants 😁. As for pumping water down through the undergravel filter and then it rising up through the gravel I haven’t come across anything about that being bad. I just have never done that so I can’t speak to a personal experience of it working or not working. Also thank you so much for subscribing and I hope you enjoy the other videos! I hope you have a good day as well!
I have smaller tanks; 3.5 dome gallon, 5.5 gallon, and a 10 gallon for about about 2 years now. I've used just about every small submersible container filter on the market, and they were just a hassle. The smaller motors only lasted maybe a month or two and I was dropping another $20. to replace it, about every other month. I have the sponge filters in the small dome tank, but it's just nasty. I switched to an undergravel filter for the 5-gallon tank about a month ago, and already it's working out so much better. All I'll have to replace when the time comes is a cartridge. I already know that the outside motor will probably last for about a year from past experience. I'm happy being Old School! IT WORKS!
Wow that is crazy how often those pumps were breaking on you. I can understand how frustrating that will get. I’d also say that come the time to replace those carbon cartridges on the outflow of the undergravel filter you don’t need to. I had some when I first set mine up but I have never replaced them and don’t think they do much. If you want to you can but I don’t see a point in buying them. I’m glad you are convinced that old school works and see how amazing it is. You might want to check out my most recent video on a defense of undergravel filters to learn more about them.
I liked my aqua one aquarium that had an underground filter with a power head. The stock light with it wasn't really strong enough for plants, but I did try! I plan on trying again, but this time I have more of an idea as to what plants will cope with the low light conditions.
Totally agree I use one as a slow moving plenem n it's by far the best filtration u get and IV got a canister with a bcb in one tray biohome n one tray n course medium n fine pads n a tray
@@TheAquariumLibrary well I use to just run a canister filter with biohome media in my tank and I always got algae but now I use the undergravel along with canister the undergravel has a 3"uplift tube it was longer but I cut it down to slow the flow I put a tiny airpump on it to making it a slow flow I turned it into an anoxic filter now I don't get algae or nitrates and plants grow faster this way as the ferts n co2 n oxigen slowly get pulled to plant roots the red clay keeps plants red to so its a win win a normal tank with gravel at bottem is not designed to run long term with out issues as we're a plenem will run 20year with out issues look into Dr Novaks plenem and bcb baskets n ull find out what I mean n why there so good that's all I'm sayn
I’ve heard of Dr. Novak and am familiar with the concept. I think the denitrification aspect of those filters is cool, but for the average person I don’t see the need for one. I’m glad to hear it is working out well for you. If I set up another tank I might consider doing it.
I appreciate it! If you liked that you might want to check out my other video I did about my under gravel filter or how to set up air pumps and heaters. Hope you have a great day!
I have a canister filter on my tank but was thinking of adding an under gravel to keep the gravel clean. I am going to hook up the intake to the canister filter to the under gravel filter so that it creates a connected super filter.
I connected a HOG back filter to my canister filter return hose. Added more biological media. And I have the side that pulls water connected to a tube with an underground filter. My fish are so healthy, as well as my plants.
it also helps to draw warm, oxygenated water down into the substrate which is typically colder and more anaerobic, and plants grow better with warm water on their roots.
I mean so can plants, have you heard of aquaponics? Those systems feed off the fish wastes and remove nitrate from the system without the use anaerobic bacteria. Plus you get plants to enjoy or sell. While working with anaerobic bacteria and creating those zones are interesting I’d rather have plants.
You really don’t need that many plants for them to start absorbing large amounts of the wastes from a system. But that also depends on fish load, the types of plants you are using, and so forth and so forth. What other misconceptions do you see in the hobby? I am genuinely curious.
Hello. Have you done this system with discus fish? How many discus did you have or do you have? I'm trying to get my mind ready for heavy plants and discus in one aquarium and Angel fish in another and Severum in another. All 75 gallons tanks. Thank you for you information and knowledge.
I wouldnt use an UG filter for a discus tank, too much bacteria in the gravel. Plus if you ever had to medicate, the excess organic material of waste or bacteria in gravel would interfere with medications.
How do you grow the plants? I was considering trying to plant anubias plant. How do you keep the plants in the substrate in the beginning? I've purchased ugf because of your videos
Great Content .. Would be great if you'd make a Dedicated Video on UGF Vs Heavily Planted Aquarium.. fine gravel blockages ? Roots getting in ? .. etc.
Funny you should mention that. I was trying to use a safe-t-sorb as a substrate with an undergravel filter and it was too fine and just fell through the plates. Without a landscape fabric I don’t think it would work. And I don’t have any of it laying around so scrapping that idea lol
@@TheAquariumLibrary Fibreglass insect screen mesh is best on top of the UG plates to prevent fine grade granules falling into the plenum space. Also, there is no great benefit in having smaller than 2 -3 mm size substrate anyway.
@@AussieAquatic The problem I has having with my safe-t-sorb was that the actual particles of substrate where falling in between the slits of my undergravel filter plate. If i revisit using undergravel filters and safe-t-sorb I will have to look for that fiberglass insect mesh netting you speak of.
As a pond guy I've always wondered why indoor aquariums don't utilize a under gravel drain or pump to filter system. And using water pump instead of air would be best IMHO. It would he like having a gravel vac working with the filter 24/7.
Frankly, I don’t think most people would care enough to drill a tank to put drain into. And the manufacturers sure as heck aren’t going to do that and add another cost to the tank when consumers won’t appreciate or buy it. I am thinking about using a power head for my new undergravel filter but a good air pump can moves lots of water for a fish tank.
Hello, may I ask? Have you tried putting 30 ppi bio foam on top of the undergravel then put the substrate on top of the bio foam? Or the undergravel itself is enough to house the good bacteria?
My primary objection about UG filters is that excessive organic material in the gravel filter can interfere with medicine if a tank becomes sick. My preference is for an external canister filter because it offers a higher flow rate, allows for easy swapping of new media, and is very simple to isolate and disinfect the canister. Keeping gravel in a tank without a UG filter can be cleaner and easier to maintain. Apologies, but with all that grime inside of them, UG filters are also unattractive. A dirty gravel medium is ideal for the spawning and growth of parasites and Columnaris bacteria, and a clean tank is a healthy tank. My tanks are for easily maintaining the health of my fish, especially if a tank gets sick. Having to tear down a UG filter is horrible to boot.
In the old days (70's & 80's) you either use Under Gravel or a Sump. Now it is getting hard to find them because they are cheap and they can't sell refill cartridges.
Sorry to inform you but they found ways to sell refill cartridges for Under Gravel Filters. They sell the carbon piece at the end that is suppose to clarify your water one last time before going back into the tank. And wouldn’t you know they only last for a couple months. I personally want to start using more box filters but those are even harder to find.
I personally like those days better when they had less disposable filters and more permanent ones. But more permanent ones mean less money for the companies selling them...
@@TheAquariumLibrary Well I don't use carbon and I have been changing my HOB's to the Seachem Tidal's because the are easy to pimp out with the large media baskets. You can find the box filters on Amazon. I thought about giving them a try but I fell in love with the Tidal's and everything else is history. Only have 3 tanks to go before they are switched over.
Nice, I haven't tried the tidals, but have heard good things. For me currently, sponge filters and air driven stuff is great because it is cheap to purchase and cheap to run. While HOB are nice, I'd personally have a lot of other things I'd want to purchase before buying any new HOB filter.
@@TheAquariumLibrary The last Tidals have been ordered and on their way. I made the mistake and purchased (2) Aqueon Quiet Flow HOB a month ago and what a mistake that was. Quiet they are not and they don't have a flow adjustment. The angle of the water return just pounds the fish and plants. I should have been in less of a hurry and just got the Tidals to begin with.
Is there an ideal placement of the airstone in the lift tube? Ive scoured the internet and cant find this information. Should the stone be touching the plate or should it be raised up slightly? Thanks ANYONE for any information about this :)
is it ok if a little gravel get's under the undergravel filter? the air tubes came loose from the plate and i had to pull them tight again and some gravel got under the plate?
Yeah a little gravel underneath isn’t going to be problematic. You just don’t want that entire space underneath the plate filled with gravel. Otherwise that defeats the purpose of it.
I’ve used under gravel filtration since probably 1985 and I wouldn’t use anything else! You literally do a 20% water change every month and that’s it! No filters to buy or clean! Just have a powerful power head and your golden
Do you think it would be ok to use either Seachen flourite black (which I think is clay based) or Eco Complete which is crushed lava as the substrate. I don't think I can get Fluval Stratum in my country.
So what exactly happens to the excess detritus in and under the gravel? Will it break down given enough time? Does the detritus amount increase each month or does it stay the same? Do you know what are the pros and cons of reverse UGF compared to UGF?
So I haven’t run mine long enough, meaning multiple years, to be able to tell you with experience what happens to the detritus. But based on some other experiences with breaking down solids I would expect the solids/detritus to be broken down by bacteria and microorganisms over time. As the months have passed I have noticed more detritus accumulating in the gravel but haven’t noticed any impacts of that. The main thing is you want to keep it aerobic and don’t let it go anaerobic in the tank. I know what reverse UGF are but I haven’t personally used them nor can I speak to the pros or cons of them because I have never seriously considered using that type of filtration. Though if you know something I am more than willing to hear and learn what you know about them.
I’m very sensitive to sound and on a search for a truly quiet filter system. How is the noise from an undergravel filter? Is it just the powerhead generating sound?
When it comes to the undergravel filter noise will come from the air pump and the bubbles breaking at the surface or if you use a powerhead, it would come that as well. It’s hard because you don’t want an entirely quiet tank because you want some sort of water movement or breakage at the surface to allow for oxygen exchange which will inevitably lead to some noise. At this point I hardly notice my air pump and air bubbles breaking but that could also be because I’ve heard this sound for 20+ years now lol
I have not tried his way of doing undergravel filters. I don’t see the need for that type of filtration in a planted tank. We add fertilizers to get nitrate into our tanks, why would I want to start gassing off my money essentially. That’s one of the things happening in that anaerobic environment is the conversion of all different types of nitrogen compounds to nitrogen gas. And if you are adding ferts you are just gassing off money. Sure, for fish only tanks, the way he has it might make more sense. And if you are trying to do a no water change fish only tank or minimal water change for a fish tank I can see that, maybe. But I also don’t really see much need for a system like that. I use the fish water to fertilize my plants and water them when I do water changes. With his system I am just gassing off nitrogen gas, which would be my fertilizer when I do water changes for any plants. My two cents on his system.
Sad thing is, pet stores hate undergravel filters because they are so much less profitable than pricey HOB’s and the recurring sales of replacement media which most models necessitate. 👎 I love undergravel filters but have been reading about certain benefits of anaerobic regions, so I’m starting to think about “half” an undergravel filter in one end of the tank, and an anaerobic zone on the other end of the tank. This then would be combined with live plants, a sponge filter, and/or an undersized HOB to help make up the difference. 🤔
I’ve seen reverse UG filters but never have used them. I am not quite sure what the benefits because I’ve never looked into using them. I haven’t had any problems with my undergravel filter on my planted tank being high maintenance. Nor have I had an problem with undergravel filters on fish only tanks.
@@WhatIsMisophonia Yes and no. I gravel vac the very front portion of the tank for the aesthetics of removing that mulm that you can see along the glass. I don't like the look so I try to remove a little bit there. The rest of the tank does not get gravel vacced at all. Haven't done one on the tank. When I do water changed I run the top of the siphon along the top of the substrate to remove loose algae, mulm, and dead plant leaves. But I also feel as though that isn't necessary.
Yes you most certainly could. I would attach the intake for the canister filter to the lift tube of the under gravel filter. Then place the outflow on the opposite side of the tank for best circulation value.
@@TheAquariumLibrary Also canisters are good for polishing the water before sending it to a reverse flow ug filtration/ug jet system. Canister would be better than sump in this case because if the backflow valves failed, a sump could drain all the water out of the aquarium. I don't know if it's simply a better idea to leave the mulm in the water and let it break down, or use filter pads to remove it and then do occasional water changes to replace the lost minerals (since you're going to have to do occasional water changes anyway to remove a variety of build ups and deficiencies). I know traditional ug systems work well in outdoor ponds where you create a grid of pvc with more than enough big slots or holes cut all along the grid and covered with large gravel; this is connected to an above ground pump, which powers a waterfall. My old landscaping boss was big into water features and used these systems a lot. He said he's never had any problems with them over time and they rarely need maintenance. But of course, the outdoor pond is different than the indoor aquarium, partly because dust and a variety of insects fall into it and helps to add trace elements, and people typically keep tougher fish in outdoor ponds.
@@WhatIsMisophonia Yes, canisters would be good at polishing the water before sending it an ug filter, but in my eyes it sorta defeats the purpose of an undergravel filter. UG filters are cheap to setup and cheap to maintain. Yes, you could add a canister filter before you send water to the UG filter but then it is no longer cheap or as easy to maintain. Seems like an extra cost to something that already works well, an extra cost I wouldn't want to incur. I have no doubt that what you described works well in ponds, it just costs more money and at what benefit in an aquarium. Also, yes changing water helps supplement minerals in your tank if your water has those minerals. There are systems out there though, aquaponic systems, that utilize just fish waste and the addition of just 3 nutrients in the form of base, calcium carbonate and potassium carbonate, and chelated iron to run the system. On these systems, water changes are basically 0, yet with just those 3 additions and topping off of the water due to evaporation the plants grow fantastic and healthy.
Lol. Perfect analogy with the OK boomer thing. So what if it’s eight dollars almost maintenance free and will work better than anything you can buy for $100. But all the young people are gonna roll their eyes and tell you you’re an idiot and go spend $100. Under gravel filter‘s work incredibly well as do sponge filters. Other than polishing water nothing they’ve ever invented it really works much better. There’s not a filter on the market that’s worth the money honestly for anything other than convenience, they work OK but they’re way overpriced, you can build a canister filter out of a 5 gallon bucket that will work as good as any $400 filter. The only exceptions are going to be UV filtration or for water polishing but even with water polishing simple diatom filter canister is going to work just as well though they’re a little harder to use but under gravel filter‘s and sponge filters are five or $10 and they work amazingly well and they will continue to work well for decades with no problems. The only thing better about modern expensive filters is the advertising and marketing and those who would use terms like Boomer which is a derogatory bigoted term used by arrogant idiots, it’s kind of the same situation they think everything is better just because it’s a newer but I had tanks that ran for 20 years and I never had to do anything but clean the glass and use a gravel siphon occasionally and never had any problems whatsoever. I don’t care what anybody says they work beautifully and there’s no reason to bash them at all. Also agree with you on water changes but from looking at your tank I can tell, you have plenty of plants and you also leave your light on for a significant amount of time which enables those plants to work, everybody says to leave your light on for eight hours to find algae but eight hours means your plants stop filtering water after eight hours when you turn them off, the only filter when the lights are on I leave mine on at least 12 hours a day and I do water changes every 2 to 3 weeks but could easily go to months but that being said most people over stock their tanks so you have to be very careful with that advice people need to test their water and make sure it stays clean and change it as they need to if you put A lot or big fish in there that poop a lot I don’t have your lights on very long during the day to enable your plants to absorb the nutrients then you’ll need to change it more.
I'm glad you liked the thumbnail. I completely agree with your first paragraph. People buy into the hype of these massive filters and don't understand the purpose or function of a filter. Just because you pay more money for a filter doesn't mean more bacteria is going to come and live in it. I'd argue that you can get the water polishing in a tank by using a box filter filled with filter floss/pillow batting and be able to remove a large amount of debris. I haven't used it for that purpose yet but could see that working really well. Yes, the most important thing is that people need to be testing their water so that way they can know with what frequency they need to change water. I do have my lights on for about 9-10 hours, so not quite as long as you but longer than most. When it comes to non-planted tanks there is no reason to have a light on unless you are directly viewing the tank. The ambient light in the room will be enough for the fish.
Plant roots definitely do find their way to the bottom of the tank through the undergravel filter. The plant’s roots wouldn’t eat the gunk per say. But as bacteria and other microorganisms break down the gunk the roots would uptake any nutrients released. But the roots just don’t consume the gunk like we would eat food.
@@TheAquariumLibrary I've seen comments from people who hook a shop vac up to the uplift tube to vacuum the gunk from the bottom of the tank. Make a hole in the gravel on the opposite side and the water flow does the resr
@@elfpuncher Yeah that is one way to remove the gunk from underneath for sure. I just haven't found a need to do that with my undergravel filter because I don't necessarily want to remove all that gunk down there.
The problem with an UGF isn't actually the filtration unit itself, no. It's people. Specifically? LAZY people! Those who didn't bother to read up on elementary nitrification cycle 101, as well as those who were too lazy to vacuum their tank substrate but... there's another class of lazy bones out there: "I love high-tech! Coz it does the work for me! Old school is obsolete! Boomers & their UGFs need to go, now! Have I used an UGF? Nope! I will never use one! Hey, it's my freedom to hate!" Can you believe that such *snots* actually exist? 💁🏻♂️ These new kids on the block seem to think that fish health, as well filtration boils down to showboating whose gadgets & toys look more fancy. For? Instagram! Sometimes, the problem with some people is their unbridled ignorance going unchecked. Like, if a piece of simple tech could fulfill the same function for less then, why not? UGF haters: "I hate UGFs & I'm offended!" Get outta here. No one cares about your petty feelings. So long as the filter works, that's all which matters. End of debate!
Yup. That pretty much sums up it up. Cheap, easy, and efficient but not glamorous enough to show off on Instagram. Gotta go with shiny, silver metals🤑💰🤤✨ or THICCC filters to impress the boys
@@TheAquariumLibrary Yeah & once the 'like' buttons have been hit? Then, they'll go: "Okay! Time to decommission my tank! Phew! It's been 3 months but boy, time sure flies! Maybe, I'll start a paludarium project next. Oh! Maybe an unboxing video of my new super expensive canister filter! I'm sure they'll envy me! Coz I'm The Master!" Meanwhile, an accomplished, veteran fish breeder of 30 years somewhere is sitting on his couch, sipping tea admiring his pair of beautiful angelfish depositing eggs on an UGF lift tubes & he's thinking to himself: "Just like old times. Phew! 30 years flew past just like that. I wonder how kids these days are enjoying this hobby... hmm... I wonder." Wonder not - they're just posting pictures whilst mastering none of long-term husbandry skills. Oh & they're posting meaningless, regurgitated rants about the humble UGF without even using one in the first place. Geez. Good things take time to culminate. And real knowledge stems from trial & error in the process of learning on one's feet. And that *should* include trying out an UGF. It's a classic for a reason - it works!
Let me add my voice to the pro UG crowd of Boomers. Every video on my channel of my tank, is what an UG tank looks like, not that you would know, unless I tell you :)
Out of curiosity, how did you set up your substrate with the Undergravel filter? I saw another video where the person set there's up with a layer of Sponge underneath their soil and gravel substrate, it just got me questioning if that would be the correct way to setup the substrate. Here's the link of that specific video: ruclips.net/video/okIYVlGfm7o/видео.html
So I am using fluval stratum as my substrate. I just dumped that on top of the undergravel filter plates and didn't add any barrier. Then I planted directly into that. In that video it looked like he was using regular potting soil which would make sense why he wanted to use the sponge to separate the soil from getting into his pump. Would you be interested in a video about hope I set up my undergravel filter planted tank?
@@TheAquariumLibrary If you want to do that it would be cool, but now that I know a barrier is not needed unless soil is used I might just forego using a filtration layer to maximize flow through the substrate.
If having water flowing over your mulm makes it safe, why do fishkeepers say that you should keep your sponge filters clean even if they're not plugged up and reducing water flow because apparently the waste in the sponge is keeping the water dirty as it breaks down? Honestly, I've only been in fish keeping for about a year, and the aquarium community itself is the thing that's frustrating me most. I feel like there's so much heresay and conjecture repeated as fact that nobody really knows anything even if they've been keeping fish their whole lives.
Waste/mulm becomes harmful when it starts going anaerobic and you are breaking it down into more toxic subcomponents. If oxygen is present there will be aerobic bacteria and normal breakdown in your aquarium into normal subcomponents. To be frank, I can’t answer why other fish keepers do that. Maybe it is because they don’t like the aesthetics of it looking dirty and they clean it when it’s not plugged up and rescuing water flow. Or they are worried that the larger particulates will break down into smaller particulates and start clouding the water so that can’t see into the tank. In my mind cleaning a sponge filter occasionally just ensures that you don’t start having areas go anaerobic. You’d be concerned about it also in canister filters and HOBs as well. As they remove solids from the water the solids are deposited in the filters. As the solids accumulate in the filters, water finds the path of least resistant and avoids the areas of plugged solids. Those solids over time that are no longer getting oxygen rich water start to undergo anaerobic rather than aerobic respiration and that’s when issues start to arise. I’d say the best way to learn about aquariums is to study things like aquatics ecology or aquaculture systems where they have done the research and can provide reasons for what they saw. The problem is that very little is being done scientifically on aquariums and aquarium care research and I don’t ever see that happening. Hopefully that helps answer some questions and provides some clarity.
Water flow helps with oxygenation of the water which is important for your fish to breathe, plants to respire when the lights are off and many chemical reactions in your water in the nitrification and denitrification cycle. Mulm is a natural byproduct of food, fish, plant and bacteria waste, it occurs in all natural water systems. Concern about mulm is more or less 2 things: fear of low oxygen conditions and aesthetics. A sponge filter is pretty lousy for mechanical filtration compared to some others, but it has lots of pores for water flow and bacteria to colonize. Cleaning it is to remove the dead bacteria and mulm so more surface area is made available for new bacteria and to keep the amount of water flow moving. Too much build up would prevent water from moving freely in your substrate and filter and thus delivering oxygen for certain biological processes. However there are many processes that happen in the tank that prefer lower oxygen conditions, such denitrification, unfortunately many of these low oxygen processes result in a stink which people find as undesirable, but all water ways have that stink at some level. The second is aesthetics. Mulm has many benefits so long as its not thick and overtaking your tank (typically caused by overfeeding), it has live bacteria in there, makes good plant food and many small fish and inverts will feast within it. When it comes to aesthetics many people aim for bright clean, crystal clear pristine tanks, because we as a society have been conditions to associate that with clean water and clean conditions. While others prefer mulm because they want to achieve a natural look. The main reason why you clean a sponge in a sponge filter or your hang on the back is because the sponge is typically the first line of mechanical filtration, so that the media you use for biological doesn't get clogged and gets the maximum amount of oxygenated water.
Thanks for the heads up about aquaponics; I have been researching in and looking into wastewater treatment and mineralization tanks. Apparently, the ammonia excreted from the gills is the main sought after ingredient for fertilizing plants, and the solid waste for the most part is typically removed from aquaponic systems. Of course plants need a variety of minerals and macro/micro nutrients, so some breakdown of solids or addition of fertilizers is useful. To that end, mineralizing tanks can be added which are mostly just big tanks with the solid waste added in and kept in suspension + aerobic with lots and lots of aeration, similar to what's seen in wastewater plants. After a time, air is turn off, solids are allow to settle, and some of the now mineralized water is added back into the fish tank. This reduces the need for potential fertilizers as well as the amount of feed needed for the fish to produce enough ammonia to feed the plants (less feed means less solids to have to process, which makes the system more efficient and easier to maintain). That said, the only way you can do this in a typical aquarium is if it's either bare bottom, or you have good flow across the top of the gravel (would probably work better with a course filtered sand, as the waste will settle on top, or combined with a strong reverse-flow UG unit) so that waste can be pushed to an overflow which starts all the way at the bottom of the tank as in a typical aquaponic system. By comparison, a thick gravel substrate in conjunction with typical UG filtration, even if you do carpet the substrate with plants, may only handle a moderately stocked tank (especially if we're talking about bigger fish, though I guess this is fine enough for most aquarists) as all solids need to be completely broken down, which a typical mineralizer won't even do, and will build up quicker than they can be broken down, causing poor water conditions due to whatever in the hell is in the water that we can't test for even if the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates are low. Now, if we could find a way to make a protein skimmer for freshwater that's at least as good (and small) as those for salt water, that waste could be removed from the water column and thrown out, or added back in after being broken down in aerobic conditions in a second sump.
@@WhatIsMisophonia You're welcome. What you described is the basics of mineralization. For aquaponic settings after 14 days most of the solids have been mineralized. They have also found that temperature and pH also play very important role in how well the solids are mineralized, of neutral pH and 30+C for temps. I think there is another method of collecting solids from a tank without needing to have a high flow across the substrate or running a bare bottom tank and that would be gravel vaccing. Rather then dumping all the dirty water with solids and minerals down the drain or out onto the lawn, dump it into a mineralization tank. You don't have to worry then about the solids accumulating in the substrate but also don't have to keep a bare bottom tank. I think this could work in a lot of different tank setups, including planted tanks, though you would probably want a slightly deeper substrate so that you aren't disturbing the roots as much. I also don't think we will get a protein skimmer as we know it in the saltwater hobby because those rely upon salinity in the water and its increased density to create that protein foam, if I am recalling it correctly. I am actually going to be setting up a reverse flow undergravel filter using a powerhead here in the near future, and am excited to see how well it grows my plants compared to my normal UG filter and the overall clarity of the tank.
@@TheAquariumLibrary I have two powerheads running my reverse flow UG, but I also have a sump. The powerheads get in the way too much, so I'm probably just gonna hook up the sump pump to the UG. I can't remember the channel, but there's a guy who's made videos talking about reverse flow using low flow instead of high flow; and I mean he just lets a trickle of water under the gravel because a lot of marginal substrate feeding plants prefer anaerobic conditions, and he was only pumping water underneath in order to provide fertilizer and heat to the roots. Of course in order to have a good amount of fish in such a system, I'd probably back it up with a sponge filter.
I don’t use the carbon that attaches onto the outflow of the undergravel filter. I also don’t think the carbon would stop the flow of nutrients to the plants.
@@TheAquariumLibrary I will be installing a large "slow flow" UGF in a home made ply 420 us gallon tank this week. Another in a small 5 gal tank with a valve installed in the floor of the tank as a drain, to clear any debris that may accumulate.
I think building a ply tank would be really cool. Makes a larger tank like that more affordable for sure. That also is a good idea to clear off the solids but just one more think to leak in my opinion. While bulkheads are supposed to do a good job just another thing to fail.
@@TheAquariumLibrary Hi I've fitted tank connectors to domestic hot water heaters. They have not leaked in 25 years, but I do understand your point of view. 👍
Yeah they shouldn’t leak. And they should hold well. But a slow leak under a cabinet is a bad thing for a stand and I’d rather not risk that with my current setup.
Omega Gaming - So, what is your problem? "OK, Boomer" shows me that you're just ignorant. You got a point to make? Or do you just like to say that cause you can't think of anything else to say?
What problems have you had in keeping a planted tank using an undergravel filter? Let me know in the comments below. Also if you have a planted tank with an undergravel filter, send me a picture over on instagram at gingerbeardaquatics.
I used a play sand substrate due to its cheapness, and installed a 1/4" layer of fine filter floss to stop tiny sand particles from getting through. I tried using a poly screen door mesh on a different aquarium, but it turned out not to be small enough and the water pump got clogged with sand, though this wouldn't be an issue with an air pump. Still, without the floss, the sand could clog the outlet holes drilled into my diy ug unit made with 3/8" tubing. Because sand can also compress more easily than other substrates as well, I can only imagine these issues would make it only workable with a reverse flow ug jet system, and only with a thin layer of sand. This is kinda why I was mentioning pre-filtering with canisters in another comment, as the pumps and filters kinda get in the way of my scaping. The original system had two strong powerhead's inlets hooked to the ug unit, and I figured I could get decent flow across the whole substrate because the unit was large enough that I figured I could get enough water percolating through the mulm to keep the pumps working even if the floss gets somewhat plugged. I was wrong, and it got too plugged over the course of several months. It might have worked if I'd started with low flow, however, idk. I've got the same system, though I took the sand out, filtered the smaller particles out with a sieve made from window screen, added the larger particles back in, reversed the flow by connecting the pumps' outlets to the ug unit, and added filters to the pumps' inlets. I wanted to use fine filter floss on the inlets, but they got clogged way too fast, so I had to replace them with more course fabric. I like the concept of ug filtration, but I also wouldn't mind having a ciclid tank one day, I just don't know how to make it work with ug other than how I'm doing it now, though I'd probably have to remove the floss from the unit itself so there's no chance of it getting clogged considering I don't have to worry about sucking up fine sand particulates with a reverse flow ug jet, and probably just avoid planting in the sand. I'd also probably put in a layer of screen mesh between layers of sand so the fish could only dig so deep, with the layer on top being a somewhat finer sand like pool filter sand, and the layer under the mesh could be the larger aggregate of my sieved play sand. Sorry about the wall of text reinventing the wheel here, but I'm not hearing a lot of solutions for sand substrate from anyone, just "It's hard to do sand"... No shit.
A couple things come to mind. First is using a coarser sand right off the bat to avoid it being moved around so easily. I know that is more expensive but that is an option. Crushed coral is the first thing that comes to mind, particularly if you are looking at African cichlids. Second, I like the idea of the mesh, and if you have enough room in your tank or don't mind about the depth of substrate you could put some egg crate/lighting diffuser above the undergravel filter plates rather than the mess. That way when cichlids dig they dig and hit that and can't dig out the sand past that point. I also agree that the reverse flow using a canister filter makes a lot more sense in this comment than it did int your previous comments. I would say though that I like the idea of using powerheads the reverse way to blow water down the pipe. I think a coarse intake sponge with a heavier sand would greatly diminish the problem of sand getting into the power head. In a situation like that I'd almost want to have PVC or tubing attached to the bottom of the tube to direct the water all across the bottom of the tank through tiny holes drilled into the PVC. Otherwise I'd be concerned that the water wouldn't evenly distribute underneath the panels and just rise up right after it hit the tank bottom near where it came.
IV not had any problems the opposite the plenem with crashed coral n red clay n aqua soil n layers has improved my paramiters my gh n kh is higher as using crashed coral
@@AquaNoxLTD Is your bottom layer crushed coral, on top of that being red clay and on top of that the aquasoil?
@@TheAquariumLibrary yes I was ment to buy kitty litter baked clay I got catsan Kat litter it said 100% natural no additives I thought it was clay but I found out litter it's clalk which I looked up its crushed coral calcium carbonate I tested the water and it's took the gh a good bit up the kh has also raised a bit but slowly came bk down to 9 as it's 8 out tap the ph stayed the same as out the tap think it wida raised it if there wasn't the auqa soil as that's ment to Gee u a ph of 6.5 my ph is 7.7 from tap 5year ago my ph was 7.2/7.4 from my tap but over the years it's got higher n higher I'd like a ph of about 7/7.2 but my fish are used to 7.7/7.8 so no point messing with it I just hope it don't go over 8 or I wouid start adding ph down
My parents owned a ~65 gallon back in the '80 with nothing more than lighting and... an undergravel filter.
When I set up my aqarium over a year ago, I bought 2 Fluval undergravel sets, put some powerheads on them and added 2 spray bars for a nice and even flow at the surface.
Now, one year later, still very happy with the choice, it's zero maintenance and just does the job.
Yeah that pretty much sums up how I feels about them and shows how good an under gravel filter actually is.
What about the nitrates? You do no water changes?
Zero maintenance? You got to clean the gravel, or too much waste builds up regardless. The only way I would have a UG filter is on a 20 gallon or less tank. A cleaner tank with less bacteria and waste is a healthier tank for my fish. I love the silent operation of a canister filter over noise of a UG filter or the sight of tubes in back of tank as well. Silence is golden and ease of maintenance too.
@@MrNatural-fq1tq if it's a planted tank, the plants often deal with the fish waste if balanced properly. Pretty much just need to top up the water.
My first tank was as a 10 year old. My dad had tons of stuff. I wanted my own tank. He agreed, but he was gonna give me some of his old stuff. Old 20 long, rigged with 2 UtG filters. Said if I could keep the tank nice and my fish alive for a year, he'd buy me whatever I wanted. Taught me a lot, especially as a kid who had only "helped" before. I think he had it right, they work, and a lot of the time, they are a great option if you know how to use em properly. And after learning to use one, trial and error style, all other filtering systems I've came across are comparably a cake walk. And as you said, tank crashes are really an oddity with them. I really think it's a thing everyone should learn, if for no other reason but to set up a retro tank.
For a shrimp keeper this is the one of the best way
Yeah don’t have to worry about any little shrimplets getting sucked into an intake tube.
Great to hear that under-gravel filters and living water plants are not mutually exclusive in aquariums. Using a pair of bulletproof glass doors as the front and back walls of my aquarium, I created a 300-gallon freshwater aquarium with a robust under-gravel filtration system powered by an industrial-strength hatchery air pump connected to EIGHT lift tubes to generate a swift current down through the substrate with comprises 2 inches of granite gravel topped with 2 inches of river sand.
Inspired by this video clip you've posted, I'll head down to the creek and scout for plants that will take root in the sand since I don't plan on adding potting soil to the aquarium substrate due to concerns about cloudy water from the inclusion of that soil. If I find that river plants require some mud to take root, I'll probably plant them in a shallow plastic perforated tray holding some soil that I may at least initially wrap in fabric so the soil doesn't dissolve. I am betting that the sediment trapped atop the sand layer in my tank will suffice as the primary plant nutrient especially as I begin to add more fish to the tank.
Been using undergravel on my 215 with powerheads on tubs and several magium 350 under it. Also have plants but our water is super hard but it works. It is a great way to keep tank safe when I go away on vacation. Love undergravel.
That’s awesome to hear. I’d agree that I am not super concerned when away with tanks that have UGF in them. What plants are you keeping?
Thank you for doing this video. I am going to try out a under gravel filter along with my fluval fx 4, on my new 75 gallon aquarium.
When I entered this hobby in mid 90s, the only filter option available in Pakistan was the UG filters made of PVC pipes. When I re-entered the hobby a year before, there are numerous types of filters. I have tried many except the canisters, and have reverted to UG (this time plastic trays). I am running them with power heads as I can't bear the air pump noise. And they are doing great. Scientifically it uses the substrate as the filter media, which is under utilized otherwise. And they work well for almost all types of fish.
Huh that is surprising to hear that there were only UGF in the mid 90s. I’d have never thought that. I’ve found that an airstone drastically helps reduce the noise or the air.
@@TheAquariumLibrary I had been using air stones, but the problem is with the vibration sound of the air pump. Now recently I have bought a "mute" (labelled) air pump, and it is amazingly silent.
Yes finding a good air pump is important especially when it is in a living space and not in a separate room or basement.
I’m 56 years old and have been a aquarists since I was 10. All I used was under gavel filters for decades with much success. Now all of a sudden they are taboo. Forget that nonsense! I’m converting a 250 gallon from salt to fresh, I’ll have a canister in the base, but I’m also putting in an under gravel.
My dad is turning 54 years old and he would say a very similar thing to his usage of UGF over the years.
And now people are starting to use them once again. What will you be running in a 250 gallon freshwater tank?
I am getting a new tank here soon and plan to run an anoxic UGF to try out and see how well it works. It seems like it would be a very good filter but time will tell.
@@TheAquariumLibrary I was going to use the one I had. Its 20 years old but new power heads would bring it up, then I saw the new perforated tube ones that go into the gravel that you can custom shape an ebay.
The horse and buggy were in fashion at one time too but went out. I rather drive a car to get to point A and B then take a slower and uncomfortable horse ride. UG filters are horrible to tear down if the tank gets sick plus harder to medicate due to excess bacteria and waste in its gravel bed. Plus canister is silent! Silence is golden.
I remember years ago we needed a large filter bed of an UG filter for saltwater fishkeeping but for freshwater it was not required. HOB. etc were all that was needed for freshwater.
I'm glad I found this video.. this is a subject I've been studying on. I recently bought a 33 gallon lowboy. it is already equipped with an undergravel filter. I was planning on removing it, because it will be a planted tank until I found a video by Colin Barsby where he explains using the powerhead method that pumps a warm slow trickle underneath the substrate. I've asked the others if anyone else had ever heard of this and haven't had much success. In my mind this method makes perfect sense, but I didn't know if I was experienced enough to try this. Colins videos have been very inspirational. So when I found this video I was really excited. I'm going to check out your links! I really appreciate you taking the time to make this. I enjoyed the video and subscribed! Your tanks look amazing!!! thank you again and I hope you have a wonderful day!🌱🐟🌿
I’m glad that this video was helpful. It definitely seems like people’s knee jerk reaction is to ditch the undergravel filter because it it old but there is literally nothing wrong with it. If I wanted to spend a lot of money I could have bought a nice filter but I’d rather spend that money of fish or plants 😁. As for pumping water down through the undergravel filter and then it rising up through the gravel I haven’t come across anything about that being bad. I just have never done that so I can’t speak to a personal experience of it working or not working. Also thank you so much for subscribing and I hope you enjoy the other videos! I hope you have a good day as well!
starting to look in the planted tanks didn’t know what a gravel filter really did thanks for the info keep it up 👍🏻
I’m glad I could help you out and give you some new ideas!
I have smaller tanks; 3.5 dome gallon, 5.5 gallon, and a 10 gallon for about about 2 years now. I've used just about every small submersible container filter on the market, and they were just a hassle. The smaller motors only lasted maybe a month or two and I was dropping another $20. to replace it, about every other month. I have the sponge filters in the small dome tank, but it's just nasty. I switched to an undergravel filter for the 5-gallon tank about a month ago, and already it's working out so much better. All I'll have to replace when the time comes is a cartridge. I already know that the outside motor will probably last for about a year from past experience. I'm happy being Old School! IT WORKS!
Wow that is crazy how often those pumps were breaking on you. I can understand how frustrating that will get. I’d also say that come the time to replace those carbon cartridges on the outflow of the undergravel filter you don’t need to. I had some when I first set mine up but I have never replaced them and don’t think they do much. If you want to you can but I don’t see a point in buying them.
I’m glad you are convinced that old school works and see how amazing it is. You might want to check out my most recent video on a defense of undergravel filters to learn more about them.
I liked my aqua one aquarium that had an underground filter with a power head. The stock light with it wasn't really strong enough for plants, but I did try! I plan on trying again, but this time I have more of an idea as to what plants will cope with the low light conditions.
I use under gravel with the intake of a back in the lift tube for what ever media I prefer at the time.
Totally agree I use one as a slow moving plenem n it's by far the best filtration u get and IV got a canister with a bcb in one tray biohome n one tray n course medium n fine pads n a tray
Very nice, I haven’t tried a slow moving one yet but I might when I get another tank. How long have you had it up and running for?
@@TheAquariumLibrary 2/3month
What do you like about it so much?
@@TheAquariumLibrary well I use to just run a canister filter with biohome media in my tank and I always got algae but now I use the undergravel along with canister the undergravel has a 3"uplift tube it was longer but I cut it down to slow the flow I put a tiny airpump on it to making it a slow flow I turned it into an anoxic filter now I don't get algae or nitrates and plants grow faster this way as the ferts n co2 n oxigen slowly get pulled to plant roots the red clay keeps plants red to so its a win win a normal tank with gravel at bottem is not designed to run long term with out issues as we're a plenem will run 20year with out issues look into Dr Novaks plenem and bcb baskets n ull find out what I mean n why there so good that's all I'm sayn
I’ve heard of Dr. Novak and am familiar with the concept. I think the denitrification aspect of those filters is cool, but for the average person I don’t see the need for one. I’m glad to hear it is working out well for you. If I set up another tank I might consider doing it.
Hey man you give out good information. Keep it up.
I appreciate it! If you liked that you might want to check out my other video I did about my under gravel filter or how to set up air pumps and heaters. Hope you have a great day!
I have a canister filter on my tank but was thinking of adding an under gravel to keep the gravel clean.
I am going to hook up the intake to the canister filter to the under gravel filter so that it creates a connected super filter.
I’ve heard of some people doing that. Just a massive pre filter
I still use Algarde undergravel filters. They do the job, OK. I use them alongside an internal filter.
I connected a HOG back filter to my canister filter return hose. Added more biological media. And I have the side that pulls water connected to a tube with an underground filter. My fish are so healthy, as well as my plants.
it also helps to draw warm, oxygenated water down into the substrate which is typically colder and more anaerobic, and plants grow better with warm water on their roots.
Yes that is a very good point that I forgot to mention when talking about water moving through the plates because the plant’s roots do need oxygen.
Can undergraval fliters work with a sand substrate
Yes they can. You just need to use a weed fabric to keep the sand from getting into the filter.
is it the same system with anoxic filter, Sir?
I’m so much that the UGF created a plenum yes, but I am not running this tank like that at the current time.
Dr Novak’s work is great. It can do full cycle
His videos are ok. I have watched a couple and wasn’t all that impressed with it. What do you mean by the full cycle?
@@TheAquariumLibrary getting rid of nitrates too
I mean so can plants, have you heard of aquaponics? Those systems feed off the fish wastes and remove nitrate from the system without the use anaerobic bacteria. Plus you get plants to enjoy or sell. While working with anaerobic bacteria and creating those zones are interesting I’d rather have plants.
@@TheAquariumLibrary yes of course. You would need a whole lot of plants to achieve that though. There are a lot of misconceptions in this hobby.
You really don’t need that many plants for them to start absorbing large amounts of the wastes from a system. But that also depends on fish load, the types of plants you are using, and so forth and so forth.
What other misconceptions do you see in the hobby? I am genuinely curious.
Hello. Have you done this system with discus fish? How many discus did you have or do you have? I'm trying to get my mind ready for heavy plants and discus in one aquarium and Angel fish in another and Severum in another. All 75 gallons tanks. Thank you for you information and knowledge.
I wouldnt use an UG filter for a discus tank, too much bacteria in the gravel. Plus if you ever had to medicate, the excess organic material of waste or bacteria in gravel would interfere with medications.
Is this system ok for african draft frogs?
I don’t know anything about African draft frogs so I don’t know.
Soooo, a mechanical pump/filter isn't necessary with an UGF?
That is correct. You don't need to use a powerhead but can use an air pump.
How do you grow the plants? I was considering trying to plant anubias plant. How do you keep the plants in the substrate in the beginning? I've purchased ugf because of your videos
Great Content ..
Would be great if you'd make a Dedicated Video on UGF Vs Heavily Planted Aquarium.. fine gravel blockages ? Roots getting in ? .. etc.
Funny you should mention that. I was trying to use a safe-t-sorb as a substrate with an undergravel filter and it was too fine and just fell through the plates. Without a landscape fabric I don’t think it would work. And I don’t have any of it laying around so scrapping that idea lol
@@TheAquariumLibrary Fibreglass insect screen mesh is best on top of the UG plates to prevent fine grade granules falling into the plenum space. Also, there is no great benefit in having smaller than 2 -3 mm size substrate anyway.
@@AussieAquatic The problem I has having with my safe-t-sorb was that the actual particles of substrate where falling in between the slits of my undergravel filter plate. If i revisit using undergravel filters and safe-t-sorb I will have to look for that fiberglass insect mesh netting you speak of.
Could this work with Cory? I only use sand with my Cory but is there a way to use this device with Cory catfish?
Yeah you could use this with Cory cats. You’d just need a weed cloth barrier to prevent sand from getting into the UGF
Love this info, thank you!
How deep should the gravel be? Thankyou
As a pond guy I've always wondered why indoor aquariums don't utilize a under gravel drain or pump to filter system. And using water pump instead of air would be best IMHO.
It would he like having a gravel vac working with the filter 24/7.
Frankly, I don’t think most people would care enough to drill a tank to put drain into. And the manufacturers sure as heck aren’t going to do that and add another cost to the tank when consumers won’t appreciate or buy it. I am thinking about using a power head for my new undergravel filter but a good air pump can moves lots of water for a fish tank.
Hello, may I ask? Have you tried putting 30 ppi bio foam on top of the undergravel then put the substrate on top of the bio foam? Or the undergravel itself is enough to house the good bacteria?
UGF is enough to house all the good bacteria.
My primary objection about UG filters is that excessive organic material in the gravel filter can interfere with medicine if a tank becomes sick. My preference is for an external canister filter because it offers a higher flow rate, allows for easy swapping of new media, and is very simple to isolate and disinfect the canister. Keeping gravel in a tank without a UG filter can be cleaner and easier to maintain. Apologies, but with all that grime inside of them, UG filters are also unattractive. A dirty gravel medium is ideal for the spawning and growth of parasites and Columnaris bacteria, and a clean tank is a healthy tank. My tanks are for easily maintaining the health of my fish, especially if a tank gets sick. Having to tear down a UG filter is horrible to boot.
Wait so is there an actual filter that you replace or does it just move the water around?
The gravel is the filter.
In the old days (70's & 80's) you either use Under Gravel or a Sump. Now it is getting hard to find them because they are cheap and they can't sell refill cartridges.
Sorry to inform you but they found ways to sell refill cartridges for Under Gravel Filters. They sell the carbon piece at the end that is suppose to clarify your water one last time before going back into the tank. And wouldn’t you know they only last for a couple months. I personally want to start using more box filters but those are even harder to find.
I personally like those days better when they had less disposable filters and more permanent ones. But more permanent ones mean less money for the companies selling them...
@@TheAquariumLibrary Well I don't use carbon and I have been changing my HOB's to the Seachem Tidal's because the are easy to pimp out with the large media baskets. You can find the box filters on Amazon. I thought about giving them a try but I fell in love with the Tidal's and everything else is history. Only have 3 tanks to go before they are switched over.
Nice, I haven't tried the tidals, but have heard good things. For me currently, sponge filters and air driven stuff is great because it is cheap to purchase and cheap to run. While HOB are nice, I'd personally have a lot of other things I'd want to purchase before buying any new HOB filter.
@@TheAquariumLibrary The last Tidals have been ordered and on their way. I made the mistake and purchased (2) Aqueon Quiet Flow HOB a month ago and what a mistake that was. Quiet they are not and they don't have a flow adjustment. The angle of the water return just pounds the fish and plants. I should have been in less of a hurry and just got the Tidals to begin with.
Is there an ideal placement of the airstone in the lift tube? Ive scoured the internet and cant find this information. Should the stone be touching the plate or should it be raised up slightly? Thanks ANYONE for any information about this :)
Did you find an answer to your question?
I always placed them as low as possible in the lift tube about gravel level.
I use to under gravel filter is most ❤️👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍❤️
How many tanks are you running with an undergravel filter?
is it ok if a little gravel get's under the undergravel filter? the air tubes came loose from the plate and i had to pull them tight again and some gravel got under the plate?
Yeah a little gravel underneath isn’t going to be problematic. You just don’t want that entire space underneath the plate filled with gravel. Otherwise that defeats the purpose of it.
Awesome
Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed it.
I’ve used under gravel filtration since probably 1985 and I wouldn’t use anything else! You literally do a 20% water change every month and that’s it! No filters to buy or clean! Just have a powerful power head and your golden
And companies hate that you aren't buying replacement parts and spending more money with them.
@@TheAquariumLibrary exactly 👍🏻
Do you think it would be ok to use either Seachen flourite black (which I think is clay based) or Eco Complete which is crushed lava as the substrate. I don't think I can get Fluval Stratum in my country.
Yeah I think both of those we be fine options.
@@TheAquariumLibrary Thanks!
You’re welcome
hi, my ugf will arrive today…is it ok to put decorations directly to the plate of the ugf? like waterfall decor? ty
Okay but how do we hide the power cord?
You can hide power cords by pairing the back of a tank with acrylic paint, putting up a fake background, or using window tint along the back.
So what exactly happens to the excess detritus in and under the gravel? Will it break down given enough time? Does the detritus amount increase each month or does it stay the same? Do you know what are the pros and cons of reverse UGF compared to UGF?
So I haven’t run mine long enough, meaning multiple years, to be able to tell you with experience what happens to the detritus. But based on some other experiences with breaking down solids I would expect the solids/detritus to be broken down by bacteria and microorganisms over time. As the months have passed I have noticed more detritus accumulating in the gravel but haven’t noticed any impacts of that. The main thing is you want to keep it aerobic and don’t let it go anaerobic in the tank. I know what reverse UGF are but I haven’t personally used them nor can I speak to the pros or cons of them because I have never seriously considered using that type of filtration. Though if you know something I am more than willing to hear and learn what you know about them.
@Underwater and Curious I will also check that out. Thank you.
How do you keep the plant roots from growing under the filter and restricting the flow under the the filter?
I don’t keep the plant roots from growing through and under the filter. I’ll make a video here showing you.
I just made a short video showing my tank so you can see.
How high does my undergravel water should be
My water is my tank is filled to the top of the tank like normal.
It is up to you with how high you want the lift tubes for the UGF to be.
101 % agree
I’m very sensitive to sound and on a search for a truly quiet filter system. How is the noise from an undergravel filter? Is it just the powerhead generating sound?
When it comes to the undergravel filter noise will come from the air pump and the bubbles breaking at the surface or if you use a powerhead, it would come that as well. It’s hard because you don’t want an entirely quiet tank because you want some sort of water movement or breakage at the surface to allow for oxygen exchange which will inevitably lead to some noise. At this point I hardly notice my air pump and air bubbles breaking but that could also be because I’ve heard this sound for 20+ years now lol
So basically, if I had a thick layer of substrate I can put plants into it?
Yes. I’d say that you could.
Have you tried Dr Kevin Novak under gravel plenum?
I have not tried his way of doing undergravel filters. I don’t see the need for that type of filtration in a planted tank. We add fertilizers to get nitrate into our tanks, why would I want to start gassing off my money essentially. That’s one of the things happening in that anaerobic environment is the conversion of all different types of nitrogen compounds to nitrogen gas. And if you are adding ferts you are just gassing off money.
Sure, for fish only tanks, the way he has it might make more sense. And if you are trying to do a no water change fish only tank or minimal water change for a fish tank I can see that, maybe. But I also don’t really see much need for a system like that. I use the fish water to fertilize my plants and water them when I do water changes. With his system I am just gassing off nitrogen gas, which would be my fertilizer when I do water changes for any plants.
My two cents on his system.
I use underground filters on my 55 gallons with 2 powerheads. No air pump!!
That’s the way to go! Powerheads definitely move a lot more water than air stones.
Sad thing is, pet stores hate undergravel filters because they are so much less profitable than pricey HOB’s and the recurring sales of replacement media which most models necessitate. 👎
I love undergravel filters but have been reading about certain benefits of anaerobic regions, so I’m starting to think about “half” an undergravel filter in one end of the tank, and an anaerobic zone on the other end of the tank. This then would be combined with live plants, a sponge filter, and/or an undersized HOB to help make up the difference. 🤔
What do think about reverse UG filter? Feel like it’s less maintenance
I’ve seen reverse UG filters but never have used them. I am not quite sure what the benefits because I’ve never looked into using them. I haven’t had any problems with my undergravel filter on my planted tank being high maintenance. Nor have I had an problem with undergravel filters on fish only tanks.
@@TheAquariumLibrary Do you gravel vac?
@@WhatIsMisophonia Yes and no. I gravel vac the very front portion of the tank for the aesthetics of removing that mulm that you can see along the glass. I don't like the look so I try to remove a little bit there. The rest of the tank does not get gravel vacced at all. Haven't done one on the tank. When I do water changed I run the top of the siphon along the top of the substrate to remove loose algae, mulm, and dead plant leaves. But I also feel as though that isn't necessary.
Can you attach a canister filter to the under gravel filter?
Yes you most certainly could. I would attach the intake for the canister filter to the lift tube of the under gravel filter. Then place the outflow on the opposite side of the tank for best circulation value.
@@TheAquariumLibrary Also canisters are good for polishing the water before sending it to a reverse flow ug filtration/ug jet system. Canister would be better than sump in this case because if the backflow valves failed, a sump could drain all the water out of the aquarium. I don't know if it's simply a better idea to leave the mulm in the water and let it break down, or use filter pads to remove it and then do occasional water changes to replace the lost minerals (since you're going to have to do occasional water changes anyway to remove a variety of build ups and deficiencies). I know traditional ug systems work well in outdoor ponds where you create a grid of pvc with more than enough big slots or holes cut all along the grid and covered with large gravel; this is connected to an above ground pump, which powers a waterfall. My old landscaping boss was big into water features and used these systems a lot. He said he's never had any problems with them over time and they rarely need maintenance. But of course, the outdoor pond is different than the indoor aquarium, partly because dust and a variety of insects fall into it and helps to add trace elements, and people typically keep tougher fish in outdoor ponds.
@@WhatIsMisophonia Yes, canisters would be good at polishing the water before sending it an ug filter, but in my eyes it sorta defeats the purpose of an undergravel filter. UG filters are cheap to setup and cheap to maintain. Yes, you could add a canister filter before you send water to the UG filter but then it is no longer cheap or as easy to maintain. Seems like an extra cost to something that already works well, an extra cost I wouldn't want to incur. I have no doubt that what you described works well in ponds, it just costs more money and at what benefit in an aquarium. Also, yes changing water helps supplement minerals in your tank if your water has those minerals. There are systems out there though, aquaponic systems, that utilize just fish waste and the addition of just 3 nutrients in the form of base, calcium carbonate and potassium carbonate, and chelated iron to run the system. On these systems, water changes are basically 0, yet with just those 3 additions and topping off of the water due to evaporation the plants grow fantastic and healthy.
Thanks for the video, great info. Good book also. Check out the Foxfire series wile your at it.
You’re welcome, glad it was helpful. I’ll have to check out that series, thank you!
Very nice and informative video!
Thank you Jeremiah!
Thanks for the video 👍
Do you use an undergravel filter?
Love the title 😹😹😹😹
Love the title or the thumbnail?
Lol. Perfect analogy with the OK boomer thing. So what if it’s eight dollars almost maintenance free and will work better than anything you can buy for $100. But all the young people are gonna roll their eyes and tell you you’re an idiot and go spend $100. Under gravel filter‘s work incredibly well as do sponge filters. Other than polishing water nothing they’ve ever invented it really works much better. There’s not a filter on the market that’s worth the money honestly for anything other than convenience, they work OK but they’re way overpriced, you can build a canister filter out of a 5 gallon bucket that will work as good as any $400 filter. The only exceptions are going to be UV filtration or for water polishing but even with water polishing simple diatom filter canister is going to work just as well though they’re a little harder to use but under gravel filter‘s and sponge filters are five or $10 and they work amazingly well and they will continue to work well for decades with no problems. The only thing better about modern expensive filters is the advertising and marketing and those who would use terms like Boomer which is a derogatory bigoted term used by arrogant idiots, it’s kind of the same situation they think everything is better just because it’s a newer but I had tanks that ran for 20 years and I never had to do anything but clean the glass and use a gravel siphon occasionally and never had any problems whatsoever. I don’t care what anybody says they work beautifully and there’s no reason to bash them at all.
Also agree with you on water changes but from looking at your tank I can tell, you have plenty of plants and you also leave your light on for a significant amount of time which enables those plants to work, everybody says to leave your light on for eight hours to find algae but eight hours means your plants stop filtering water after eight hours when you turn them off, the only filter when the lights are on I leave mine on at least 12 hours a day and I do water changes every 2 to 3 weeks but could easily go to months but that being said most people over stock their tanks so you have to be very careful with that advice people need to test their water and make sure it stays clean and change it as they need to if you put A lot or big fish in there that poop a lot I don’t have your lights on very long during the day to enable your plants to absorb the nutrients then you’ll need to change it more.
I'm glad you liked the thumbnail. I completely agree with your first paragraph. People buy into the hype of these massive filters and don't understand the purpose or function of a filter. Just because you pay more money for a filter doesn't mean more bacteria is going to come and live in it. I'd argue that you can get the water polishing in a tank by using a box filter filled with filter floss/pillow batting and be able to remove a large amount of debris. I haven't used it for that purpose yet but could see that working really well.
Yes, the most important thing is that people need to be testing their water so that way they can know with what frequency they need to change water. I do have my lights on for about 9-10 hours, so not quite as long as you but longer than most. When it comes to non-planted tanks there is no reason to have a light on unless you are directly viewing the tank. The ambient light in the room will be enough for the fish.
Seems like the plant roots would find their way to the very bottom surface of the tank and eat up any gunk there, no?
Plant roots definitely do find their way to the bottom of the tank through the undergravel filter. The plant’s roots wouldn’t eat the gunk per say. But as bacteria and other microorganisms break down the gunk the roots would uptake any nutrients released. But the roots just don’t consume the gunk like we would eat food.
@@TheAquariumLibrary I've seen comments from people who hook a shop vac up to the uplift tube to vacuum the gunk from the bottom of the tank. Make a hole in the gravel on the opposite side and the water flow does the resr
@@elfpuncher Yeah that is one way to remove the gunk from underneath for sure. I just haven't found a need to do that with my undergravel filter because I don't necessarily want to remove all that gunk down there.
BTW The 'Back to Basics' book is cool.
If I am ever bored or just want to learn something new it is a great book. Found it at Goodwill for $3. Great purchase.
The problem with an UGF isn't actually the filtration unit itself, no. It's people. Specifically? LAZY people! Those who didn't bother to read up on elementary nitrification cycle 101, as well as those who were too lazy to vacuum their tank substrate but... there's another class of lazy bones out there: "I love high-tech! Coz it does the work for me! Old school is obsolete! Boomers & their UGFs need to go, now! Have I used an UGF? Nope! I will never use one! Hey, it's my freedom to hate!" Can you believe that such *snots* actually exist? 💁🏻♂️ These new kids on the block seem to think that fish health, as well filtration boils down to showboating whose gadgets & toys look more fancy. For? Instagram! Sometimes, the problem with some people is their unbridled ignorance going unchecked. Like, if a piece of simple tech could fulfill the same function for less then, why not? UGF haters: "I hate UGFs & I'm offended!"
Get outta here. No one cares about your petty feelings. So long as the filter works, that's all which matters. End of debate!
Yup. That pretty much sums up it up. Cheap, easy, and efficient but not glamorous enough to show off on Instagram. Gotta go with shiny, silver metals🤑💰🤤✨ or THICCC filters to impress the boys
@@TheAquariumLibrary Yeah & once the 'like' buttons have been hit? Then, they'll go: "Okay! Time to decommission my tank! Phew! It's been 3 months but boy, time sure flies! Maybe, I'll start a paludarium project next. Oh! Maybe an unboxing video of my new super expensive canister filter! I'm sure they'll envy me! Coz I'm The Master!"
Meanwhile, an accomplished, veteran fish breeder of 30 years somewhere is sitting on his couch, sipping tea admiring his pair of beautiful angelfish depositing eggs on an UGF lift tubes & he's thinking to himself: "Just like old times. Phew! 30 years flew past just like that. I wonder how kids these days are enjoying this hobby... hmm... I wonder."
Wonder not - they're just posting pictures whilst mastering none of long-term husbandry skills. Oh & they're posting meaningless, regurgitated rants about the humble UGF without even using one in the first place. Geez. Good things take time to culminate. And real knowledge stems from trial & error in the process of learning on one's feet. And that *should* include trying out an UGF. It's a classic for a reason - it works!
Let me add my voice to the pro UG crowd of Boomers.
Every video on my channel of my tank, is what an UG tank looks like, not that you would know, unless I tell you :)
Yeah I wouldn’t have known unless you told me and that is the beauty of the UGF. It can be easily concealed and works wonderfully.
@@TheAquariumLibrary the uplift is always hidden behind tall plants in the back corner :)
Yup that’s the way to do it.
Out of curiosity, how did you set up your substrate with the Undergravel filter?
I saw another video where the person set there's up with a layer of Sponge underneath their soil and gravel substrate, it just got me questioning if that would be the correct way to setup the substrate.
Here's the link of that specific video:
ruclips.net/video/okIYVlGfm7o/видео.html
So I am using fluval stratum as my substrate. I just dumped that on top of the undergravel filter plates and didn't add any barrier. Then I planted directly into that. In that video it looked like he was using regular potting soil which would make sense why he wanted to use the sponge to separate the soil from getting into his pump. Would you be interested in a video about hope I set up my undergravel filter planted tank?
@@TheAquariumLibrary If you want to do that it would be cool, but now that I know a barrier is not needed unless soil is used I might just forego using a filtration layer to maximize flow through the substrate.
@@KyciliaZabi Another option would be putting down inert weed tarp like you would for a garden
If having water flowing over your mulm makes it safe, why do fishkeepers say that you should keep your sponge filters clean even if they're not plugged up and reducing water flow because apparently the waste in the sponge is keeping the water dirty as it breaks down? Honestly, I've only been in fish keeping for about a year, and the aquarium community itself is the thing that's frustrating me most. I feel like there's so much heresay and conjecture repeated as fact that nobody really knows anything even if they've been keeping fish their whole lives.
Waste/mulm becomes harmful when it starts going anaerobic and you are breaking it down into more toxic subcomponents. If oxygen is present there will be aerobic bacteria and normal breakdown in your aquarium into normal subcomponents. To be frank, I can’t answer why other fish keepers do that. Maybe it is because they don’t like the aesthetics of it looking dirty and they clean it when it’s not plugged up and rescuing water flow. Or they are worried that the larger particulates will break down into smaller particulates and start clouding the water so that can’t see into the tank. In my mind cleaning a sponge filter occasionally just ensures that you don’t start having areas go anaerobic. You’d be concerned about it also in canister filters and HOBs as well. As they remove solids from the water the solids are deposited in the filters. As the solids accumulate in the filters, water finds the path of least resistant and avoids the areas of plugged solids. Those solids over time that are no longer getting oxygen rich water start to undergo anaerobic rather than aerobic respiration and that’s when issues start to arise. I’d say the best way to learn about aquariums is to study things like aquatics ecology or aquaculture systems where they have done the research and can provide reasons for what they saw. The problem is that very little is being done scientifically on aquariums and aquarium care research and I don’t ever see that happening. Hopefully that helps answer some questions and provides some clarity.
Water flow helps with oxygenation of the water which is important for your fish to breathe, plants to respire when the lights are off and many chemical reactions in your water in the nitrification and denitrification cycle. Mulm is a natural byproduct of food, fish, plant and bacteria waste, it occurs in all natural water systems. Concern about mulm is more or less 2 things: fear of low oxygen conditions and aesthetics. A sponge filter is pretty lousy for mechanical filtration compared to some others, but it has lots of pores for water flow and bacteria to colonize. Cleaning it is to remove the dead bacteria and mulm so more surface area is made available for new bacteria and to keep the amount of water flow moving. Too much build up would prevent water from moving freely in your substrate and filter and thus delivering oxygen for certain biological processes. However there are many processes that happen in the tank that prefer lower oxygen conditions, such denitrification, unfortunately many of these low oxygen processes result in a stink which people find as undesirable, but all water ways have that stink at some level. The second is aesthetics. Mulm has many benefits so long as its not thick and overtaking your tank (typically caused by overfeeding), it has live bacteria in there, makes good plant food and many small fish and inverts will feast within it. When it comes to aesthetics many people aim for bright clean, crystal clear pristine tanks, because we as a society have been conditions to associate that with clean water and clean conditions. While others prefer mulm because they want to achieve a natural look.
The main reason why you clean a sponge in a sponge filter or your hang on the back is because the sponge is typically the first line of mechanical filtration, so that the media you use for biological doesn't get clogged and gets the maximum amount of oxygenated water.
Thanks for the heads up about aquaponics; I have been researching in and looking into wastewater treatment and mineralization tanks. Apparently, the ammonia excreted from the gills is the main sought after ingredient for fertilizing plants, and the solid waste for the most part is typically removed from aquaponic systems. Of course plants need a variety of minerals and macro/micro nutrients, so some breakdown of solids or addition of fertilizers is useful. To that end, mineralizing tanks can be added which are mostly just big tanks with the solid waste added in and kept in suspension + aerobic with lots and lots of aeration, similar to what's seen in wastewater plants. After a time, air is turn off, solids are allow to settle, and some of the now mineralized water is added back into the fish tank. This reduces the need for potential fertilizers as well as the amount of feed needed for the fish to produce enough ammonia to feed the plants (less feed means less solids to have to process, which makes the system more efficient and easier to maintain).
That said, the only way you can do this in a typical aquarium is if it's either bare bottom, or you have good flow across the top of the gravel (would probably work better with a course filtered sand, as the waste will settle on top, or combined with a strong reverse-flow UG unit) so that waste can be pushed to an overflow which starts all the way at the bottom of the tank as in a typical aquaponic system. By comparison, a thick gravel substrate in conjunction with typical UG filtration, even if you do carpet the substrate with plants, may only handle a moderately stocked tank (especially if we're talking about bigger fish, though I guess this is fine enough for most aquarists) as all solids need to be completely broken down, which a typical mineralizer won't even do, and will build up quicker than they can be broken down, causing poor water conditions due to whatever in the hell is in the water that we can't test for even if the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates are low. Now, if we could find a way to make a protein skimmer for freshwater that's at least as good (and small) as those for salt water, that waste could be removed from the water column and thrown out, or added back in after being broken down in aerobic conditions in a second sump.
@@WhatIsMisophonia You're welcome. What you described is the basics of mineralization. For aquaponic settings after 14 days most of the solids have been mineralized. They have also found that temperature and pH also play very important role in how well the solids are mineralized, of neutral pH and 30+C for temps.
I think there is another method of collecting solids from a tank without needing to have a high flow across the substrate or running a bare bottom tank and that would be gravel vaccing. Rather then dumping all the dirty water with solids and minerals down the drain or out onto the lawn, dump it into a mineralization tank. You don't have to worry then about the solids accumulating in the substrate but also don't have to keep a bare bottom tank. I think this could work in a lot of different tank setups, including planted tanks, though you would probably want a slightly deeper substrate so that you aren't disturbing the roots as much. I also don't think we will get a protein skimmer as we know it in the saltwater hobby because those rely upon salinity in the water and its increased density to create that protein foam, if I am recalling it correctly.
I am actually going to be setting up a reverse flow undergravel filter using a powerhead here in the near future, and am excited to see how well it grows my plants compared to my normal UG filter and the overall clarity of the tank.
@@TheAquariumLibrary I have two powerheads running my reverse flow UG, but I also have a sump. The powerheads get in the way too much, so I'm probably just gonna hook up the sump pump to the UG. I can't remember the channel, but there's a guy who's made videos talking about reverse flow using low flow instead of high flow; and I mean he just lets a trickle of water under the gravel because a lot of marginal substrate feeding plants prefer anaerobic conditions, and he was only pumping water underneath in order to provide fertilizer and heat to the roots. Of course in order to have a good amount of fish in such a system, I'd probably back it up with a sponge filter.
If you don't put that dumb carbon in your filter, I could see this bringing nutrients to the plants through the pump.
I don’t use the carbon that attaches onto the outflow of the undergravel filter. I also don’t think the carbon would stop the flow of nutrients to the plants.
@@TheAquariumLibrary nice, I'm not a fan of using carbon. Waste of money imo. Just get more plants. 😆
@@MrGrombie I haven't used carbon unless it has come with a new filter and once I use it up I don't get any more. So I feel the same way 😆
@@TheAquariumLibrary I still have mine. I just put in filter media immediately instead and kept the carbon. Lol
That works as well. Carbon definitely has its place in fish tanks but I don't think it needs to be run at all times.
Ha, great, I was using UG filters 50 years ago, looks like all things go full circle.
That’s awesome. Are you still using them? I think they are great and don’t know why they get so much flack.
@@TheAquariumLibrary I will be installing a large "slow flow" UGF in a home made ply 420 us gallon tank this week. Another in a small 5 gal tank with a valve installed in the floor of the tank as a drain, to clear any debris that may accumulate.
I think building a ply tank would be really cool. Makes a larger tank like that more affordable for sure. That also is a good idea to clear off the solids but just one more think to leak in my opinion. While bulkheads are supposed to do a good job just another thing to fail.
@@TheAquariumLibrary Hi I've fitted tank connectors to domestic hot water heaters. They have not leaked in 25 years, but I do understand your point of view. 👍
Yeah they shouldn’t leak. And they should hold well. But a slow leak under a cabinet is a bad thing for a stand and I’d rather not risk that with my current setup.
ok boomer
I'm hardly old enough to be a millennial, let alone a boomer 😂
Omega Gaming - So, what is your problem? "OK, Boomer" shows me that you're just ignorant. You got a point to make? Or do you just like to say that cause you can't think of anything else to say?
I think it was an "attempt" at what the kids would call "a joke". or he could thinks my opinion doesn't matter. I think the former.
@@TheAquariumLibrary I hope you're right. I just think the tone is so disrespectful.