UGF Question

[andytwite]

OK, I finally settled on a 2 gal hex for my desk at work to keep my betta in. It has a small UGF filtration system. Now I'm new to this so bear with me if this sounds naive.

It's all set up and running at the moment. Bubbles coming up the uplift tube as expected I guess....BUT....how do I really know it's sucking water down through the gravel? I did turn the pump on when the tank was about 3/4 full and a dribble of water came out the top of the return tube. Does the increase when more water added? (could be pressure thing?)

I'm just curous as I'm new to UGF's, is there a way i can test to see if the water is really being drwan down through the gravel or do i just have to trust it?

 

[TaffyFish]

It's a physical thing andytwite, as the bubbles rise up the tube they push the water ahead of them, this creates a small current. the net effect is that the water is drawn down through the substrate (usually gravel with UGF's, shock- horror) and up the tube. As you saw for yourself, the flow created by airbubbles is not massive. You don't see many large aquaria filtered by air-driven UGF's.

 

[andytwite]

Cheers Taffy! (are you actively seeking my questions out now you stalker you )

So it sounds like it's going to be a pretty negligble current going down through the gravel then. Is it really worth it - is it actually doing anything?

Otherwise I'm tempted to ditch the UGF and put in a tiny internal power filter. I saw the smallest one ever at Petco yesterday - the ZooMed Microclean 304. About the size of 2xMatchboxes. What do you reckon. (apart from the fact the teeny filter cost about as much as my tank setup!)

 

[SomethingFishy]

From what I have read about Bettas the UGF will be preferable to a HOB.

If memory serves the Betta does not like strong current and the little created by the UGF will not be a problem. However, the HOB may disturb the Betta.

I think the UGF would be fine in a 2g with a Betta. IMO.

Good Luck

*celebrate

 

[JWright]

_The_ definitive source for UGF information:

http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/rtrrfug.html

Robert Ricketts is a very big name in home aquarium keeping.

 

[TaffyFish]

not stalking you andy, just checking out the latest posts......;-)

I have to say that I'm not the greatest fan of such small tanks, UGF's or bettas, just not my cup of tea. Happy to help where I can but I think I'll pass on offering advice on this one. Plenty of betta keepers here though...

 

[Lotus]

I had a 1g with a UGF that was powered by an airstone. I didn't find it to be very good.

I found that I really needed to clean the tank out a lot more. It was really hard to clean with an airline hose. One good tip I got was to use a turkey baster to clean out the gravel. While you do want some bacteria in the gravel for the biological filtration from the UGF, bettas can be a little messy.

My betta has been a lot happier in the 5g hex tank, but I think the 2.5g ones are good too (with the biowheel). They make nice desktop aquariums IMO, if you find your betta isn't happy where he is.

 

[andytwite]

Thanks all. I think the 2 gal hex looks great on my desk. 'Mac'; the new inhabitant, is looking very happy. I've got a mirror up at the moment for him to have some fun with-don't worry it doesn't stay up all the time.

I have to say that so far I have mixed feelings about the UGF. It's really not too noisy at all as the pump actually sits in the base under the tank, so there's very little noise, just a slight hum.

What I don't like is the fact that there seem to be A LOT of bubbles. Now the tank did come with a clear cover that separates the lid and light housing from the water surface. The light housing is sealed anyway. When I came in this morning I could see several dribbles of water where the bubles bursting around the edge causes little splashes, and water creeps under the tank rim and down the outside.

I've got the water adjusted as low as I can while keeping the output covered but boy does it create a lot of mess! I'm fairly sure I'll be grabbing the Whisper microfilter from my wife as she is getting the Azoo Palm micro HOB filter for her 2.5gal minibow. I think this would be a much better setup as from what I've observed with both my wife's and colleagues tanks, those filters get the water CRYSTAL clear.

What do people think?

 

[FroggyFox]

I think my betta is happy with his UGF in is little 1G tank...although it is a pain to clean. Generally I dont even try to do the gravel vac...I just scoop him into a cup and clean out the tank completely once a week or every other week.

btw...UGF used to be THE form of filtration...back when HOB filters were huge and expensive and noisy. There is a fine basis behind them...and they will totally do what filtration your fish needs. The gunk that collects under the UGF plate is utterly disgusting...and I'm very glad that HOBs have come so far and are now affordable and quiet so I can use them on my bigger tanks There are some people who are emphatically for UG Filtration...and some who are emphatically against UG Filtration...just depends who you talk to.

Edit: When you say bubbles...do you mean bubbles that stay on the surface?? I get this when I put in too much dechlorinator... Also...if you dont like having that many bubbles...put a check valve on the airline tubing and turn down the air! Ya dont have to have it going full blast for it to do its job.

Edit #2: Also...when I have less water covering the top of the UGF tube...it creates more of a mess...its best to adjust for less bubbles and more water covering the top of the tube for less mess.

 

[JWright]

UGF are still fantastic filters...they can just be a little cumbersome in small tanks. If I ever setup another 30ish gallon tank with gravel instead of sand (granted...that's not likely), I'll probably run a RFUG filter in addition to a HoB or Cannister.

 

[andytwite]

Ya, totally agree that UGF was THE method of filtration for many a year, but things have moved on. I know some people still swear by them but not sure I'd ever be a huge fan...my personal opinion.

Froggy, I think the problem is more of a surface area thing. Because the tank is narrower and taller, the bublles don't have so mucg surface area to disspate over. The then collect around the edges and under the rim-leading to eventual water creep.

Remember, this a $20 setup, didn't get a flow regulator for airpump and we're talking chep plastic tank here, no fancy sealing around rims etc. I guess it's make the best of what I've got. As I say, I love the small footprint as it sits on the corner of my desk beautifully, I think I'll just be changing over the filter is all. I wouldn't mind cleaning the UGF, but it's a trifle hard in an office environment, I think the whisper will be easier to maintain.

Thank you for your input tho'. *celebrate

 

[michael]

you asked, "is there a way i can test to see if the water is really being drwan down through the gravel"?

have you tried attaching a small peice of thread to the bottom of the uplift tube, just under the airstone? this should give you a visualization on whether it is sucking.