undergravel filter
- Thread starter rb6161
- Start date
Well when you have a UGF, cleaning the gravel IS cleaning the filter...because your gravel is your filter media. You don't need to take it out and clean it because depending on how long it has been in there a large amount of GUNK is underneath it which could very well be harmful/fatal to your fish if disturbed.
Changing out that big of a UGF to an HOB would be a task and a half...wow. I'm guessing that the people who say you don't need one are saying that they don't like UGFs and that you should get a different kind of filter...because obviously you need a filter.
If you wanted to take the filter out and replace it with a power filter I would take the fish out of the tank then prepare to do some big water changing. You'd probably also have to re-cycle the tank.
(I have a 10G tank that I originally set up with a UGF thinking it would be easy to take out and replace when I got more money...but turns out that its less hassle to just leave it running and add a power filter...the water is crystal clean now!)
Hope some of that helps!
Changing out that big of a UGF to an HOB would be a task and a half...wow. I'm guessing that the people who say you don't need one are saying that they don't like UGFs and that you should get a different kind of filter...because obviously you need a filter.
If you wanted to take the filter out and replace it with a power filter I would take the fish out of the tank then prepare to do some big water changing. You'd probably also have to re-cycle the tank.
(I have a 10G tank that I originally set up with a UGF thinking it would be easy to take out and replace when I got more money...but turns out that its less hassle to just leave it running and add a power filter...the water is crystal clean now!)
Hope some of that helps!
I have never used underground filters because I never wanted to have to change from a UGF to a HOB what a mess!! I would in your position, since your tank is on the bigger size, add a HOB. YOu can always use the extra filtration of your UGF but I don't think it can stand alone as the only filter for a 65g. Just hope you never want to change it to a planted tank!
The reason I suggest taking the fish out of the tank is because of the grungies that live underneath that UGF filter plate...its very likely if not for sure to be harmful/fatal to your fish. UNLESS of course you've done like wethead said and vacced out underneath the plate ahead of time...which I for one can't do the way my tube is hooked into the plate, good idea though.
I do exactly the same thing as wethead did. I have 2 ten gallon tanks that have ugf's in conjunction with power filters. I just use the vacuum hose and clean the gravel really well and then hook on to the outlets on the plate and it removes it. I dont think that I will get much buildup. I also have two plants in each tank and they grow very well. I just keep trimming them back as they grow.