What Do I do now !!!
- Thread starter bjmoran
- Start date
Depending on how long the UGF has been in there it is probably REALLY nasty underneath. If you leave it in, bacteria and nasties will just keep accumulating under there and it'll be REALLY bad. What you need to do is get your HOB filter and run it on your tank for 2-4 weeks while the UGF is still operating. Then I'd turn the HOB off, take all your fish out of the tank, yank the UGF plates out and toss them in the garbage. Rearrange the tank how you want it, do a big water change and then turn the HOB back on and let it clear anything else in the water before putting the fish back in. Hang on to the powerhead, you might want to use it in the future...or like GIS said pop it in there not attached to anything just for circulation (just be sure to put something over the intake if there isn't something already so you dont have any fish casualties). Running both filters for a few weeks is necessary to transfer good bacteria from one filter to the other...otherwise you'll probably have to cycle the tank again.
It used to be the only way to filter...its the cheapest and it does work quite well for some applications. I know originally I had a UGF in my first 10G 
BUT these days with power filters becoming so cheap its usually a much better choice because they're so much more user friendly, easier to clean etc.
BUT these days with power filters becoming so cheap its usually a much better choice because they're so much more user friendly, easier to clean etc.
Some people tell me not to use UGF, but I continue to use it for additional biological filtration. I use both, the UGF and HOB filtrations. I will not stop using the UGF anytime soon. I will not use the UGF for any real planted tanks, but will continue using UGF for any tanks that are mostly fake plants or plain rocks (or any decorations). Breaking down the tank to check under the UGF will not destroy bacterias. Its very simple to have one bucket for the fishes and another bucket for the gravels and decorations (both with same tank water). The good bacterias will still be all over the gravels. Its not like you are trying to scrub them off. Do some minor cleaning under the UGF plates (if needed). Its only one day out of 365 or 730 days with additional 1-3 days of cloudiness (or few hours). From my eyes, people do not want to use the UGF, because of the 'once a year tank break down cleaning'. Why would a person have a fish in the first place? It takes love and dedication. One day of complete 'Spring Cleaning' does not hurt. I've never had any problem with my UGF for 3 years. I've drained the water out completely (just enough to keep gravels wet) several times due to moving and when I fill up the tank, the cloudiness goes away within hours and the fishes are still healthy, as if nothing happened.
If you want to keep the UGF, thats okay. Its your choice. You can still use UGF with any HOB filter. UGF are really benefical to a tank.
Edit - Think of it this way... Every day, you take a shower, over and over. You brush your teeth, over and over. You apply makeup on your face, over and over. You mow the lawns, over and over. You prepare your meals, over and over. We do alot of things, over and over. Well, look at the care of UGF. Only one day of Spring Cleaning per year. Think of that.
Thunder
If you want to keep the UGF, thats okay. Its your choice. You can still use UGF with any HOB filter. UGF are really benefical to a tank.
Edit - Think of it this way... Every day, you take a shower, over and over. You brush your teeth, over and over. You apply makeup on your face, over and over. You mow the lawns, over and over. You prepare your meals, over and over. We do alot of things, over and over. Well, look at the care of UGF. Only one day of Spring Cleaning per year. Think of that.
Thunder
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Found this tid bit online.
bad sides of owning an undergravel filter...
Undergravel filters are alot like sweeping dog poop under the rug. Its bad visual, but accurate to some extent. Unless you’re careful about regularly vacuuming your substrate, moving the décor about, and the occasional complete or nearly complete tear down, “gunk” (a polite term) does tend to accumulate in the gravel and particularly under the plates of UG filters.
In fairness, all types of filtration have their respective maintenance and up-keep issues… and if everyone's careful enough to not overfeed, overcrowd, ignore their regular maintenance, undergravel filters can be run safely for years and years.
2. UGF's Can't be used with certin fish.
Eartheating Juraparoids and many other Neotropical cichlids, “engineering” gobies of many sorts in marine systems, and many other animals that burrow extensively can create “channeling” problems with undergravel filters, digging out the substrate, allowing water to easily pass though their tunnels, while dropping circulation through the rest of the filter “bed” (the substrate) to dangerous anaerobic levels… with these choices in livestock, you’re well-advised to at least use other types of filtration IN ADDITION to your undergravel plates.
3. UGFs Can Produce Noxious Gases—Creating Dead Zones
Most everyone who’s been in the hobby long enough can relate an incident of “rotten egg” smell (Hydrogen Sulfide) wipe-out in an aquarium serviced with undergravel filtration. These instances are almost all matters of inadequate maintenance, where the aquarist neglected regular maintenance, fed too much of inappropriate foods, had too much bio-load… reminds me of folks getting defibrillated for myocardial infarctions (heart attacks), “If you would have stuck with your 12 point maintenance program we wouldn’t have to jump start you.” Honestly, if you’re marginally diligent in gravel vacuuming/water changing, stirring your gravel… and other simple aspects of proper aquarium husbandry, stinky UGF wipe-out/dead zones are highly unlikely.
4. With UGF Use Fishes Can Get Trapped Under The Plates
“Where’d my Clown, Kuhli Loaches, Gobies, Blennies…. go?” “Let’s see, there not carpet jerky… I bet it’s that darned cat!” There are a host of fish species (and some invertebrates) that delight in hiding out under UG filter plates… the good news is that most all of them are just as facile at coming back out… If you’re missing some livestock and suspect that it’s ensconced under your UGF don’t panic, don’t tear the tank apart… very likely your aquatic charges will re-emerge on their own… when they’re hungry.
At least with undergravel use you have less chance of your livestock “jumping out” through extra and larger openings made to fit hoses and attachments, necessary with other types of filter use.
5.Undergravel Filters May Present A Problem With Plants
Many rooted plants (as opposed to floating or surface types) have difficulties with too much water circulation as produced with undergravel filter use… growing slowly or not at all due to the aerobic changes that such gear induces. Is this a big problem? Not at all! Swordplants, Crypts, Vallisnerias, Sagittarias et al. can be easily “blind potted” in trays, clay pots and such or an area left open (sans an undergravel plate) for their planting… or a section/plate of impervious (likely plastic) sheet inserted over the undergravel plate where you want to put them. So there!
bad sides of owning an undergravel filter...
Undergravel filters are alot like sweeping dog poop under the rug. Its bad visual, but accurate to some extent. Unless you’re careful about regularly vacuuming your substrate, moving the décor about, and the occasional complete or nearly complete tear down, “gunk” (a polite term) does tend to accumulate in the gravel and particularly under the plates of UG filters.
In fairness, all types of filtration have their respective maintenance and up-keep issues… and if everyone's careful enough to not overfeed, overcrowd, ignore their regular maintenance, undergravel filters can be run safely for years and years.
2. UGF's Can't be used with certin fish.
Eartheating Juraparoids and many other Neotropical cichlids, “engineering” gobies of many sorts in marine systems, and many other animals that burrow extensively can create “channeling” problems with undergravel filters, digging out the substrate, allowing water to easily pass though their tunnels, while dropping circulation through the rest of the filter “bed” (the substrate) to dangerous anaerobic levels… with these choices in livestock, you’re well-advised to at least use other types of filtration IN ADDITION to your undergravel plates.
3. UGFs Can Produce Noxious Gases—Creating Dead Zones
Most everyone who’s been in the hobby long enough can relate an incident of “rotten egg” smell (Hydrogen Sulfide) wipe-out in an aquarium serviced with undergravel filtration. These instances are almost all matters of inadequate maintenance, where the aquarist neglected regular maintenance, fed too much of inappropriate foods, had too much bio-load… reminds me of folks getting defibrillated for myocardial infarctions (heart attacks), “If you would have stuck with your 12 point maintenance program we wouldn’t have to jump start you.” Honestly, if you’re marginally diligent in gravel vacuuming/water changing, stirring your gravel… and other simple aspects of proper aquarium husbandry, stinky UGF wipe-out/dead zones are highly unlikely.
4. With UGF Use Fishes Can Get Trapped Under The Plates
“Where’d my Clown, Kuhli Loaches, Gobies, Blennies…. go?” “Let’s see, there not carpet jerky… I bet it’s that darned cat!” There are a host of fish species (and some invertebrates) that delight in hiding out under UG filter plates… the good news is that most all of them are just as facile at coming back out… If you’re missing some livestock and suspect that it’s ensconced under your UGF don’t panic, don’t tear the tank apart… very likely your aquatic charges will re-emerge on their own… when they’re hungry.
At least with undergravel use you have less chance of your livestock “jumping out” through extra and larger openings made to fit hoses and attachments, necessary with other types of filter use.
5.Undergravel Filters May Present A Problem With Plants
Many rooted plants (as opposed to floating or surface types) have difficulties with too much water circulation as produced with undergravel filter use… growing slowly or not at all due to the aerobic changes that such gear induces. Is this a big problem? Not at all! Swordplants, Crypts, Vallisnerias, Sagittarias et al. can be easily “blind potted” in trays, clay pots and such or an area left open (sans an undergravel plate) for their planting… or a section/plate of impervious (likely plastic) sheet inserted over the undergravel plate where you want to put them. So there!
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