advice on a filter setup

[fishycomics]

Hello all, I have a 30 gallon tank, I have a mini bio wheel filter. no stuff in the tank clean the mini does not hitthe bottom. and is not ment for my tank but I do not have a ton of stuff in it. I had it for my 15. gallon.
what i am planning or need advice. if you have the time. thank you in advance.

I am going to get a undergravel kit for 12.00 plus shipping, not a bad price also. a crystle ornament that lites up. but I have seen from another site a bigger filter by bio-wheel. a 125.-350 the 350 is a double wheel. and is up to a 70 gall. double my size I have to take into concideration, 2 filters, a larger amount of voltage and more is it worth it 30.00 and would I be better just getting the next step up the 125or the 2nd step up 170 the no. are per gallon flow the one I have is a 100 gph and well to go one step up I am better to go with the 170.

now I also want to add an under gravel system
but do not like gravel or or sand in the tank, as it gets messy and smelly, maint is needed I know that.
I want to add a fake grass ground, and Will the grass stay down with the undergravel system or will I be throwing money out that means I must run a air pump as well. , I would like to get away from the airpum, and yes I can add a power head. , but would it be wise as i am handy to make up some pipe, and connect it to the undergravel system so now the filter will suck from the bottom under the under gravel system. and water will still circulate.


My questions are
1. I need a better filter
2. i want to add a under-gravel sys. w/o the gravel or sand
3. I want to lay gras (fake) over the system
4. I want to redirect the filter suction to the under-gravel sys
5. how will this hold as , all is plastic.
6.. I am adding the fiber lite crystle, and need 2 support it as well (selicone)
7, I know I left some other items out.
again thank you all for reading and your imput

 

[Lateral Line]

An undergravel filter must have a bed of gravel above it. Filters work by drawing water through or over a medium upon which beneficial bacteria can grow. In the case of U/G filters, the gravel bed is the medium. Without the gravel, you will not get any biological activity from the filter - it will effectively be useless.

You cannot use fine sand with a U/G, it falls through the holes and eventually clogs the flow.

You need to have a re-think here.

 

[fishycomics]

Yes I understand the concept of the filter, for the under grael. the trick with sand is window screen

 

[sammydee]

Undergravel filters are outdated I think. Better to go with an external canister or HOB. I'm sure sombody more enlightened than me can help you

 

[TwoTankAmin]

No a UGF will not work well with sand even with a screen because it is too fine. Even small gravel is a poor choice for use with a ugf. The proper gravel to use is medium sized pebbles. A ugf, or even better a reverse ugf, works because there are spaces between the pebbles that allow for good flow thru. You create the maximum surfaces for bacteria to get constant food and O. Sand and small gravel do not permit this sort of flow.

UGF design was greatly improved and made more effective when they were converted to RUGF. In this configuration a power head pushes water down the uplift tube and then up through the gravel. The ph intake is sponged which traps solid waste and provides addition bio media. The upward flow also tends to keep particles suspended in the water where a second, mechanical filter can grab them. This results in an over all cleaner tank and clearer water. A traditional ugf will suck those debris down into the gravel where you have to do regular vacs to get them back out. The RUGF reduces the frequency of needed vacuuming.