Best Non-Fish Item Used For Fish Purposes

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Ye Gods and Little Fishes!
It's been yonks since I last saw someone promoting undergravel filtration!

I've seen Cory from Aquarium Co Op talk about it before, he tested it out to see how effective it really is, how/why it might have fallen out of fashion.

I think it was in one of his streams though, and I might be misremembering what he said so don't quote me on it - but I think he said that it worked really well when he tested it, talked about why that might be, and suggested that filter companies might have something to do with it falling out of fashion... the marketing to push people to buy other filters rather than stick with their decade old undergravel filter that was still working perfectly, you know...

Again, don't quote me on it, just what I think I remember him saying and suggesting. I'd give one a whirl if I had one and the right tank/stocking for it. I know that the tank I inherited from my dad is very old school, with a huge thick hood on it, and it had in-hood filtration boxes which worked brilliantly for years. Not a pretty hood/tank combo - I like that we can get things like rimless tanks nowadays. But those large filter media boxes held so much media that you could really overfilter that tank if it had a powerful enough pump. But can't get the right sized pump and fittings to repair them.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I've seen Cory from Aquarium Co Op talk about it before, he tested it out to see how effective it really is, how/why it might have fallen out of fashion.

I think it was in one of his streams though, and I might be misremembering what he said so don't quote me on it - but I think he said that it worked really well when he tested it, talked about why that might be, and suggested that filter companies might have something to do with it falling out of fashion... the marketing to push people to buy other filters rather than stick with their decade old undergravel filter that was still working perfectly, you know...

Again, don't quote me on it, just what I think I remember him saying and suggesting. I'd give one a whirl if I had one and the right tank/stocking for it. I know that the tank I inherited from my dad is very old school, with a huge thick hood on it, and it had in-hood filtration boxes which worked brilliantly for years. Not a pretty hood/tank combo - I like that we can get things like rimless tanks nowadays. But those large filter media boxes held so much media that you could really overfilter that tank if it had a powerful enough pump. But can't get the right sized pump and fittings to repair them.

I've seen the same vid and it made perfect sense.
Perhaps there should be another thread for undergravel filtration?

Getting the muck that accumulates over time flushed out, used to be a problem...but then we learned to set it up with a removable door, in one corner of the tank. All I needed to do was to clear the gravel from a corner, lift up that door and suck away.
There are certainly more internal filters available today, that could easily work as the necessary powerheads.
Thing is, they wouldn't be friendly with sand substrates, at which point the Corys/Loaches-Need-Sand brigade would be up in arms, conveniently forgetting that many of us successfully raised all manner of corys and loaches on simple rounded river gravel

 

[emeraldking]

I've seen Cory from Aquarium Co Op talk about it before, he tested it out to see how effective it really is, how/why it might have fallen out of fashion.

I think it was in one of his streams though, and I might be misremembering what he said so don't quote me on it - but I think he said that it worked really well when he tested it, talked about why that might be, and suggested that filter companies might have something to do with it falling out of fashion... the marketing to push people to buy other filters rather than stick with their decade old undergravel filter that was still working perfectly, you know...

Again, don't quote me on it, just what I think I remember him saying and suggesting. I'd give one a whirl if I had one and the right tank/stocking for it. I know that the tank I inherited from my dad is very old school, with a huge thick hood on it, and it had in-hood filtration boxes which worked brilliantly for years. Not a pretty hood/tank combo - I like that we can get things like rimless tanks nowadays. But those large filter media boxes held so much media that you could really overfilter that tank if it had a powerful enough pump. But can't get the right sized pump and fittings to repair them.

It is out of fashion... That's the only reason. But I do have to say that I do see gravel filters from time to time at stores. But it's easier to use a mechanical inner filter instead. And nowadays, they don't cost that much anymore.

 

[emeraldking]

I was not around during that trend

So you won't know what good stuff you've missed out on.

Does that mean that we're getting old...?

 

[Anonymous Fox]

Sponges

play sand

pea gravel

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Thing is, they wouldn't be friendly with sand substrates, at which point the Corys/Loaches-Need-Sand brigade would be up in arms, conveniently forgetting that many of us successfully raised all manner of corys and loaches on simple rounded river gravel

Ah, I am one of the coryies/loaches-need-sand brigade

conveniently forgetting that many of us successfully raised all manner of corys and loaches on simple rounded river gravel

I have plenty I love to discuss and debate around those things... my parents were in the aquarium business, and my father is stuck in his old school ways too. While there is a lot to be said for experience, on the other hand "we've always done things this way and it was fine" isn't really evidence either, and as research is done and knowledge about different species grows, there is always still room for improvement in the hobby, don't you think?

But as you said;

Perhaps there should be another thread for undergravel filtration?

We're getting way off topic here. If you'd like to start a thread on filtration or a substrate debate, I'd be more than happy to join in!

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Perhaps a Mod would be so kind as to move the undergravel filter chat to a new Undergravel Filters? thread?
Pretty please?

 

[JazzyV]

You forgot the whip cream and cherry lol

 

[Slaphppy7]

Perhaps a Mod would be so kind as to move the undergravel filter chat to a new Undergravel Filters? thread?
Pretty please?

The few posts on UGF can stay here.

Members are more than welcome to begin a new thread on the subject.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Does that mean that we're getting old...?

I'm thinking that we're way, waa-aay past that by now.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Medicinal syringes.

For easy filling of water test tubes, and accurate dosing of water conditioner.

 

[JazzyV]

Surely we can come up with more items?? The aquarium industry really makes that much off us lol

 

[JazzyV]

Well ..I’ve used teavanna tea filters in absence of filter floss does that count

 

[Avel1896]

Mmmm.... bottle-brush. Very best tool to remove hair algae and clean hoses.

 

[Circus]

Oh, I also buy polyester pillow filling instead of "water polishing pads". Same stuff, but about $5 worth has lasted me almost 2 years.