Tank setup

[gra72]

Hi everyone,

I want to make one of my tanks more suitable for keeping corys in - I just think they are soo cute. At the moment it has an algae problem and the plants aren't thriving either so I'm thinking of stripping it out and starting again. I'm thinking of changing the gravel to either fine gravel or sand.

At the moment the internal filter - a Fluval 1 - works OK but doesn't collect any muck from off the gravel. I read a book which suggested the use of both undergravel and power filters, to keep the gravel nice and fresh I suppose. If I had sand would this cause a problem for an undergravel filter? Could I use a layer of gravel under the sand with a mesh inbetween? And then there's the question of normal flow or reverse flow throught the u/g filter!

I know it's a lot to ask all at once but can anyone help with suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Gra

 

[vantgE]

The undergravel filter will not help clean the gravel as all it does is suck all your dirt into it you may not see it as easily but it is very dirty the best way to keep your substrate clean is to use a gravel vac but i'll show youthis article just as an option

sand might work if the mesh can prevent the sand from comeing thought but i have a ugf and don't really like so in my opinion you would do best just buying the power filter ugfs only filter biologically because even useing the types that have filter media on top will do very little because mechnically everything will just stick in the gravel biologically the media up top adds very little extra filtration and chemicly it holds extremely little media adding very little filtration and causeing you to replace often for efevtiveness

 

[Great Lakes]

I'm with vantge. Go woth the gravel, an external, and just be judicious about vacuuming.

GL