Under-gravel filter or regular filter?

[Cartman8779]

Which one would you give a thumbs up to? Is it better if you have both kinds of filters or does it really just not matter that much?

Thanks for the help!

Aaron

 

[crazie.eddie]

Depends, how long have you managed tanks? Would you consider yourself a novice, beginner, or expert? Do you always keep up with maintenance? What size tank do you plan to use this on? What other filter do you plan to use?

 

[fish troll]

Everyone will give you a different opinion on this subject because I really think it depends on how much tank experiance you've had, what you're keeping, and how big the tank is but this is what ive found...I have a 30 gallon with undergravel filtering and i have had no problems and great clean water with perfect levels for my fish...the way undergravel filters work is that the waste makes its way down to the bottom and there it is broken down by the bacteria and then the air bubbles on the side tubes take it up to the surface where it is released. My other tank is a 46 with a HUUUUUGEEEE filter and I've found that the equilibrium between bacteria and waste is always shifting because it dosnt really have an area where it can form a healthy balance. The fish in that tank have gotten sick more often. The pluses of the regular filter is that it keeps the water really clear because it is constantly running insted of just pulling waste into a cycle like the undergravel. The choice is really yours, but I would continue reading up on a lot of peoples point of veiw and choose which one makes the most sense. Good luck

 

[TheWaterBoy]

I am new to this but I chose to use both a undergravel and hang on power filter to keep the water clear. I figure the more contact the water has with a surface area the more effecient the bacteria will operate since bacteria forms on surfaces inside the aquarium and alot of bacteria form on the gravel so a constant flow of water which would contain amonia through a hudge bed of gravel would let the bacteria do its job better then if there was no undergravel filter. Plus if you do filter changes and vacume the gravel at different times then you dont have to worry as much about losing a area of bacteria.

Remember im new and some of my ideas may be wrong. Hopefully someone with more experience will correct me If im wrong.

 

[crimsontsavo]

I myself preferr a well planted tank with a "normal" filter. ( Not a UGF).
But, that's me.

 

[Loopyness]

i like my normal filters, you can just hide with a plant. And its really funny when the fish are playing and go infront of the bit where the water comes out, and they go flying off!

 

[thecichlidaddict]

My problem with UGFs is no that they don't work. They make excellent biological filters. The problem is that you can't clean them because they are buried under all the substrate. Over time so much builds under the filter plates that it turns into a nasty sludge that ends up degrading the water quality. On the other hand modern power filters are just as effective and much easier to clean.

 

[Cartman8779]

Thanks for everyones opinion! I have a regular filter and it's doing fine so I think I'll just stick with that!

Aaron