Undergravel Feedback

[testpig]

Hi all.

I have a 40cm Barramundi (called Frank) and hes a healthy eater. The other end of the equation means he's also a healthy poer and pretty messy in the tank.

I've been using a siphon vacuum to clean the gravel but have been thinking about installing an under gravel filter to reduce maintenance. I did this with Oscars years ago and it was a good thing - better water clarity and reduced the maintenance big time.

Lately I've heard people saying under gravel filtration is bad and can breed disease so I'm interested in your opinions. I will be running it in a 6x2x2 with a large external cannister filter (currently 1500lph but may increase).

Is under gravel filtration bad? and if so what's the alternative? or am I cursed to siphon poo every weekend? Looking on the positive side my garden loves me


Cheers,
Steve.

 

[Jabba]

Problem with gravel filtration is that over time it gets less and less efficient as more and more crud finds its way in there, it isn't really reducing your maintenance it is just storing it all in the gravel and under the filter ready for the day things go bad.

You need to be very sure that circulation is good across the entire filter plate just one dead spot is a ticking time bomb as the stuff in there gets no O2 so you develop 'toxic pockets', not a problem providing you don't disturbthem - but if you do ... the outcome is almost certain death for the fish.

The real problems start to get worse still if the circulation through it stops for too long - i.e. pump failure, when the crud that gets in there is deprived of O2 it goes bad, not just bad but toxic bad, in the case that the pump stops it is time to evacuate the fish and do a thorough clean down of everything before re-introducing the fish, oh and you will need to cycle the tank all over again. Your problem is that under it will be all manner of crud that like the poor circulation spots pockets will form containing some really toxic nasty stuff that will wipe out the tank in minutes if you (or the fish for that matter) so much as stir them up (Hydrogen Sulphide for one).

An undergravel filter is not and can not EVER be a mechanical filter so you are stuck with regular poop scooping ...

The best way (and in my opinion ONLY way) to run an undergravel filter is to feed the water into it not suck water through it, this way clean water passes through it and it provides clean oxygenated water to the gravel essentially turning the entire substrate into a biological filter.

I think your best bet is to get a good circulation going but the filter discharge is not the best option for this. I'd get another dedicated pump and a couple of spraybars that run the width of the tank and place them at the opposite end to the filter intakes, aim the discharge nozzles down towards the gravel but also along the tank towards the filter pickup this essentially blows stuff toward the filter intake where it can be taken up.

You will need to do some serious filter maintenance so it may be worth running two filters on a tank this size.

If all else fails Barramundi is a damn tasty fish ....

 

[Rooster]

If all else fails Barramundi is a damn tasty fish ....

ROFLMAO !!!! Give that guy a coconut - I honestly laughed out loud

 

[Tolak]

A couple of powerheads on the bottom of the tank will keep debris from sitting on the bottom, giving your mechanical filtration a chance to take care of it.

 

[testpig]

Thanks for the replies - all good advice and makes sense. I'll scratch my head and think about what to do next.

Barra is a tasty fish which brings on the moral dilemma - when do you say "gee honey...he's too big for the tank"and start again