Undergravel filter or not?

[Dori]

My tank has been set up now for about 5 - 6 months now, I run a back filter and I also have an ugf, but now Im wondering if its better not to have one. I do have live plants and some are doing okay and others have to be replace occasionally.

I would like to hear what everyone's opinion is about ugf, the pros and cons, then I can decided weather to remove mine or leave it be
Thanks!

 

[Guppylover]

Con:
I heard that is was bad to keep live plants with ugf because when the roots start to grow they get trimmed but by it... and sometimes that kills the plant.
It is much better to keep plastic plants with ugf, so mabye you could get some plastic plants... I don't like them but that dosen't mean you shouldn't.

Pro:
Ugf are really good at cleaning your tank and getting rid of all dirt that grows underneath the gravel.
Also if you have fry they don't get sucked in the filter because it is underground and same with any other fish.
You also have a tad more space in your tank for anything else.


I hope that helped!

 

[Angry_Platy]

I had a UGF which came with my tank....seemed to work OK....until I got rid of it....it had been in the tank for 2 months.....upon removal, the water went BLACK....yes, black....lukily i had removed my fish into the quar tank while I took it out....it took 3 media changes on the two other filters (Fluval 204 and AC300) to remove all the crap that came out of the UGF plates.

Since I took the UGF out I have had no problems with ich, or any other disease for that matter...

And as for the fry being sucked up....this can be prevented by placing fly screen over the intake tubes for filters.....

 

[Dori]

YIKES Chooklet,
That is awful! I dont have another tank to move the fish to, so I better leave it be I also have a yellow spiney eel, that I worry about getting under it some how, he always seems to be getting himself into a jam this morning he was tangled up in an ornament and roots of a plant, at first I thought he was dead but as soon as I untangled him, he hightailed it to another place in the the gravel