Undergravel filter with sand

[Arfie]

ANOTHER stupid question from me, get used to 'em!

I have an undergravel filter and want to try to mix the substrate with part gravel & part sand (keep the cory's happy).

Can an undergravel filter cope with sand as a substrate?

Or is there an equivalent for sand?

If sand was over a layer of gravel would this help?

Should I forget it?

Any other (constructive) advice

Cheers
Arfie

 

[The-Wolf]

The short answer is no.

The long answer is no you can't run a ugf with sand as a substrate, due ti the paticle size of the sand and the size of the holes in the ugf plate. Sand will be pulled thriugh the hles and up into the riser going into the top water and then settling back down, even worse if you have a powerhead it will soon become broken by the sand.

Putting the sand on top of the gravel will just slow the process down by a day, if that.


A quick qusestion
Why are you still running a ugf?

 

[Arfie]

Thanks Danio2004,

I'm running UGF as LFS recommended it, he "doesn't like the built in ones" in Juwel tanks and as I was getting a pump anyway as I wanted an air curtain (an idea binned since) I thought it was worth the small extra cost for the filter. I have both filters running, together and it seems to work really well and I like cheap redundancy measures.

Anyway thanks for your advice about the sand, I'd kinda figured it out but wanted to run it past the experts in case I missed something.

Nothing else for it then, I'll have to buy another tank .

Arfie

 

[The-Wolf]

yay multiple tank syndrome has infected another aquarist.

good for you you will soon need another one after that and them another one and then...............