Undergravel Filter

[IovaykInD]

I have a 29 gallon tank, which used to have a power filter and an undergravel filter. A while back, I decided to not use the undergravel filter, so I took off the powerheads. Now the plate is still there, but the fry are swimming into it...I'm afraid they'll get lost in there, and die. How can I take it out to prevent future death of fry? Do I have to take all the fish out, then take it out?

Isaac

 

[smooth_bourbon]

I would say yes take the fish out for you will be disturbing the gravel, as well as all the gunk thats under the underground filter. Will really muck up your water for a bit.

do you have your new filter up and running? You wont want to take anything out until your new filter has built up a fare bit of good bacteria.

 

[IovaykInD]

The tank's been running for over a month already, so I suppose the tank is established well. Considering all the fish look really healthy, and the fry are growing really well, guppies.

With all that muck, will I be needing to clean the filter media after it gets sucked up? Or let the water sit so that all the gunk goes back into the gravel, then turn on the filter?

Isaac

 

[smooth_bourbon]

what kind of filter are you running? It has been on the tank the whole time
?

leave it running get as much of the gunk out as possible. You could take out a bunch of the water and keep it it buckets. That way you can just dump the really gunky stuff you stir up.

 

[andywg]

I myself would just rip it out. Then do a fair size water change and gravel vac.

The gunk in there will have been rotting anyway, so it's release isn't going to suddenly crash the tank. and it's not like the sight of it will make the fish upset.

In fact, what you could do is just rip it out from under the gravel, let the gunk settle on top again and then do a gravel vac/water change and it should be right as rain.

 

[Lateral Line]

I know little about this tank, but power filters are not ideal for fry tanks. Much better are either air, or powerhead operated sponge filters. They are fry safe, and have their surfaces colonised by rotifers and many other small animals that the fry will be able to eat. If they are egglayer fry in particular, you'll get a much better result with one or more well matured sponges.

 

[IovaykInD]

It's in the main tank..only got one. But I put a sponge over the power filter's intake, so that it couldn't suck up the fry. Plus, the fry stay near the live plants anyways, which is nowhere near the intake of the filter.

Isaac