Undergravel Filtration

[andyandaliwwfc]

Hello there , i am new to this forum but have kept tropical fish for many years , i have a elite 60L fish tank and was looking into getting an under gravel filtration system , does anyone know what size i would need ?? i am looking to purhchase one off ebay , i am also using a fluvel u2 as my under water filtration , but need something to help sort the gravel out too

hope someone could help

 

[Curiosity101]

Wait a sec...why do you want an undergravel filter?
The way you describe it 'to sort the gravel out', you mean to remove the dirt from it? If so invest in a gravel cleaner. They only cost a few quid on ebay.
Using an undergravel filter will just lead to an increase build up of organic waste which could easily lead to spikes of ammonia and/or nitrites.

 

[markandhisfish]

im not a fan of undergravel filters imo they are outdated , a pain to clean and prone to build up of gunk underneath them . internal filters like the 1 you have are much better and external cannister filters even better still. i dont understand what you mean when you say you want the ugf as something to sort out your gravel tho?

 

[andyandaliwwfc]

i have a gravel cleaner , i just like the idea of having the help of leaning it as my gravel seems to get quite gunky , when i say sort the gravel out i mean help to clean it

 

[Curiosity101]

The only way to properly clean your gravel is to really go at it with the gravel cleaner.
The undergravel filter will just drag the dirt deep into the gravel.

How deep is your gravel?

And how do you currently clean the gravel when using the gravel cleaner (sorry it sounds such a basic question)

 

[andyandaliwwfc]

The only way to properly clean your gravel is to really go at it with the gravel cleaner.
The undergravel filter will just drag the dirt deep into the gravel.

How deep is your gravel?

And how do you currently clean the gravel when using the gravel cleaner (sorry it sounds such a basic question)

gravel is about 4 inches deep , , i get the gravel cleaner and go along the gravel 1st , 2nd i mix the gravel using my fingers with about 20% water left in the tank, bringing all the waste out then use the cleaner again , if there is excess waste i use my net to scoop it out

 

[Bridie]

Hi there,
as said before, the undergravel filter will not help to clean your gravel, it will do the opposite. It works by sucking the dirt into the gravel, where bacteria will do their job as in any filter. So the gravel acts as filter media, hence will get as manky. Don´t get undergravel filtration if you want cleaner gravel!

 

[Curiosity101]

Well 4" is overkill on the gravel so that wont be helping. Also your cleaning method for the gravel isn't the easiest/most effective.

I'd remove around an inch of gravel up to maybe an inch and a half.
And when you're cleaning the gravel just shove the gravel vac deep into it n wiggle it around, then repeat over the whole tank till you've lifted most of the dirt from it.

How often do you gravel vac at the moment?

 

[andyandaliwwfc]

Well 4" is overkill on the gravel so that wont be helping. Also your cleaning method for the gravel isn't the easiest/most effective.

I'd remove around an inch of gravel up to maybe an inch and a half.
And when you're cleaning the gravel just shove the gravel vac deep into it n wiggle it around, then repeat over the whole tank till you've lifted most of the dirt from it.

How often do you gravel vac at the moment?

gravel vac around 2-3 times a month with a full water change every other month , as my filter does quite a good job at keeping the water clear and clean

 

[markandhisfish]

you should be doing a water change of at least 25% with gravel vac every week.

 

[andyandaliwwfc]

you should be doing a water change of at least 25% with gravel vac every week.

i will bear that in mind thanks

 

[markandhisfish]

sorry i just read that back it came across pretty blunt it wasnt intended that way. 1 of the main reasons for the weekly water change is to lower the level of nitrates in the water which the filter is unable to remove .

 

[Curiosity101]

I think the best way to improve your problem (to to sum up everything that has been said):

Lower level of gravel to 3"
Improve technique and frequency of gravel vacs to every week
Couple this with weekly water changes

You'll hopefully see a massive improvement within a couple of weeks.

 

[OldMan47]

Welcome to the forum Andy and Ali.
I am one of those people who thinks that healthy fish and a decent appearance are all that my tanks need. I find that a weekly gravel vac plunging the inlet deep into the substrate is all that I need for many years of good fish health. The gravel vac that I do is also plenty to keep the tank looking respectable, although it is not perfect. As others have said, the UGF will not keep the gravel clean but will require you to do more frequent cleaning of the substrate. The gravel in a system that uses a UGF is the filter media and requires regular cleaning by a fish keeper to have it remain in good shape. It is not the other way around where the UGF helps with gravel cleanliness. If you have inadequate bio-filtration, a UGF can definitely help, but it means more work for a good appearance than a decent power filter would require.

 

[chrisbassist]

heating cablemight help though, underfloor heating for a fishtank, you can get a cable that you arrange as S shapes under the substrate, then the hot water rising should (theoretically) be moved up out of the gravel into the main body of water so it can get filtered out...

they do seem to be pretty expensive though, the cable only about £15 (depending on length) but the thermostats between £50 - £80, so pretty expensive for a heating system.