Undergravel Filter Advice

[sodapopdima]

Hi everyone, I am seeking advice regarding purchasing an Undergravel Filter for my 10 gallon tank. I notice lots of dark debris left over from food and fish droppings and was wondering if the intention of an undergravel filter was to help clean what settles to the very bottom of the tank.

Also, how would it effect pleco's?
Would the suction be too much for them, or can they live well with an Undergravel Filter?

Every site I go to shows a large white plate to border the bottom and be covered by gravel, with two cylindrical tubes comming upwards from the left and right side. How exactly does it work? Is there a filter that is attached from the outside via the tubes? Can someone give me a rundown.

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

[S. Allen]

Undergravel filters work. They require very diligent gravel vacuuming though. IMO other filters are easier and more effective. keeping gravel and adding a penguin 120 or so on the back would be what I'd do, personally. Other options are sponge filters, cannister filters, or reverse UGF filters, with another form of filtration.

As to whether the undergravel would affect plecos, it is very unlikely.

[sodapopdima]

I plan to use the undergravel in conjunction with my Penguin 170. I just want more info on how it works and if it would relieve me cleaning gravel on such a frequent basis.

[saradora]

A UGF will not relieve the need to vacuum the gravel, but with plecos I don't think anything will. I have heard that they are good for biological filtration, especially the reverse flow ones (just buy a powerhead that says on the box that it can convert to reverse flow). I always combine UGFs with hang-on-tank Aquaclears and it works well. My plecos also seem to appreciate the extra current the powerhead on the UGF provides.

[S. Allen]

An undergravel filter would actually increase the substrate vacuuming needed to keep the tank clean. Undergravel filters use the substrate as the mechanical filtration, as well as biological, thereby trapping waste in the gravel, pulling it down into it, and it can collect underneath. These things can be gotten around but require more work than a simple HOB filter, a cannister, or a sponge filter IMO. Saradora mentioned a good option for reducing waste in the gravel, a RUGF, Reverse UnderGravel Filter. This takes a powerhead and reverses the flow, so water is pulled through I sponge, down the filter uplift tubes, and up through the gravel, making a gentle current up through the whole of the undergravel filter's grid layout. The current helps to prevent waste and uneaten food from settling before the main filter can pick it up. I haven't used it myself, my tanks are all either bare bottom or were set up before I knew about using an RUGF, but I've heard many positive things about it.

As to the plecos liking the current from the powerheads, I use powerheads in all but one of my tanks, you don't need an undergravel or reverse undergravel to use them though.

[Alan_au]

I have used substrate filters in my Ancistrus tanks for the last 25 years or more. I have tanks with breeding colonies that have not been pulled down since they were set up 14years ago.

100mm of 3 - 5 mm substrate over over the entire bottom of a 1200mmX600mm tank with 25mm lifts beats any internal, hang on or canister filter made!! With 90 degree fittings on the lifts at water level pointing in the right direction whether you are in the Northern or Southern hemisphere and you have all the current plecos need.

And with a simple cut down 2 litre PEP drink bottle on a syphon hose the entire filter can be cleaned and turned over every water change.

And in my instance, the addition of shell grit to the substrate buffers the pH and hardness of my water supply.

EEZZy!

Alan