30 gall using a 1/2of 15 gal ugf setup

[fishycomics]

well lets hear your comments.:
I have a 30 gallon and clean bottom. I have a old 15 gall tannk with left over 10 gall ugf. I got all the tuff for a 30 gall the pipe is at the proper length. now I glued the fake plants onto the, or surrounded tube with aquarium selicone and , glued some sea glass as well on the edging . As i know it is like a 5 gallon under gravel system set up. I still like a clear bottom. I have my light underneith to shine up, but hardely ever on.
I have purchased glass sea glass and that will be my bed, does not have to be gravel, pebble or sand as long as it is a covering it will work. no sharp peices . with the crystle -lite item I got at dirt cheap . I will lay the glass in multi colour on the ugf. and have it in the corner. with the plant hopefully cover the tube and the the crystle in the center on the side covered by the glass. . to make a really nice display.

1. at least I have creativity.
2. at least the fish will have some place to dwell munch and feel at home.
3. at least I'll have some natural growth and not so hard maint. i will post my pic up when the glue dries and the set up is complete. this can take a real long time why aain I have a dule set up a fish tank on the bottom and the upper going to be running water or plants or both.

when you do something from scratch , the feeling of acomplishment is greater then you can imagine. to buy the set up costing 1700 well can be throwing money down the drain.

 

[Dorkhedeos]

dont use a ugf, get some sand and a biowheel filter. the biowheel eliminates the need for a ugf

 

[fishycomics]

so ur saying run sand and a bio wheel wouldn't both do the trick with power heads

 

[fufanu360]

ugf's are not very efficiant for acually filtering the tank

 

[pica_nuttalli]

its hard to make out *exactly* what your system must look like, but it sounds like you only have the ugf covering perhaps half of the floor of your tank.

as beneficial bacterial will build up on the floor of any tank, an ugf works by creating a vertical water current that pulls water through this layer of bacteria. to have the maximum amount of current and maximum amount of available oxygen for the bacteria, there needs to be a space under a thin layer of gravel for the water to move through. this is why ugf's are built like little tables, to permit this flow.

if your ugf set-up does not cover the majority of the bottom of your tank

• you are not maximizing the amount of bacteria you could grow
• not all of your water will filter, impedeing the nitrogen cycle.
• when you try to fill the surrounding bed to match the level over the filter, you will create anaerobic pockets that will work AGAINST your good bacteria

if you already siliconed everything together, you may want to pick up a small exterior filter. if you haven't, please read around in the forums and on various websites about filtration choices. i know that aquarticles has a lot of good articles on the relative merits of the most common filtration approaches.

good luck and hope this helps!

 

[fishycomics]

thank you;I am going with a 30 gall udf and 1 power head that is over rated. to do multi tasks. I am going to combine the two sides of the ugf and t it in the middle.
then I am going to drill a hole so i can run a pipe to the top do you think the water will reach 18" above water level. I do not need a lot of pressure but enough water to fill a section and then trickle its paths or design routes on my upper canopy.