"closed" Or Near-closed Tropical Tank?

[Ansel_Tk1]

Hi all - would like to hear your opinions...

I have a new 65USG tank and my goal is to set up a planted tank with a group of small, schooling fish or possibly instead a planted tank with some cichlids. I am learning as I go having had experience with proper watar chemistry with a few vivariums. I really want to keep the visibilty of the 'mechanics' to a minimum. I'd also like to do as few water changes as possible! From what I hear, I guess the last one is 'the rub'.

My sister has advised me to start with an undergravel filter with power heads and a canister filter. My tank is 18x36 and I have the UGF. I don't have the power heads and was wondering..can someone explain the use of powerheads with a UGF to me? I dont quite understand how the both corner pipes are working (is it 1 powerhead in each corner?), what a powerhead does instead of an air pump etc...

Any suggestions on this subject would be really appreciated!

Thanks

 

[dylema]

The power heads will suck more water though the UGF than the air pump would. You would want a powerhead at each outlet of the UGF or piping from both outlets to one larger powerhead. If you have a canister as well as an UGF it might be possible to have the outlet of the UGF attached to the intake for the canister so you don't need a powerhead in the tank, but you would probably need a powerful canister to handle it.

Ask and or search the planted tank section about the use of UGF with plants, I believe there are some downfalls but I don't know details.

To keep water changes to a minimum you will want to keep stocking with fish to a minimum (looks like thats what you want anyway) and also have plats that can efficiently get rid of nitrAtes from your water. Again probably best to ask planted section for help with that. I have heard that you can get a planted tank set just right so you don't have to do water changes often but I think this is a fine art.

 

[OohFeeshy]

Don't bother with a UGF, they're outdated and pretty inefficient compared to, say, an external, plus you can't really do a gravel vac, and you have to take the whole thing out every so often to clean the gunk in and under the gravel.... If you want low-maintenence, go for an external, or a sump, stuff the tank full of plants, have very few fish.