How To Seed Ugf?

[Leedsboi86]

Hey everyone!!!

I now have my new Aquastart 320 all set up and ready to get it through the cycle.
Thing is it uses a UGF with a Powerhead and I have never used a UGF before....


I do have a tank in my living room thats mature and I do know where to buy Ammonia from now.

Any advice on what I do?

Thanks!

 

[raptorrex]

Hey everyone!!!

I now have my new Aquastart 320 all set up and ready to get it through the cycle.
Thing is it uses a UGF with a Powerhead and I have never used a UGF before....


I do have a tank in my living room thats mature and I do know where to buy Ammonia from now.

Any advice on what I do?

Thanks!

I would honestly consider replacing it with an internal. but placing the mature media in a bag on the substrate should do the trick.

 

[Leedsboi86]

Hmm would one of them bags you used for washing tablets in washer work?

How does a UGF work anyway I never really been that sure

 

[OldMan47]

If you are going to do a fishless cycle, wash out your existing media in the new tank's dechlorinated water. The stuff that comes out of the old media will be enough to jump start the new filter. Then all you need to do is feed it with ammonia until it is well established.

 

[rabbut]

A UGF uses the gravel as filter media. There is a plate that sits on the tank base, with a pipe comming up onto which a powerhead is mounted. You place the gravel (2-4" layer's worth) over the plate prior to filling with water. When the powerhead runs, it pulls water from under the plate. This sucks more water through the plate, through the gravel, creating a flow of water to supply "food" and oxygen to filter bacteria in the filter bed. Dirt will also be pulled into the gravel bed and become trapped.

UGF are hard work to keep running if done properly. They clog-up fast and are inefficient filters due to a very small surface area on the gravel compaired to many other medias. There is a lot of gravel there though, so this makes up for it a little When maintained correctly, you will be deap-cleaning half the gravel with a gravel vac each week, with a 30-50% waterchange, rotating the bit you clean each week. Once a year, you strip the tank to clean the underside of the plate. This involves removing EVERYTHING from the tank The flow of water through the gravel makes it nearly impossible to grow rooted plants also You cannot "scape" the gravel, as this lead to channeling in UGF systems, where most of the filter media gets by-passed untill clogged, when the filter bacteria are cut off from food and air, caursing a mini-cycle

Though UGF has it's uses, it is a dated technology, and the hobby has now moved on to bigger and better filtration methods Use it if you like, it will work, but be prepaired for the work if you do use it

All the best
Rabbut

 

[markandhisfish]

i agree i started keeping fish this year and my 1st tank had a ugf. i would never use 1 again if you paid me they are total pony

 

[Leedsboi86]

Bought an internal instead I wanted sand hehe