I have a UGF, how would I transfer to a new filter in the future?

[Superglue2000]

Hiya,
If I was to replace my UGF with an internal filter, how would I keep the bacteria from dying? Is it as easy as keeping the substrate in as well as the water?

Also, how can I make the most out of my UGF right now? (Don't say replace it, I don't have the money for it atm lol)

Thanks

 

[GaryE]

UGF (undergravel filters) were a big thing years ago. They really work, but have their inconveniences.

My favourite way of changing filters is to put the new one in and let it be colonized by bacteria while the old one's running. I give it 3 weeks to a month, in general. I have never seen an internal filter worth having though. They take up space and are not very efficient. Given the choice, I'd prefer the UGF to an internal, and I would just avoid fish that dig.
A little gravel vacuum now and then with the weekly 25% water changes you should do anyway, and a UGF can be good for decades. They do interfere with plant growth though.

 

[Colin_T]

If you want to change to a power filter, get the new filter running on the tank and let it run for a few months. Then you can turn off the undergravel filter.

To get the best out of an undergravel filter, use a basic model gravel cleaner like the one in the following link, and use it each week to clean the gunk out of the gravel when you do a water change.

Out of curiosity, why are you changing to an internal power filter?
If its the noise from the air pump, you can run most undergravel filters with a powerhead so there is less noise. Just get a small powerhead like an AquaClear 302 and put it on top of the uplift tube that is attached to the undergravel filter. The powerhead will suck water through the gravel, under the filter plates, and pump the water around the tank.

Aquarium Cleaning Made Easy

Aquarium cleaning should take 30 minutes every two weeks. Learn how the professionals do it in 18 easy steps.

www.about-goldfish.com

 

[Superglue2000]

If you want to change to a power filter, get the new filter running on the tank and let it run for a few months. Then you can turn off the undergravel filter.

To get the best out of an undergravel filter, use a basic model gravel cleaner like the one in the following link, and use it each week to clean the gunk out of the gravel when you do a water change.

Out of curiosity, why are you changing to an internal power filter?
If its the noise from the air pump, you can run most undergravel filters with a powerhead so there is less noise. Just get a small powerhead like an AquaClear 302 and put it on top of the uplift tube that is attached to the undergravel filter. The powerhead will suck water through the gravel, under the filter plates, and pump the water around the tank.

Aquarium Cleaning Made Easy

Aquarium cleaning should take 30 minutes every two weeks. Learn how the professionals do it in 18 easy steps.

www.about-goldfish.com

I have a powerhead yeah, I want to grow plants at some point and I know your options are limited with UGFs because the roots clog the filter plates eventually.

 

[Superglue2000]

UGF (undergravel filters) were a big thing years ago. They really work, but have their inconveniences.

My favourite way of changing filters is to put the new one in and let it be colonized by bacteria while the old one's running. I give it 3 weeks to a month, in general. I have never seen an internal filter worth having though. They take up space and are not very efficient. Given the choice, I'd prefer the UGF to an internal, and I would just avoid fish that dig.
A little gravel vacuum now and then with the weekly 25% water changes you should do anyway, and a UGF can be good for decades. They do interfere with plant growth though.

Yeah I like my UGF but it's a shame about planted tanks. Although I have seen some people have planted tanks with no issue? I saw someone on YouTube with a fully planted UGF and he said there were no problems.

 

[Colin_T]

I had a 4x2x2ft tank with an undergravel filter and it was fully planted for several years. The plants did great and never caused problems to the filter. The tank did have about 4 inches of gravel so there was plenty of room for root growth, but there is no reason you can't do plants with an undergravel. We did it that way from the 60s to the 90s (last century).

I had sword plants, crypts, Ludwigia, Hygrophilas, Ambulia, Vallis and a number of other plants and they did well.

Start planting the tank up now and just leave an open section in the middle. You can gravel clean the open area and leave a couple of inches of undisturbed gravel around each plant. If the plants don't do that well, then see about using the power filter instead of the u/g filter.

 

[Oblio]

I have a powerhead yeah, I want to grow plants at some point and I know your options are limited with UGFs because the roots clog the filter plates eventually.

Could you line the top of the UGF plate with landscaping fabric to discourage roots from entering the plenum area?

 

[Colin_T]

Could you line the top of the UGF plate with landscaping fabric to discourage roots from entering the plenum area?

The roots just go through so it's not worth doing. It's not a problem with the roots anyway. Most aquarium plants have small shallow root systems that don't go through the filter plates. Sword plants do have a decent root system that will go through the plates. But unless the tank is full of sword plants, the filter should be fine.

 

[Superglue2000]

Could you line the top of the UGF plate with landscaping fabric to discourage roots from entering the plenum ai c

I had a 4x2x2ft tank with an undergravel filter and it was fully planted for several years. The plants did great and never caused problems to the filter. The tank did have about 4 inches of gravel so there was plenty of room for root growth, but there is no reason you can't do plants with an undergravel. We did it that way from the 60s to the 90s (last century).

I had sword plants, crypts, Ludwigia, Hygrophilas, Ambulia, Vallis and a number of other plants and they did well.

Start planting the tank up now and just leave an open section in the middle. You can gravel clean the open area and leave a couple of inches of undisturbed gravel around each plant. If the plants don't do that well, then see about using the power filter instead of the u/g filter.

Awesome, I'll keep my undergravel then. Saves me money too lol. I think there's so much unecessary controversy and debate around UGFs and it's like... People have been using them for decades with no issues, so I don't see why people dislike them so much

 

[GaryE]

The landscaping fabric would clog quickly.

At one point I bought 3 tanks with homemade ugfs, and I had one commercial model. I was able to grow a lot of rooted plants, but simple ones like Vallisneria, Crypts, swords and Hygros. This issue wasn't plant roots, but the difficulty with gravel vaccuuming. But we're talking vaccuuming a few times a year anyway, and I covered the open areas. Those tanks had excellent bio filtration for the 5 years I ran those filters.

I think I got rid of them for bandwagon reasons. They were really beaten up, very cheap tanks, and when I upgraded, I did what everyone else did and bought power filters.

I would use them again.

 

[Colin_T]

Awesome, I'll keep my undergravel then. Saves me money too lol. I think there's so much unecessary controversy and debate around UGFs and it's like... People have been using them for decades with no issues, so I don't see why people dislike them so much

People don't use gravel cleaners and the shops push power filters saying they are better. Power filters are better for profit margins but undergravels are very effective if maintained with a gravel cleaner.

The other issue with undergravel filters is air pumps, and they are a problem for lots of people who can't stand the noise of the pump or the bubbles in the tank. I couldn't sleep without those noises and would wake up if there was a power failure and the pump stopped making noise.

Undergravel filters can be run with power filters or powerheads and they work just as well as if you use an air pump.

 

[Oblio]

The other issue with undergravel filters is air pumps, and they are a problem for lots of people who can't stand the noise of the pump or the bubbles in the tank. I couldn't sleep without those noises and would wake up if there was a power failure and the pump stopped making noise.

Way back in the day (ca 1968) all I had was a piston pump that looked like a miniature steam engine. Made quite a racket, and a roaring silence when the power went off.

 

[GaryE]

It took some shopping around, but I run my multitank system with a jehmco linear piston air pump. It was more expensive at the outset, but it has run 24/7 since 2004, filtering between 30 and 40 tanks. I just bought an upgrade for my larger plans, although the old one is still good. I want more oomph. .
I had bought cheaper versions with metal housings - and they sounded like aircraft carrier flight decks in ww2 must have. The quality ones with larger housings (and larger prices, alas) are pretty remarkable technology.
I find diaphragm pumps start to make a lot of noise as they start to fail, and they fail pretty quickly.

 

[Rockfella]

Hiya,
If I was to replace my UGF with an internal filter, how would I keep the bacteria from dying? Is it as easy as keeping the substrate in as well as the water?

Also, how can I make the most out of my UGF right now? (Don't say replace it, I don't have the money for it atm lol)

Thanks

Don't remove UGF. Add more substrate and make a short air lift tube the size of the thickness of the substrate. Ideal thickness is 8-10Cm above the UGF plate. You should have anoxic filtration this way.