Newbie.......with A Question

[Angel_eyes]

Hi all,

Hope you are well. I'm Rav, new to the forum and so just wanted to say hi to you all.

I am being cheeky and starting off with a question

I have been into tropical fish since the age of about 12, my parents have always had a fish tanka nd i've always taken a great interest, now being 28 and still using the same skills that i grew up, i had a few questions.

I had a water snake, which sadly died and then decided to turn the tank into a tropical fish tank, so i went out and bought my bits for it, its been 3 years in the running for the tank and is doing very well, however i went for undergravel filter in the tank which i have always had, now the pump isn't working as well as it should and isn't maining the tank as it should be, so i went to my local aquatic store and was advised to buy a rena iV4 at £50 which i thought was a little expensive, i then went to another store which advised me i should go for an external pump such as the fluval 205-305 (as my tank is 31gallons, 150ltrs) now i'm totally confused! should i stay with the undergreavel filter, as in just buy a stronger pump for it, go for the internal which stays on the side, or go for the external pump!

can anyone advise what they think the best thing is as i've been out of touch with the new technology in terms of pumps and effectiveness.

i thiank you in advance for your comments and advice.

 

[lilfishie]

First off Welcome to the forum

As for filters, undergravels are honestly rubbish, the gunk gradually builds up around them.
For which to get its down to preference, i have no experience with externals but have heard they are great, especially in planted tanks, i have internals and have no problems with them.

hope this has helped you a little

 

[dthoffsett]

Welcome to TFF!

As lilfishie said, undergravel filters are pretty much a thing of the past. Personally I wouldn't use them in anything over 10 gallons if that. I think your best course of action would be to purchase an external power filter (Rena is a good brand, but I personally think Aquaclear is the best on the market) and remove the undergravel. Be aware that undergravels should really be cleaned under (by removing the gravel and plates) once a year for maximum effectiveness. So, if you haven't cleaned under it for the last three years, you'll probably have to do several daily gravel vaccumings over the course of a few days to a weeks.

If you are in dire need of a filter replacement, then get it at the shop, however, you can find them much cheaper online, ebay is a great place to pick up a bargain.

Any other questions feel free to ask. -Dawn

 

[Angel_eyes]

thanks guys, that helps me out quite a bit

 

[drobbyb]

...should i stay with the undergreavel filter, as in just buy a stronger pump for it, go for the internal which stays on the side, or go for the external pump!

If you are going to replace the undergravel with any of the others, just let them run together for about a month. This will make sure that you have a colony of nitrifying bacteria, and can thus remove the old one safely. Feed sparingly for the next few days and test for ammonia to ensure it stays below .25ppm.

 

[kbekll]

it will depend on what you like in the tank

an external is the better option for most as it takes the clutter out of the tank, some can also house heaters in them which stops fish burns and decluters the tank

i have had both external and internal filtation wise their is not alot in it both can do very good jobs

brands again are not really anything to worry, about majority of brands incorporate the same technology


the only thing with changing you filter is the change over with yours being under the gravel

yours is a large tank i would say go external makes life easier and the 305 isnt a bad choice but as preveously stated leave the current filter in for about a month alongside the new one

 

[paulbr1]

Hi and welcome, I agree with DrobbyD however I would it for probably two months to be sure as you need the bacteria from the gravel/substrate to colonise in the new filter and this takes a while.

Whether you go for an internal or external it will be better that the undergravel system that you have at present.

If/when you have changed the filter system stir up a little of the gravel to get the bacteria in to the water column - not too much though

Paul.

 

[rabbut]

*Sighs* so much miss-information in one thread...

UGF's are the best filters from a Biological and Mechanical perspective that are commonly used on a FW tropical tank. Why are they being left behind? Well, purely because they are high maintenance. Their huge surface area, high flow, wide inlet area and large media volume all make them far batter for biologically and mechanically removing waste than any other filter.

The loss of flow from the powerhead you have (assuming the powerhead has been cleaned and does not have any visibly worn parts like bearings or bust impellers) is likely due to the drive magnet being on it's way out. If this is the case, failure is not far away. Personally, I'd just replace the powerhead if your system is working well for you. I'd get an Aquarium Systems Maxi-jet 1200 for your tank. The 1200 is the correct size, and these pumps can take no end of abuse without failing. At work, I do to them on a daily basis, everything the instructions tell you not to (plus another few others the manual does not advise against), yet the 7 year old pumps still never fail

If you do change the system to Exturnal or Internal though, you will have to run the UGF in along side the new filter for at least a month, preferably two.

If the pumps flow is only reduced when mounted on the riser, and the gravel has been cleaned, it's time to strip the tank and clean under the plate. Try to keep all the gravel wet, and do not let it get near tap water (unless it's already been de-chlorinated). Also, aim to take no more than a few hours over the plate clean

All the best
Rabbut