Under Gravel Filtration

[Mom of MnE]

If i have the under gravel filter do i still need an external one or anything like that?!?!

 

[ripil]

i run both. not sure my under gravel filter is very good though. aint nothing wrong with keeping the water filtered the best you can between the water changes.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

If i have the under gravel filter do i still need an external one or anything like that?!?!

Mom of..... A lot of people will not agree with me, but for many, many moons I've been running tanks exclusively on undergravel filtration with huge success..... Most of those who do not agree will say so from "hearsay" rather than from experience....as undergravel filtering is considered to be outdated and old fashioned...... My display tank (5ft) ran exclusively on undergravel for more than 8 years with only occasional gravel vacuming and water changes and was immaculate at all times..... Most of the tanks in my fishroom are on undergravel..... That is my contribution to your question...... but also consider what others say to draw your own conclussions.

 

[Mom of MnE]

If i have the under gravel filter do i still need an external one or anything like that?!?!

Mom of..... A lot of people will not agree with me, but for many, many moons I've been running tanks exclusively on undergravel filtration with huge success..... Most of those who do not agree will say so from "hearsay" rather than from experience....as undergravel filtering is considered to be outdated and old fashioned...... My display tank (5ft) ran exclusively on undergravel for more than 8 years with only occasional gravel vacuming and water changes and was immaculate at all times..... Most of the tanks in my fishroom are on undergravel..... That is my contribution to your question...... but also consider what others say to draw your own conclussions.

thank you for you input with experience to go with it i like the undergravel alot. the only thing i wondered about it was what is considered the media for it? what hold all those little good bacteria that i need? I got a tank and it came with the undergravel so im trying to learn as much as possible about it.

 

[Ludwig Venter]

what hold all those little good bacteria that i need?

There is this empty, hollow space below your UG filter where the filtered debré accumulate, and that is where the good guys stem from....

 

[Mom of MnE]

one more question do i need the carbon cartridges as well as the zeolite?

 

[DrRob]

one more question do i need the carbon cartridges as well as the zeolite?

In theory, neither.

Carbon is good for getting rid of organic pollutants. I've used it to get some brown staining out of the water from bog wood that I hadn't soaked enough. After a while it starts to leak things out again once it's full.

Zeolite eats ammonia. It should hopefully be for emergencies only and the filter bacteria should be doing this job for you.

 

[Mom of MnE]

so should i take out the zeolite and allow the media to do its job?