Under-gravel Or Canister?

[m00se]

Hi all. I'm getting my hands on an aqua royale 120 in the next few days, and I just wanted some advice regarding the filtration system. The tank currently has (and operates very well with) an undergravel filter, which has had no problems in the few years the current owners have had it. I've read up a lot in the last few days about undergravel and canister filters (as the small tank I have at the moment only has an internal filter, Fluval 3), and there seem to be pros and cons for both options.

The way I see it is that the external canister will cost me in the short term, but probably pay off in the long term (although I don't really know how often you need to clean out undergravel filters, but it looks like a total stripdown would be a complete ballache when you had to), but I also see that the undergravel has been in use for a long time and will therefore probably do me well for some time.

Does anyone have any advice? I'm not against spending the money in the short-term to get a good canister filter if you'd recommend it (and by the way, what would be my best bet for this tank?), but if it's not worth the money, then I'd probably give it a miss. I bow to the superior knowledge of you lot

Thanks in advance for your help

 

[bagu]

hey

IS IT 290L?

i have a UGF, and to be honest i like it alot =/


i think its a more natural way in my eyes; and cleaning it, i think if you go through the hassle of spending all that cash on it i dont see how cleaning it will hurt i am either going to keep it or remove it as i want to change from gravel to sand

But, i think if i had the choice i would use an external on your tank! if it is 290L then i think its your best bet! Alot of media to put in there etc and you bacteria unlike in a UGF will probs survive longer if needed to be transported if you catch my drift

 

[saltynay]

If it is coming with the UGF already in there then I think you should use it as well as a external filter. You can never have too much filtration and the external is easier to access to change filter elements like activated carbon, filter wool.

 

[bagu]

completely true!

i have a UGF and a 3 stage built in filter. In the inbuild 3 stage i plonk some sponge filter floss carbon etc

 

[m00se]

Yes, it's the 290L.

OK so I'll go OTT and grab an external as well. Is it as much of a pain in the ###### to clean an undergravel filter as people suggest? Can't I just get a really long bit of thin plastic tubing down the riser pipes and clean out from underneath when it gets manky?

Of course this is a fresh setup, so I'm planning on giving it a ###### good scrub before I kick off

 

[bagu]

Well I enjoy cleaning the tank LOL!

Last time I cleaned the UGF did take alot of time and
Water and running back and forth LOL; but it's just one of then things you gotta do