Under Gravel Vs Power Filters

[Mr Tomato]

I must be bias maybe. Never having lost a single fish using this system, except from old age. Is it me' or are these new fancy doo-da's full of bath sponge-- that sit in the corner of our aquariums..intrusive? menacing? ugly? and a total let down? I have a collection in my fish cupboard of these internal power filter contraptions. I know I'll be going to the dump soon, but there's so many of them by now, i just dare not attempt to open the door, in case they all fall on me..lol But, on a lighter note..I've had an under gravel filter for 20 years, and boy; what a bargain it was. Water still looks like lemonade,day after week after month, and if i look at the aquarium from the side glass, i can see 'four foot' right through to the other end, and even read a book if placed there, if i wanted to, such is the clarity.

what's your take on this controversial issue? and can you read a book in yours?
lol

 

[cms091]

It's the stuff you can't see that you need to worry about. Ammonia and nitrites are colourless and deadly. I had a tank with an UGF many moons ago. When you finally disturb the gravel you realise what your fish have been swimming above.

 

[Louiseness]

I must be bias maybe. Never having lost a single fish using this system, except from old age. Is it me' or are these new fancy doo-da's full of bath sponge-- that sit in the corner of our aquariums..intrusive? menacing? ugly? and a total let down? I have a collection in my fish cupboard of these internal power filter contraptions. I know I'll be going to the dump soon, but there's so many of them by now, i just dare not attempt to open the door, in case they all fall on me..lol But, on a lighter note..I've had an under gravel filter for 20 years, and boy; what a bargain it was. Water still looks like lemonade,day after week after month, and if i look at the aquarium from the side glass, i can see 'four foot' right through to the other end, and even read a book if placed there, if i wanted to, such is the clarity.

what's your take on this controversial issue? and can you read a book in yours?
lol

I don't think I;d go so far as to call an internal filter menacing You could always get an external if you don't want to take up space in the tank.

I run tanks with internal filters and one with a sponge filter and yes, I can see clearly from the front to the back of all my tanks (well, if all the plants weren't in the way!). If your water is cloudy with whatever filter you choose you're doing it wrong!

Plus, I can clone new tanks from my filters, swap them from tank to tank if I want, grow rooted plants successfully and change my substrate/clean it thoroughly whenever I like, and still have safe water from the word go. Which is a big bonus as far as I'm concerned!

 

[moochy13]

the grimmest thing i ever saw in a fish tank was what lurks under gravel when you empty a tank.



and undergravel filters means no sand, which IMO not only looks much better, but opens up more possibilities in what you can stock.