upgraded Fluval AC20 Power Filter

[JCinPA]

So, I became disenchanted with my Marina Slim S10 and after seeing some hotrodding my filter youtubes, I upgraded to a Fluval AC20 in my 10 gal/40L tank. Because I'm using a UGF with 2" of gravel I don't need the biomedia in the HOB, and I don't need any chemical filtration at the moment, so I got out my utility knife and cut out the plastic dividers in the media basket. The blue foam that comes with the filter is a 30 PPI, I believe, and is about 2.4 inches thick. I already had some 20 PPI 3/4" foam and cut out a rectangle to fit. I also used the Aquatic Experts FilterFirst dual density pads from the S10 to keep what biofilm had built up on it. This is what my foam stack looks like now.

I kept the 20 PPI small foam block to rubber band attach to the spillway to diffuse the flow, and I'm happy as a clam now. I think the new Aquaclear filters have addressed the issues people used to have with them. Mine stops/starts fine when I power it off/on.

 

[bgarthe]

That is exactly why I love and, use exclusively, AC Filters in all 8 tanks. The media options are virtually limitless.

 

[JCinPA]

That is exactly why I love and, use exclusively, AC Filters in all 8 tanks. The media options are virtually limitless.

Exactly. If I need chem filtration I can drop a bag of Purigen on top of that stack, but with this for water polishing and a 2" gravel bed UGF, I'm in pretty good shape, I think. I think the redesigned AquaClear filters are great.

If you want the bio bags and charcoal bags, great! If not, I think my foam stack is terrific. Great filter. Quiet, and restarts after power down, solving the major compaint. I guess the new lids don't rattle, but I never had an old model so I can't compare. It's quiet as a mouse.

 

[JCinPA]

Thanks for your earlier mentoring, BTW. I finally have a nicely established small tank, and have not lost anything since my first disaster. And I've learned a TON here. Despite my missteps.

Can't wait to set up and fishless cycle my next tank!

 

[bgarthe]

Glad things are working out.

 

[anewbie]

A few comments:
For 10s i use sponge filter exclusively - the only negatives is they take up space in the tank and if you require strong current they are not the best solution.

Charcoal is misunderstood by most people with aquariums - it has been around since before i was born and it was a stable in those little cube filters that went in aquariums with filter floss - as a kid i never understood what a filter did other than to keep the aquarium clean and we semi-religious replaced the media when the floss turned black. In those day it had real glass fibers and cutting your hand was common. Anyway i digress. There are a few hobs that are popular - including sachem, one specific model of marineland (they have many), and fluval. I've used an older model of the fluval (they do update them) about 10 years ago on a 40b and didn't care for it much - still have it in a closet - in my case i didn't like how it generated a lump sum current and how my poor little guppies responded to it; though the sword-tails didn't seem very bothered.

I did use an under gravel filter once approx 30 years ago in a custom made 75 i had purchased used. It was a bit of a weird dimension and was on a wood stand that rocked back and forth. I learned a lot about ugf over the years and will never use one again. The primary advantage is if you can keep the area under the plates from clogging it doesn't take up much visible room and is fairly effective - i once saw someone make a custom design for his 300 gallon aquarium using pvc tubs - the concept was the same but the implementation more robust. The issue is of course if anything goes wrong the aquarium has to be torn up to fix it.

My specific problem is clogging by fish and bacteria waste under the plate eventually caused anaerobic bacteria formed in the clogged areas causing issues and eventually a die off.

Hobs are fine i guess even if i don't like them - they are cheap - generally work and don't take up space in the aquarium. Sort of like a cheap canister filter without the option of a spray bar to control the current. I'm a fan of matten filters but the big negative is taking up aquarium space and for larger tank the cleaning of sponges can be harsh.

As for your solution - sponge is extremely efficient at mechanical and biological filtration. carbon is mostly a waste of money pushed by the industry but there are specific cases where short term filtering of undesired molecules in the water column can be useful. Unfortunately it is so prevalent people spend their money weekly or monthly buying worthless tiny catridges to stick in their filters that do just about nothing.

 

[JCinPA]

I understand now that UGF is a Hatfield/McCoy issue, use what you like.

In my experience, however, and reading folks like Cory at Aquarium Co-op and many, many others, nothing ever gets through to under the plates to accumulate. A lot of what I read about UGF on the Internet these days is simply "Internet echo". It isn't really true, it just gets repeated so many times it becomes canon, but nobody ever has first hand or even second hand experience with it. It's true on other hobby forums I frequent.

There are no real drawbacks to UGFs if they are used properly. That is, use about 2" of 3-5 or 4-6 mm gravel, nothing smaller, and airstones provide plenty of flow through them. I don't vacuum gravel every water change, but I vacuum about 1/4 of the bottom per month, you want to leave it more or less undisturbed. When used properly, there are no drawbacks to them. They are wonderful biological filters. If you don't like them, don't use them.

I agree with you on charcoal, unless you are trying to do something specific with it chemical filtration is simply not needed. UGFs don't have to be used alone, often discussions are UGF, versus this, or versus that. I always use a UGF with a HOB, I like belt and suspenders, it's not simply an either or choice. I am glad to see UGFs seem to be undergoing a resurgence in interest lately, a lot of folks are pushing back on the misinformation about them that keeps echoing around the Internet.

For a deep dive on them, see here:

8.5.1. Under-Gravels in Depth - Aquarium Science

A Caveat Undergravel filters have not been widely tested as a filter in the aquaculture industry, The limited testing done on gravel filters for aquaculture was "all over the map" due to the very high loading of commercial operations. So one is left with common sense and anecdotal "testing" as...

aquariumscience.org

Don't use them if you don't like them. But in a normally stocked tank, even a slightly overstocked tank (if you also use an HOB), with 2" depth of 3-6 mm gravel and occasional light vacuuming, there are simply no downsides to UGFs. One can screw them up, to be sure, but you can do that with other filter types as well.

 

[JCinPA]

My specific problem is clogging by fish and bacteria waste under the plate eventually caused anaerobic bacteria formed in the clogged areas causing issues and eventually a die off.

I think this is one of the Internet echo things I was talking about. Caveat, use the right substrate. What you describe cannot occur in my tank.

 

[anewbie]

I understand now that UGF is a Hatfield/McCoy issue, use what you like.

In my experience, however, and reading folks like Cory at Aquarium Co-op and many, many others, nothing ever gets through to under the plates to accumulate. A lot of what I read about UGF on the Internet these days is simply "Internet echo".

.

I am describing personal experience AND it is bullshit that nothing gets under the plate even in the best of situations. You can of course modify them via using a ground cloth though it will restrict water flow but not prevent water flow.

IF you have ever looked in a 5 year old sump or under 5 year old plates 'stuff' accumilate a combination of mulim, bacteria clump and fish waste - it is just very fine crap that can easily pass through the plates.

anyway this is my last post to this thread - i just can't deal with this non-sense.

 

[bgarthe]

Having used UGFs many times many years ago (back then, UGFs were standard), I can attest to the fact mulm and general gunk …does….indeed get underneath the plates. If any filter issue arises, servicing UGFs will be a major disturbance to the tank. I found that those thin slots/slits do, over time, get partially to mostly clogged. The substrate itself blocks some of the flow. Add built up gunk, and that bio sludge that grows on slits, and (imho) issues will arise. I won’t even bother getting into the Hydrogen Sulfide issues that popped up with these back long ago.

But….as you said, this is a “Hatfield/McCoy” topic. User’s choice

 

[JCinPA]

I understand those issues, but they are largely eliminated by proper maintenance, i.e. a regular gravel vacuuming schedule. Most issues I read about with UGFs involve improper substrate, overstocking of fish, lack of maintenance. Definitely user choice. I will never, ever have a tank that does not have a UGF in it, but I also won't have one that doesn't also have an oversized HOB on it. I'm planning a 29 gallon now with a UGF coupled with an Aquaclear AC50. I like overfiltration and reasonable stocking levels. I never expect to have a single problem with the UGF.

But you pays your money and you takes your choices. Do what makes you happy.

 

[gimme30]

LOL @anewbie you're a hot head like me. Beware the ban hammer my friend!
And don't put me on the ignore list but......

I'm an unabashed UGF fanboi. Nothing works as well with as minimal maintenance. In 50+ years I've never had one "fail," not even sure how that could happen. Regular gravel vacuuming keeps the slots clean and the ones that get missed self-clean as the waste breaks down.
This last year my little bow front sprung a leak. It had been in continual service for 27 years. When I tore it down there was a thin layer of silt-like waste in the corner near the uplift tube and the rest of the glass was clean. To be honest I expected worse, but every tank with UGFs I've taken down have been the same.
However.....Until now I've never kept live plants. As with the whole UGF debate, some say plants will clog it up, some (Bentley Pascoe comes to mind) have long running tanks that are just fine.
I intend to convert the new bow front to UGF, so I'll find out for myself.

I'm all about low maintenance and sponges are anything but. I also detest equipment in the tank and UGFs are about as unobtrusive as you can get.

 

[JCinPA]

After cutting out the internal pieces on the filter basket, the bio media in the bag did not fit, but I decided to just dump them loose on top of the polishing pad. Should not be too hard to maintain it. I think this is a near perfect HOB setup.

 

[JCinPA]

Glad I'm not alone, @gimme30

I get the complaints some have with them. But the believers, like us, are really fond of them. They're hard to screw up, but I've seen some very ugly looking tanks kept by obviously very lazy people, maybe the UGF is not for them. Anything that has gotten through the gravel has broken down into something completely inert at that point.

I'm never a UGF alone fanboi, though. I do like belt and suspenders!

 

[JCinPA]

I have the same foam stack shown above but here it is with the included biomedia loose on top. Love this!