Ahh... Undergravel Filter!!!!

[FishGuy72]

I have a 120Gal with 4 undergravel filter plates with 4 powerheads. Today I decided to remove one of the 4 undergravel filters. The results were terrible!!! It looked like there was a 1/2" thick carpet of black fluffy sludge under it!!! I netted as much as possible, put my diatom filter on it, changed 40% water and the fish look OK at this point.
I've read that they can die from nitrate spikes when this happens... So, any recommendations on what to do next? I would like to remove the other 3 sections of it... how long should I wait between removing each section?

[dwf73]

I am not a big fan of undergravel filters although I am sure many people can find benefits for their use. I have encountered similar problems, and I think that the best approach in this case would be to move the fish temporarily if you have the capabilities. You could then go about the cleaning process with less stressfull effects on the animals and the water. It is a bit dangerous to have all that stuff mixing into the water while the fish are still present. Again, I stopped using them a long time ago so I may be "out of date" on this, perhaps there are better techniques. Good luck though.

[Matak]

The more I hear about UGF's, the more I realize I might have to get a real filter. I might be spared some agony because mine is a RFUGF.

Hope your changeover goes well.

[blitzen25bm]

i just take out the tube that the powerhead is connected to and stick a quarter inch hose in there and siphon everything out just move the hose around until everything is clear