how to clycle a tank?

Baller,
My suggestion is to look up toward the top of this board and find the "sticky" on cycling - there is a plethora of information there. Most of it is on fishless cycling but there are other articles/posts about other options. Give that a shot!
UGF's - don't have a clue. Someone else will have to answer that one!

Chad
 
IMO UGF's are great, but you need to understand what they do and wht can go wrong. Reverse flow is a far superior way to run a UGF and will eliminate many of the potential problems they can have read this article completely, It is one of the best I have seen. Many people don't like UGF, but it is usually the result of improper maintenance which caused a bad experience. Read the article. Feel free to PM me with other questions or re-post in Freshwater products and DIY. UGF's are one of the few things I feel well experienced at.
http://www.aaquaria.com-aquasource-rtrrfug.shtml.url
 
Not a big fan of UGFs myself. I generally prefer the hang on the back power filters or if your tank is above 80g cannister filters. Marineland's penguin filters and emporer filters are both good to use, but the new tetratec filters seem to be a good idea also. BTW, check online prices. Saw a Penquin 330 filter in a pet superstore recenty for about $55, but on their websight it was like $30 :confused: .
 
I definately would not reccomend using a UGF by itself, or any other filter for that matter. I Know many people use one filter on each tank, but I have always found that 2 or more do a better job. And eliminate risk. I usually mix my UGF's with an emporer of appropriate size.
 
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