View Full Version : Need Help Please
slmhofy
02-02-2007, 3:24 PM
I recently picked up a 40GAL acrylic aquarium to replace my 25GAL glass and I have a question about some of the equipment I got. With the tank, there are these plastic things that I believe go underneath the rocks on the bottom of the tank. They are square shaped, about 1" tall and the 2 of them take up about all the surface area of the bottom of the tank and they each have a pipe that comes up. I thought these were the suction intakes for the filter assembly, but the filter set up I believe has nothing to do with them. Can anyone help me out in figuring what they are? Even a link to a good article on these forums or the internet would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Shane
Blueiz
02-02-2007, 3:53 PM
Sounds like an under gravel filter to me..
Blue
jm1212
02-02-2007, 5:48 PM
yep that an undergravel filter.
they work best with other filters like hang on back filters or canisters. i would reccomend getting the reverse flow-kit to have along with your UGF. it keeps the fish junk from collecting under the plates
Yeah its a good old fashioned ugf. Some people love them and some hate them. The idea behind them is that you put an airstone down the uptube and as the air bubbles rise they create a water flow. More recently people are taking powerheads and forcing water down the tubes and back up the gravel. Either way it treats the gravel as a biological media. The reverse way keeps the area under the plates cleaner however. I haven't actually used one in, um 20 years or so. For the most part I believe their use has become a matter of personal preference. I can't fault people for using them, but I don't myself recommend for people to go out and buy them.
slmhofy
02-02-2007, 9:29 PM
Hey guys, thanks for the help and information. I figured it was something like that, but not having the correct equipment to make it all work, I was a little stumped. Jon, I think I like the idea behind this design. I'm going to do a little searching in this forum and the internet, but could you give me some ideas to getting this thing up and running. I'd like to use some of what I have now, but if that's not really possible, what do I need. I got a tetraTEC 300 hang on back filter with the tank. And I got everything running today, but that filter is really loud and missing half of the stuff that's suposed to be inside of it. I looked a little around the net and most people don't really like them saying as I now know, their really loud. Plus it doesn't have the right plumbing for the under gravel filters. So I've just got my old hang on back filter from the smaller tank in there now. I think it will work OK, but looks to be quit small for the new tank. Thanks again guys.
Shane