Cleaning an UGF?

[adgolde]

how can you clean underneath the UGF without taking all the gravel out.? should i just take the uplift tube off, leaving the elbow on, and stick the vaccuum over the hole, will that get all the junk under the gravel?

 

[YoFishboy]

That's how I use to clean ugfs - I would move the gravel awy form the base of the lift tubes, pop off the lift tubes and shove a siphon tube in the hole and get as much gunk as I could. I only have 2 tanks left with ug filters in them - and I'm going to be getting rid of one of those. I had my best luck using ugfs with smaller, lightly stocked tanks. They do keep the water clear. But, you have to break them down eventually. And when they go out of wack, its a pain to get them caught up with the load again. Now I use mainly Aquaclears or canisters for my show tanks and good old box filters for my breeder tanks.

 

[daveedka]

When I used to run conventional UGF, once a year or so, I would siphon under th plates wit a 1/4 air line. it works oetty well, but good gravel vaccuming is really the best long term plan for UGF.
Dave