We have had a 120 setup for about 3 months now. My wife wanted the ugf in addition to the Emperors (against my judgement). Well the water was getting cloudy so we pulled out the ugf's today and the tank looks horrible. There was tons of gunk. Never will I use these wretched things again. We do regular water changes and vaccuming. What a mess! For the cleanup, I have added a couple extra Emperors just to clean up the mess after a 50% water change.
everyones thoughts on undergravel filters.............
- Thread starter johnnynoxville
- Start date
With advances in power filter technology along with their relative low cost, I can't think of any reason to use one.
in a messy tank (like puffer tanks or plecos) RUGF is almost the only way to go, of course you have to have a mechanical filter as well (like an hob or canister), but my maintenence as been reduced to mere water changes and a light vacume since adding the RUGF, and the debris doesn't settle under the plates like traditional UGFs, in fact if you have a sponge on a reverse flow power head, you have a decent mechanical filter for the debris (I just don't think it's addequate).
I had UGF on my planted 55g for 8 years and no problems. Three inches of small rock/large gravel substrate, java fern, something called a "plastic plant" that is really a live plant, hygro, etc. They all did great.
I vacuumed out the gravel once a month. I vacuumed until the water coming from the gravel went clear, usually a 50% water change. With a Python this took about a half an hour total.
The fish and plants were perfectly happy. I'd say for $40 in power heads and $15 in filter plates, it is a highly efficient waste removal system. No ammonia, nitrites in 8 years of operation.
I recently took down this tank to replace it with a 100g. I'm using Onyx sand as a substrate. After talking with people on this and other boards, I set it up with an Eheim 2028 and an Eheim 2213, both with sponge prefilters over the strainer intake. The water is crystal clear and the fish and plants look pretty happy to me.
I vacuumed out the gravel once a month. I vacuumed until the water coming from the gravel went clear, usually a 50% water change. With a Python this took about a half an hour total.
The fish and plants were perfectly happy. I'd say for $40 in power heads and $15 in filter plates, it is a highly efficient waste removal system. No ammonia, nitrites in 8 years of operation.
I recently took down this tank to replace it with a 100g. I'm using Onyx sand as a substrate. After talking with people on this and other boards, I set it up with an Eheim 2028 and an Eheim 2213, both with sponge prefilters over the strainer intake. The water is crystal clear and the fish and plants look pretty happy to me.
UGF is an outdated relic from the 70's and like Disco, Polyester plaid pants, Jimmy Carter, and the AMC Pacer, I do not wish to see it return. 
80gjoe,
I currently have two emp 400s on each of the 120's (I have two). So far I haven't had any problems, one is pretty well planted and the other is no plants. Both have been very clean (neither are over stocked) and the water always test out well for ph, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. If I do have problems, I probably would go to a cannister, however it is my thought that a turnover of 6-7 times an hour should be fine. I also run uv sterilizers on both tanks as well as small power heads.
I currently have two emp 400s on each of the 120's (I have two). So far I haven't had any problems, one is pretty well planted and the other is no plants. Both have been very clean (neither are over stocked) and the water always test out well for ph, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. If I do have problems, I probably would go to a cannister, however it is my thought that a turnover of 6-7 times an hour should be fine. I also run uv sterilizers on both tanks as well as small power heads.
