freakin UGF creates massive bubbles!
- Thread starter kelley
- Start date
Joe - give me your thoughts on:
http://www.aaquaria.com/aquasource/rtrrfug.shtml
TIA
But so are canisters and HOBs excellent at holding the crud. Any filtration device which is not properly maintained is a time bomb. The only devices I know which will not hold the crud are dedicated biofilters (which may be FBF, canister, W/D, RFUG, or plant refugia) and if they are not properly prefiltered, even some of those will build up crud. People should not select devices they don't maintain.
http://www.aaquaria.com/aquasource/rtrrfug.shtml
TIA
But so are canisters and HOBs excellent at holding the crud. Any filtration device which is not properly maintained is a time bomb. The only devices I know which will not hold the crud are dedicated biofilters (which may be FBF, canister, W/D, RFUG, or plant refugia) and if they are not properly prefiltered, even some of those will build up crud. People should not select devices they don't maintain.
Thanks, I'm glad that you can see that not that all UG/RFUG is a bad thing by its nature, but only by its execution and handling (or lack thereof). I suspect that if HOBs were still limited to Dynaflow filters (which were quite good in their day), HOBs would not be so popular either. Or for that matter, neither would my antique air-cooled Eheim canister - which was the best at the time (over 30 years ago).
(..looking for the 'Thumbs Up' emoticon..)
It is true about the 'care' of the UGF that matters.. But, it's way to easy to set it up and forget it! I'm guilty of that... And I'd hate to see others go thru it too.. I just despise the UGF's so much, and hope others get HOB's, canisters, or a combination of filters. UGF's are almost like setting up "new" aquarium keepers for failure. I have seen this with a friend of mine who was very stubborn, and took the loss of fish as something other than lack of filtration and water changes.. His UGF, well, was not maintaned.. This was a 35 gallon tank (less than a 55 anyway.. not sure on exact gallons).
It is true about the 'care' of the UGF that matters.. But, it's way to easy to set it up and forget it! I'm guilty of that... And I'd hate to see others go thru it too.. I just despise the UGF's so much, and hope others get HOB's, canisters, or a combination of filters. UGF's are almost like setting up "new" aquarium keepers for failure. I have seen this with a friend of mine who was very stubborn, and took the loss of fish as something other than lack of filtration and water changes.. His UGF, well, was not maintaned.. This was a 35 gallon tank (less than a 55 anyway.. not sure on exact gallons).
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Joe,
It's funny how we develop opinions after experiences, I was never able to keep fish alive untill a friend of mine introduced me to the UGF, years ago ( he had a marine tank with 8 year old fish and invertibrates). He educated me on whata UGF was , how it worked, and all of the pro's and con's. At that point in my life I could barely afford fish food, so an inexpensive highly effective bio-filter appealed to me. I have had such good luck with UGF's I refuse to set a tank up without plates under the substrate. To me it seems that the maintenance is almost non-existant compared to any other filter. Also it should be said very clearly that I never use a UGF or any other filter by itself. I run all tanks with two or more filters, but have learned to love a UGF as a staple in every tank. Knowledge is the key as with everything. I much prefer and almost always use the RFUG set-up, but have had UGF's with air lift work for well for long periods of time. Just my Humble opinion, and I certainly enjoy your Posts. something else to remember with standard UGF. Most tank stand leave you a view of the underside of the plates, it is easy to monitor any build-up, and I have never had to tough of a time when I needed to vaccum out from under the plates. Just stick a 3/8 hose down through the lift ube and suck out any build-up. With RFUG this is never a concern.
It's funny how we develop opinions after experiences, I was never able to keep fish alive untill a friend of mine introduced me to the UGF, years ago ( he had a marine tank with 8 year old fish and invertibrates). He educated me on whata UGF was , how it worked, and all of the pro's and con's. At that point in my life I could barely afford fish food, so an inexpensive highly effective bio-filter appealed to me. I have had such good luck with UGF's I refuse to set a tank up without plates under the substrate. To me it seems that the maintenance is almost non-existant compared to any other filter. Also it should be said very clearly that I never use a UGF or any other filter by itself. I run all tanks with two or more filters, but have learned to love a UGF as a staple in every tank. Knowledge is the key as with everything. I much prefer and almost always use the RFUG set-up, but have had UGF's with air lift work for well for long periods of time. Just my Humble opinion, and I certainly enjoy your Posts. something else to remember with standard UGF. Most tank stand leave you a view of the underside of the plates, it is easy to monitor any build-up, and I have never had to tough of a time when I needed to vaccum out from under the plates. Just stick a 3/8 hose down through the lift ube and suck out any build-up. With RFUG this is never a concern.
Joe - I have no problem with that at all - everyone needs to know, or find out, what equipment types fit their own personal "style". I am a compulsive water changer and substrate vacuumer. Even conventional UG is not an issue for me, but I am more comfortable with RFUG or my OE-RFUG variant. I do know well that it is not for everyone.
If you have buddies at the LFS, ask them about folks who bring back HOBs and canisters that "stopped working"... because they had never been cleaned. It is one of the complaints about Eheim canisters - they don't generally stop flowing no matter how dirty! This is not a joke - some folks seem to think no effort is needed if water is still flowing. I do not have a come-back for that one.
:sad
Tom Barr got me to try RFUG with plants (he has done multiple, prefers conventional substrates, but says they can and will work). So I set one test about a year ago with no problems to date. I have never been as much a water column feeder as a rich substrate grower, so I had to learn that technique. I will probably set a second tank that way sometime this year for part of the test, but I have had no issues to date with the technique. Crypts (several types), Val, and a sword are all fine - the val has been divided 2-3 times, the Crypts all at least once. There is a deep substrate, ~4" above the plate. On that stand I cannot see the bottom glass. The next one I definitely will set on an open stand so I can watch.
If you have buddies at the LFS, ask them about folks who bring back HOBs and canisters that "stopped working"... because they had never been cleaned. It is one of the complaints about Eheim canisters - they don't generally stop flowing no matter how dirty! This is not a joke - some folks seem to think no effort is needed if water is still flowing. I do not have a come-back for that one.
:sad
Tom Barr got me to try RFUG with plants (he has done multiple, prefers conventional substrates, but says they can and will work). So I set one test about a year ago with no problems to date. I have never been as much a water column feeder as a rich substrate grower, so I had to learn that technique. I will probably set a second tank that way sometime this year for part of the test, but I have had no issues to date with the technique. Crypts (several types), Val, and a sword are all fine - the val has been divided 2-3 times, the Crypts all at least once. There is a deep substrate, ~4" above the plate. On that stand I cannot see the bottom glass. The next one I definitely will set on an open stand so I can watch.
