I would like everybodys views on UGF's
- Thread starter JacksontoKobe
- Start date
Beautiful tank 125gJoe--
Until about 5 years ago, I used UGFs on almost all my tanks.
I ran them with air pumps, or power-heads. On one tank in particular, a 55 gallon, I only covered about 2/3 of the floor of the tank with the UG filter, and used about 4-5 inches of gravel over the plate. Plants grew equally well on the UG side and the "naked" side. Maybe my plants just weren't very picky.
I did have the occasion to find fish fry beneath the filter plate on one occasion. I did effect a rescue, but it was an effort.
Digging cichlids and regular UGFs don't mix.
In my previous post I mentioned thar UGFs worked, so I don't disparage their efficacy.
I have gone over to the canister and/or HOB side now, my life seems to be simpler for it.
Digging into my memory, in the early 70s I used a gadget called a "Eureka Gravel Filter". It had the lift tubes of a UGF, but dispensed with the solid plate in favor of tinker-toy like piping in the gravel.
I must say it worked, because it was the only filter I had on this tank and it was very successful.
Bill in WI
Until about 5 years ago, I used UGFs on almost all my tanks.
I ran them with air pumps, or power-heads. On one tank in particular, a 55 gallon, I only covered about 2/3 of the floor of the tank with the UG filter, and used about 4-5 inches of gravel over the plate. Plants grew equally well on the UG side and the "naked" side. Maybe my plants just weren't very picky.
I did have the occasion to find fish fry beneath the filter plate on one occasion. I did effect a rescue, but it was an effort.
Digging cichlids and regular UGFs don't mix.
In my previous post I mentioned thar UGFs worked, so I don't disparage their efficacy.
I have gone over to the canister and/or HOB side now, my life seems to be simpler for it.
Digging into my memory, in the early 70s I used a gadget called a "Eureka Gravel Filter". It had the lift tubes of a UGF, but dispensed with the solid plate in favor of tinker-toy like piping in the gravel.
I must say it worked, because it was the only filter I had on this tank and it was very successful.
Bill in WI
wasnt the whoel thing about a UGF to be a place for biological filtration to be so that when you change out your whisper cartridge you dont get a spike. now that we have the bio wheel, there is no need for the UGf?
the wheels spin and spin and like the trains of time they go up in smoke like the camera that took its last picture i think we should nussle the bad cat into the hamper and flush the drain down the tubing river of pie.....
the wheels spin and spin and like the trains of time they go up in smoke like the camera that took its last picture i think we should nussle the bad cat into the hamper and flush the drain down the tubing river of pie.....
FYI in SW the deepsand bed helps elimate some nitritites but most of us use macro algae to comsume the nitrites and phosphates.
stephenray75 - I believe its nitrates, not nitrites 
My views on UGFs and RUGFs is still basically the same. I believe UGFs and RUGFs are both useful as a filter if maintained properly. My 200 gallon arowana tank ran on a UGF for biological filtration with an AC500 for mechanical filtration. For the 5 years that I kept that arowana (till it jumped out) I never had a problem with ammonia, nitrite or nitrate buildups. After I broke down the tank, there wasn't much gunk under the plates neither.
However, I also believe their usefulness is dictated by the situation of your tank. A tank with digging cichlids will more than likely not do too well with a UGFs/RUGFs. Plants is an iffy issue, I've seen people with successful plant tanks with UGFs/RUGFs, and I've seen tanks that did not fair well. Though the tanks that didn't do well probably weren't planned very well neither. Its all about personal preferences... and like many things in this hobby, it all "depends".
-Richer
My views on UGFs and RUGFs is still basically the same. I believe UGFs and RUGFs are both useful as a filter if maintained properly. My 200 gallon arowana tank ran on a UGF for biological filtration with an AC500 for mechanical filtration. For the 5 years that I kept that arowana (till it jumped out) I never had a problem with ammonia, nitrite or nitrate buildups. After I broke down the tank, there wasn't much gunk under the plates neither.
However, I also believe their usefulness is dictated by the situation of your tank. A tank with digging cichlids will more than likely not do too well with a UGFs/RUGFs. Plants is an iffy issue, I've seen people with successful plant tanks with UGFs/RUGFs, and I've seen tanks that did not fair well. Though the tanks that didn't do well probably weren't planned very well neither. Its all about personal preferences... and like many things in this hobby, it all "depends".
-Richer
That is the way this hobby is and will always be. No matter what type of filter you use, you have to do what you have to do. If you overstock, overfeed and do not do the necessary maintenance, you will have problems regardless of the type of filter you use.
UG may not be as forgiving as other filters, but they do the job. I kept a 55 community tank (tiger barbs, black tetras, etc) for 5 years with only a UG and did not have any problems.
