Rfugf

Raskolnikov

Raskolnikov

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Jan 2, 2005
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To those of you who run RFUG filtration, is it your sole means of filtration for any tanks? Yesterday I setup a 16g tall (20" x 10" x 19") w/ a UG plate covered in 1.5" of small gravel hooked up in reverse flow with a penguin 660R powerhead. I dosed w/ ammonia and tossed in a large bag of well seeded biomax (3 months in use in another tank). Once cycled, my plans for the tank are a mat of floating plants like riccia or duckweed (leaning more towards duckweed atm), ghost shrimp, and a male betta OR a trio of platys. Particular stocking isn't that important to me for this tank, I'm more interested in the function of the filter.

Concerns thus far are as follows. There is no discernable water movement in the tank, even the string from the bag of biomax is lying perfectly still. Do most of you supplement RFUGF with a powerhead for surface turbulance? Also, as a bit of a personal gripe, the powerhead takes up a very large space on the interior of the tank.

Positives so far are the lack of noise. I have to put my ear right against the tank to hear anything, and even then it's only the light fixture that is audible.

TIA
 
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As a general rule, I always run more than one filter regardless of format. I have debated running RFUG as a stand alone, but haven't tried it yet. The size of the powerhead doesn't bother me so much so The lack of current is the only downside I see. despite high volume water exchange you will see little or no appearant water movement. In all of my current set-ups (pun intended) I use either powerheads, internal submersables, or HOB power filters. I also have not tried the 660 on my 10 or my 16g high tank, but use the smaller 550 powerhead. I don't know how much difference that would really make, but would tend to say you are better off with the larger flow.

Despite the lack of current, you will see very little waste settling into the substrate. it tends to stay on top of the gravel where it is easy to vaccum out. at the most I get waste 1/2" deep in 3" of gravel. Lack of current worries me a bit as I have had issue with cyanobacteria in relatively still tanks. This seems to be hit and miss issue, but something to be mindfull of.

Right now I am running a penguin 125 on my 16g with RFUG, an AC 150 on the 10g with RFUG, and on the 115g with four 1140 powerheads, I also have an ehiem aquaball, and an emporer 400 as well as two powerheads and a power reactor for Co2. All told the big tank is borderline on turbulent right now.
Dave
 
I am a current nut, and always have supplemental mechanical filration with RFUG. Planted tanks especially need some current to avoid boundry layer effect and resulting nurient issues. Most of my fish seem to enjoy swimming in the current as well. I do to some extent tailor the current to the fish being kept, but there is always at least one if not more supplemental mechanical filters. This has been the case forever for me with RFUG.

I just reset a tank last weekend RFUG, a 29, with two small internal mechanical canisters for current. And I copied Dave's heavy powerhead use with two 1140s, where in the past I would have used only one.
 
I dont use RFUG filters anymore, the reason is that none of my current tanks allow for that kind of filtration(I wont hesitate to use them when the need comes), they are a good supplemental filter imo.As RTR said as well, I always had some kind of canister filter to take suspended particals out of the water and just like everything ,more filtration in most cases is better .As Daveedka said the lack of current is the only downside which could be fixed by having supplemental filtration. Nowadays for water movment I use Dr Adey's dump bucket , which has its up and down sides, mainly noise and splash, but I have them in the basement so it does not bother me at all.
 
I use a Fluval 3+ in tank sponge filter as a powerhead and prefilter for my RFUGF. My tank is 1'X3' and my UGF plate is 1'X1'. The plate is on the left side of the tank and the sponge prefilter is on the right side, the theory being that the water must flow from the RFUGF back to the prefilter. There is no visible flow, but the system works great.
 
I use a Peguin 660 with their Penguin RUGF kit.
Going from UGF to RUGF was a big change.
The amount of yuck that disappeared has been amazing.
Gravel vacuum almost picks up nil every week.
I do use a Penguin 170 bio-wheel and a smaller HOB on the 10G though...
HOB's are cheap. :)
 
Actually for me the RFUGs are not supplemental, they are the primary biofilter for those tanks where it is used. The powerhead prefilters for the RFUGs do pick up a lot of particulates, but I want more current, so use supplemental mechanical filters. Those tanks w/RFUG are definitely clearer than my more conventionally fitered set-ups (as if any of my setups are very conventional). Their water almost always looks as if diatom filtered, or very close to that clarity.
 
ashdavid said:
(I wont hesitate to use them when the need comes), they are a good supplemental filter imo.As RTR said as well, I always had some kind of canister filter to take suspended particals out of the water and just like everything ,more filtration in most cases is better .As Daveedka said the lack of current is the only downside which could be fixed by having supplemental filtration.
Click to expand...

Sorry RTR got my words mixed up, I meant to have it the other way around. Like I said in my last sentence the canister filter was supposed to be the supplemental filtration to take suspended particals out of the water. And I dont put any filter media in the canister just filter wool.So the main bio-filter is the RFUG. I hope this cleared things up for those who were confussed. :duh:
 
I am pretty much of the same Pilosophy. The RFUG is a primary bio-filter, I swap sponges on all mechanical filters weekly rather than go through the chore of hand washing them. By swapping them out, the sponges do not get time to estabilish high end bacteria colonies. I am very confident that I could run the tank with nothing but my RFUG, it would just require a bit more collecting of mulm, something my other filters do for me now. I can vaugely remember life before undergravel filtration in my tanks, and do my best to block those days from my mind.

I just reset a tank last weekend RFUG, a 29, with two small internal mechanical canisters for current. And I copied Dave's heavy powerhead use with two 1140s, where in the past I would have used only one.
Click to expand...

I'll be really interseted in your observations when the time comes.

:OT: BTW RTR, I set up a plant grow out tank (plastic sterilite container) without undegravel, 50/50 flourite and estes walnut. I'm scared to death of it so far but have resolved to try a tank sans RFUG again. in a couple of weeks I plan to supplement with some guppies. currently it's full of plants and has a good colony of snails going.

Dave
 
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