Thoughts on this new undergravel filter design.

[toffee]

In this video, the designer deviated from the age old undergravel filter (UGF) with:

1. Bottom drain to extract waste under the UGF, most ponds have one of them. Having that drain hole could be a pain as leaks could happen, but it also eliminated one of the biggest complain about UGF ie gathering of waste under the plate.
2. The filter was more elevated from the tradition UGF, almost 1 inch (2 cm?) Probably need more water movement as more water will be under the plate? May be powerhead?
3. A felt like sheet between the filter and gravel.

Thoughts?

 

[TwoTankAmin]

You can achieve almost the exact same result by using an RUGF (Reverse-flow Undergravel Gravel Filter). The water is being sucked out of the aquarium above the substrate and pushed down the traditional uplift tube, under the plate and then up though the substrate. Pre-filtering the intake of the powerhead (or pump) used for this will catch most stuff that might make it to under the plate. Running a hang on (or other ***ter) loaded for mechanical filtration will help clear stuff from the water as well as aerate it. This further minimizes what might make it through the pre-filter. Oy can also act as a way to do chemical filtration (carbon, crushed coral or peat in a bag etc.)

You do not have to drill anything. You almost never even have to think about gunk under the plate.

I had an UGF on my first tank. I converted it to a RUGF. I ultimately removed it after I discover baby swordtails and panda corys under the plate.

 

[dougall]

I prefer to keep the space inmy aquariums for fish or plants (or decor) not ~25% for filtration.

interesting concept, but I am not sure of any real appluication involving a UGF that I would want to use.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

UGF/RUGF are great bio-filters. They are not so good for planted tanks. I use Mattenfilters these days.

Planted tanks need a lot less filtration than unplanted tanks.

 

[Wyomingite]

In this video, the designer deviated from the age old undergravel filter (UGF) with:

1. Bottom drain to extract waste under the UGF, most ponds have one of them. Having that drain hole could be a pain as leaks could happen, but it also eliminated one of the biggest complain about UGF ie gathering of waste under the plate.
2. The filter was more elevated from the tradition UGF, almost 1 inch (2 cm?) Probably need more water movement as more water will be under the plate? May be powerhead?
3. A felt like sheet between the filter and gravel.

Thoughts?

View attachment 230056

That's a lot of extra work when you could keep under the UGF as clean with a reverse flow UGF. Two other observations. First, more flow will be needed to pull water through the deeper substrate, and I doubt a couple of air stones will be enough to keep adequate flow through the substrate to prevent formation of anaerobic areas. Typically, 2 to 2.5 inches of substrate is suggested for UGFs, and that looked more like 4 inches (guesstimated, of course). Second, eventually enough detritus is going to be pulled down to the foam filter material, and eventually that's going to plug. There's really no way to clean it off and I doubt it will vacuum clean like the substrate. That could be a lot of "fun" to deal with.

WYite