UGF + 2.5 Gallon

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bizzy928

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Mar 12, 2003
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I just got a 2.5 gallon hex tank that i'm going to stick in my living room. It comes with an UGF as its main filter media.

I plan on putting around 5 lbs of gravel.

My question is that.

What consists of the UGF?
All i have is the plate, the tube and airhose and airstone with pump.

Does anthing go under the plate? Filterfloss?

Or its just a plastic filter with no media...
 
The plates go under the gravel, the risers go through the plate, the airline goes down the riser. When air is applied, it creates a gentle current that pulls the water down through the gravel and up the riser tube. The gravel is the media--the bacteria colonize all the layers of the gravel.

Make sure you don't get more than about 1-1.5 inches of gravel in there--otherwise it won't work very effectively.
 
Thank you!
I only have one riser because its pretty small. (the tank)

Also do I just stick the airtube with airstone through the top of the riser, then down to the bottom.

Will the stone come back up?
 
Yes, that's all you do, the stone won't come back up. Every few months, you might have to replace the airstone as they can get clogged (when the bubbling is much reduced) and that puts more pressure on your pump's diaphram.

The airstone should down be at the level of the plate, i.e. not sitting only halfway down the tube.
 
Its all setup!
The tank is used...
The bubbles are plentiful, and small.

What are the characteristics of a "bad" airstone?
Thank you!
 
When your airstone becomes bad, as previously noted, you see a decreased flowrate of air bubbles.

It's one of those things you don't notice daily since the change is small but when you compare it to the original, you see the difference.
 
Originally posted by Stock R
When your airstone becomes bad, as previously noted, you see a decreased flowrate of air bubbles.

It's one of those things you don't notice daily since the change is small but when you compare it to the original, you see the difference.
Click to expand...

Eh, how do I tell right off the bat? The system was used so I have no reference point. Oh wells, they look plentiful, I guess its okay. If not i'll go buy a new $0.80 stone.
 
It takes several months for the airstone to get clogged up (with organics and bacteria from the tank, presumably). You'll just look in the tank one day and see that there are very few bubbles coming out of it compared to what it's doing now. Nothing to worry about for a while. It would be hard to get a "bad" airstone from the factory, unless it were broken (which would be highly noticeable).

What are you going to put in? I have a betta in mine...
 
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