underground filter in a cichlid tank?

D

diavids

AC Members
Jan 14, 2008
18
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0
Victoria, Canada
hi everyone,

I just joined this group and I have a question. I have an underground filter in my 33 gal tank (it came with the tank) I'm now switching the fish in that tank over to a bigger tank and I'm going to use the 33 high for a small Lake Tanganyika community cichlid tank. I am getting mixed reports about the underground filter, some ppls say keep it running and other say, take it out. What do you think I should do? If i'm going to take it out this would be the ideal time to do that. Right now I have a Neo Brichardi who's going in the tank. I don't plan to stock the tank too much, I would like to find an Alt Calvus and maybe a Julie ornatus or Neo tretocephalus. It would be nice to have a catfish as well but most I have checked into get too big for the tank size. I figure 3/4 fish max. My LFS have told me that I should overstock the tank as everyone would get along better but I would perfer to have few fish and give everyone their own space. I plan to only get one of each as I don't want to get into breeding the fish. thank you for listening, dianne
 
The LFS is applying mbuna techniques to a completely different lake.

Some will tell you that an UGF or at least a RUGF is fine as long as you keep up the maintenance. I think it is simply an outdated filtration method and there are much better options that are easier to maintain. I have used them and maintained them properly and years after still ended up with major debris problems, which can lead to nitrate problems. There are simply much better types of filters out there. There are some who have used them since they were the best and are used to the maintenance they need, but most people have moved on to newer, better forms of filtration.

This really doesn't matter since I would use sand anyways. It is much more natural and is much cleaner. I have sand in all my tanks (Estes' Marine Sand, no cleaning needed, costs the same as gravel, and heavy so it doesn't get caught in filters easily at all) and if you have enough flow you will not need to vacuum at all. I do not vacuum at all because there is simply nothing to take out.
 
thank you very much. I think I'll take out the UGF once I get all my fish moved over. Also thanks for the suggestion for the sand, I'll think I'll get some for the new set up.
dianne
 
With regards to the stocking of your 33 you will need to make some choices, but thats a whole other topic...anyways...

Outdated or not, RUGF are an very efficient way of filtering, however, I would not recommend them in a cichlid tank. Pressure from rockwork would worry me, along with the use of sand, and any digging from the cichlids that may result. Look into HOBS or canisters.
 
And sponge filters. They are a good way to get a very good biological filter going.
 
I have used UGF and RUGF for over 25 yrs and never had any maintenance issues or debri build up.
 
I had a 110 gallon that I ran with an undergravel filter and two monster power heads. It worked pretty well. Had that set up for about 15 years. Just gutted that tank and am converting it to a African Cichlid tank. I yanked the undergravel filter and went with a Rena X3 and a black and white sand substrate. Canisters is just so easy to maintain and deal with...So glad I'm done with the UGF
 
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