may i ask why?
i toyed with the idea of doing the bucket thing, but i think i'm gonna try the RUGF idea.
Wise to remove an UGF?
- Thread starter NorCalFish
- Start date
may i ask why?
i toyed with the idea of doing the bucket thing, but i think i'm gonna try the RUGF idea.
Supposedly the carbon *might suck up the nutrients in the water if you're dosing ferts. I just take out the carbon to make space for filter floss or whatever else i decide to stick in there.
Removing the UGF is definately a lot of work... deserves at least a beer after its done...
Removing the UGF is definately a lot of work... deserves at least a beer after its done...
i don't usually use carbon, but when i do i buy i great big thing of carbon for $3 and fill my own pouches. personnally i find any kind of ugf to be dirty and gross and a great place for gunk to build up out of sight. i'd take the fish out and rip that thing out as it's probably just polluting more than anything by storing waste that would otherwise be removed by water changes. most of my tanks have extra sponge filters added for more bio-filtration rather than the carbon cartridges. you don't need to ever replace these, even if it says to on the box. just rince in used tank water gently.
yeah I agree with not throwing away filters... only when you wash a hole in them do you need to.
Yeah removing UGF is a pain ( did it twice ) remove as much water as you can ( don't siphon the gravel keep the water clean ) then remove the plates with the fish out of the tank like theredchaser said.
One question I have about switching to a RUGF system is If you don't have some kind of pre filter on the power heads wont waste still build up over time uner the gravel bed ?
One question I have about switching to a RUGF system is If you don't have some kind of pre filter on the power heads wont waste still build up over time uner the gravel bed ?
Before you make a switch to reverse flow ugf how long has your ugf been in place if its been awhile and you reverse the flow your tanks going to become a complete mess. Removing it if its been in a long time is also a pain as fore mentioned and will also turn the tank into a complete mess. I recently removed one from my wifes 55g that had been in for 3/4 years, I regretted touching it soon after I started lol.
That is why for a RUGF you should have a prefilter sponge. They're not hard to find...
Yes, the tank will look messy but a HOB will remove the waste within a day or two.
Well if you end up removing it,here is my 2 cents.I took one out of a 30 gallon.It had 2 plates.I did gravel vacs once a week on this tank for the 6 months it had the UG filter in it.It had(still has)wisteria,anacharis,and java ferns.I did a gravel vac,filled the tank back up and then just grabbed one of the tubes and pulled it up the back wall of the tank.The gravel pretty much stayed in place,and the plants were not disturbed all that much.It was kind of like pulling a table cloth off a table and leaving the dishes in place.There was some debris that came up with it,so I did another 30% water change,changed the filters in the HOB that had been running even with the UG in place,and in less than an hour the water was crystal clear again.As long as you have been doing regular gravel vacs,there should not be that much waste under the plates,so IMO,removing a UG really isn't that bad.The wisteria did loose some roots,but all recovered,and I really could not tell anything had disturbed them.
thanks for all the insight everyone.
i am still debating whether or not to remove it because i dont know how long it will take for the water to clear up and i dont want to keep the fish too long in a 5 gallon bucket
i am still debating whether or not to remove it because i dont know how long it will take for the water to clear up and i dont want to keep the fish too long in a 5 gallon bucket
IMO, I would keep it but just switch to RUGF. Best decision I ever made in terms of filtration. UGF/RUGF are still probably the best bio filters in FW out there and coupled with a HOB for mech filtration and some surface agitation it works very well IME. Just a thought...
