cloudy tank help

Byron

If the tank has been running with fish in it, you can't just turn off the undergravel filter. It will pollute the tank and possibly kill the fish.

Like any filter, an UG works by drawing water through the media; in this case, the media is the gravel substrate above the filterplate. Aerobic bacteria colonize and build up in the substrate (media), including most of the nitrifying bacteria that convert ammonia and nitrite, and these require oxygen which they obtain from the water passing through; if the flow of water is stopped, the bacteria will be starved of oxygen and die, and it only takes a few hours. This is my chief objection to UG filters; if the power goes out for several hours, the bacteria will die. Not only does this cause problems with nitrogen gas and such, but it kills most of the nitrifying bacteria which causes a new cycle in the tank--if the fish live so long.

It is possible to have a planted tank with an UG filter, but it is an obstacle. Not only due to the above concern on its own, but the plant roots will clog the filter plate impeding the flow of water, and this again leads to the above issue. Removing the UG filter means taking out the gravel and rinsing it to free it of most of the bacteria. Better to start with a clean system. If you go this route, establish your new filter first, by which I mean, set it up in the tank and run it for a couple weeks (without rinsing or cleaning it) to establish a bacteria colony. Then it will help when the UG is removed and the gravel rinsed.

For a 45g tank you could use a canister filter or a good sponge filter. The powerheads if left would create additional issues by the excess water flow, depending upon how powerful they are of course.

Byron.

eighty80

byron i apreciate all the help but i think im going to stick with the plastic plants. its been 6 months since i had my tank and its finaly working corectly. i dont want to take all those rocks plants and decor out of my tank and start over. my text tank when i get it down the way i will definitly use real plants. again thanks for everything you all have been a help and i have learned alot.

redchigh

Well you wouldn't neccesarily have to take anything out of the tank to plant it.

Just stick some plants in the gravel and you're set.

iamntbatman

Well, hauling the UGF out of there would certainly be something of a pain.

Proposed solution: buy a bigger tank, set it up to be a planted tank from the get-go, move your fish from the 45g into that, tear the 45g tank down and then set that one up as a planted tank once it's empty. Presto, two planted tanks! (Because you totally needed an excuse to get another tank, right? )