This is a loooooooonnnnnngg post.
OK. Here we go again. I am one of the old timers that still believe in the use of UGFs. I do believe that they have their niche in the hobby. I have used them for years and years and years and yea....... Well, you get the point. I have them in tanks ranging in size from 5g to 300g. I use them powered by air pumps. I use them powered with powerheads, both in the traditional manner and in reverse flow. I use them as an exclusive means of filtration and I, mostly, use them as part of a battery of filtration elements. By this, I mean that I use them along with powerfilters and canister filters. No single means should be employed in tanks larger than 75g, and maybe as small as 20g.
What do I mean? Anytime one can employ multiple means of filtration, they most assuredly should. Use the axiom that if one is good, two is better. My 125g tanks, for example, have ug filters w/ reverse flow power heads ((4) 170gph each), powerfilters((2) 400gph each), and canister filters((2) 350gph each). Would I remove any filtering component? NO! Why? The ug filter is actually the best part of the system because it contains the highest percentage of area of the entire system. By using reverse flow, I am getting a more even flow and thus more oxygen to my bacteria bed. I also have much less detritus and mulm on the aquarium floor. This means fewer and less labor intensive gravel sweeps. Water change frequency is decidedly less frequent. What does this all mean? More time for me to enjoy my fish, my tanks, and my hobby.
Is the answer no ug filters? If you think that ug filters are of a bygone era, you need to step back and consider this: if one type of filtration system truly were the best, we wouldn't have but one choice. Instead we have many. So, stop before you express your opinion that ug filtration is bad. You just need to apply a new twist to the old idea (reverse flow).
By the way, my 125g tank(I have 2) is jammed full of African cichlids. The other is heavily planted and full of angels, festivums, keyhole cichlids, geophagus species, uaru, rams, apistogrammas, tetras, cories, farwellas, and the like. Do I ave problems? Sure, but not because of inadequate filtration or poor water quality. Nor are the problems I have connected in any way to the use of ug filtration. So, I must say that all that you have heard about plants not liking ug filtration are simply false. Just because your lfs says that ug filters are bad, doesn't necessarily mean so. Consider this, one can set up a good ug system for under $30. A top of the line ug stem for $50-$60. A good power filter will set you back $55-$75. A good canister filter will lighten the wallet $90-$135. Now, if you owned your lfs, which would you try to sell? Remember, you have to eat. Yeh, I thought so.
OK. Here we go again. I am one of the old timers that still believe in the use of UGFs. I do believe that they have their niche in the hobby. I have used them for years and years and years and yea....... Well, you get the point. I have them in tanks ranging in size from 5g to 300g. I use them powered by air pumps. I use them powered with powerheads, both in the traditional manner and in reverse flow. I use them as an exclusive means of filtration and I, mostly, use them as part of a battery of filtration elements. By this, I mean that I use them along with powerfilters and canister filters. No single means should be employed in tanks larger than 75g, and maybe as small as 20g.
What do I mean? Anytime one can employ multiple means of filtration, they most assuredly should. Use the axiom that if one is good, two is better. My 125g tanks, for example, have ug filters w/ reverse flow power heads ((4) 170gph each), powerfilters((2) 400gph each), and canister filters((2) 350gph each). Would I remove any filtering component? NO! Why? The ug filter is actually the best part of the system because it contains the highest percentage of area of the entire system. By using reverse flow, I am getting a more even flow and thus more oxygen to my bacteria bed. I also have much less detritus and mulm on the aquarium floor. This means fewer and less labor intensive gravel sweeps. Water change frequency is decidedly less frequent. What does this all mean? More time for me to enjoy my fish, my tanks, and my hobby.
Is the answer no ug filters? If you think that ug filters are of a bygone era, you need to step back and consider this: if one type of filtration system truly were the best, we wouldn't have but one choice. Instead we have many. So, stop before you express your opinion that ug filtration is bad. You just need to apply a new twist to the old idea (reverse flow).
By the way, my 125g tank(I have 2) is jammed full of African cichlids. The other is heavily planted and full of angels, festivums, keyhole cichlids, geophagus species, uaru, rams, apistogrammas, tetras, cories, farwellas, and the like. Do I ave problems? Sure, but not because of inadequate filtration or poor water quality. Nor are the problems I have connected in any way to the use of ug filtration. So, I must say that all that you have heard about plants not liking ug filtration are simply false. Just because your lfs says that ug filters are bad, doesn't necessarily mean so. Consider this, one can set up a good ug system for under $30. A top of the line ug stem for $50-$60. A good power filter will set you back $55-$75. A good canister filter will lighten the wallet $90-$135. Now, if you owned your lfs, which would you try to sell? Remember, you have to eat. Yeh, I thought so.