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I miss all of the Mom and Pop fish stores we used to have in Wichita Kansas back in the good old days. Big box stores came to town and killed most of them off. We do still have a few here but really nothing compared to back in the day.
The King of DIY is a prime example of what you are referring to.
I made my own undergravel filter and connected it to a hangover filter, works great, but if you want sand use only one plate of the undergravel filter in the center of the tank , glue four sides wall on the sides of the plate and fill it with gravel, and both sides of the tank with sand.
what type of gravel is being used as filter media in the video?
no money shot?
I do t personally care if someone makes a hybrid Just gets annoying when i get one and i cant figure out what it is ...:/
Stigma = Bad myth / Stigmatism = Eye problem - besides that, thank you so much for all this infos
7 years ago...
Do you only use 2 uplift tubes? My 55 gallon came with 4.
I don't have a problem with hybrid fish as long as people know what they are & are honest about what they are. A lot of fish stores won't buy fish from hobbyist or wholesalers who don't know what kind of fish they have & rightly so IMHO. BTW the two peacocks in the video were good looking fish. The male was a real stunner. How did the fry turn out?
Looks like a nice plenum. Keep it going
I only have 1 tank due to my small studio apartment, and it's a 10 gallon tall. Original;ly Iwas gonna use the hang on back the kit came with, but I had to relocate the tank off a boookshelf that was not taking the weight well. Wheyn I removed the HOP I dropped it into the tank. After a few tests, I determined i had kilt it. It was ded. Now, this was right after setting it up, so it had no fish and wasn't cycled yet. Luckily, I was able to set up an undergravel filter using 1 plate and lift tube from a normal 10 gallon UGF kit. To suppliment that, I have one of the old Lee's Quick & Easy air driven filters, although as cartriges are getting scarce I will use bulk media like it was a box filter eventually. I have also stepped up from a cheap eBay air pump on a y splitter to a cheap eBay dual outlet "60 gallon" air pump and inline valves so the box and UG aren't fighting for air. Tank is doing great, with Trixie, the powder blue dwarf gourami as The Boss, and a small school of glowlight tetras - the Illusions, becasue they can literally disappear amongst the java fern and anubius. I had a small number of bladder snails but haven't seen any in over 2 weeks now, so I am adding a trio of yellow horned nerite snails which should ship Soon™
Wonder if you could use air pumps on undergravel for marine fish??
I’ve got a hybrid OB peacock male and convict cichlid and I’m tryna see if they’ll crossbreed
Nice video in defense of the UGF. Long ago I asked my LFS if they recommended them. The owner showed me all of his tanks and said "what do you see?" Every tank had a UGF. Am setting up my tank again after several years and will be using my UGF. Thank you for this video.
What is the minium mm grain size of substrate that can be used on under gravel filters?
Great informational video. The under gravel filter was my first filter in what was considered to be a larger trank back in the early 70s. That tank was a 20 high. My second larger tank was the 55g. I experienced with many things back in the late 70s to allow me to run creek sand, dirt, and clay (AKA cat litter) and found that if I used a very fine bridal netting over the filter and then put burlap over it I could get a minimum of substrate to get through and kept the water flow where it needed to be. I did have to clean the underside out about every 2 years but at the time I was happy with that. About 10 years ago I tried a landscape fabric (the one that allows water to pass through one way but not the other) over the under-gravel filter and got over 7 years without any issues. I would still be using that method in conjunction with an anoxic flow plenum but had to break down my fish room when I moved. I will go back to that system when I set back up my tanks. It was really nice to get 4+ years without a water change and when I did have to do one it was because someone that I had watching my tanks overfed like crazy. Anyway, I hope this helps you and if you give it a try let me know how it works for you.
I loved your talk, but I’m trying to get my tubes to glow equally. I hope to see a video on how to properly set my tubes in. 😊
Landscape fabric. That’s how you can use sand or other finer substrates. I have two tanks with fabric layers right on the plate.
Yes! ♥
Excellent result, excellent plant 🌿.
I have used the undergravel filters (UGF) as plenums for years - low flow water movement and could not agree with you more. May I suggest that you try landscaping fabric to cover the UGF for use with sand and dirt substrate - works great for me. Greetings from Rapid City, South Dakota.
i agree some youtubers always gotta get bigger tanks and bigger fish. or they selling products
great video. mine always the babies get eaten
6 years later and they are still just as good as they were when you made the video. UGF is the way of the future :D
I started keeping fish in the mid 1980's and a UGF was used in the setup of my favorite tank which was a 2'x2'x3' tall pedestal elevated cube. I bought the largest Whisper air pump and ran airstones that produced the micro bubbles in the 2.5' tall lift tubes in the back corners AND a medium sized PennPlax HOB filter which I still think is a good enough system to run today with my small Amazonian schooling fish preference. My problem today is the water at my home comes out of a 350 foot well at a 8.6 PH with a 120 TDS. So I run Fluval's Stratum capped with a fine natural gravel which buffers my water to a 7.6 PH while I use Equilibrium for a 240 TDS. I swear I thought about going with an UGF setup again when I started my planted tank 9 weeks ago now. But with the Stratum and the gravel cap I didn't want something I'd have to gravel vac that was that delicate. But when I setup another tank I'm going to go back to what I was an expert at, which was using an UGF setup with a fine gravel, a large HOB filter and a gravel vac with partial water changes. I never checked my water parameters (thanks to the Culligan man) and my fish died of old age with smiles on their faces for their luck in landing in my aquariums for plenty to eat and a long life in a great place for a tropical fish. So what was old is going to be new again!!! And I could care less what the Peanut Gallery has to say about it because only a fool argues with success...
I love absolutely love finding the obscure gems lost in time on YT! I too am in the same boat. Under-gravel filter is king, Like Discus of the freshwater community...as they say. However, I plan to set mine up as a SLOW moving plenum. If what I understand is correct from Kevin Novak, it's gonna rock! Even if many want to say he is wrong and blah blah blah, I already know the under-gravel filter in and of itself is Stellar. Like you said, in more words or less, they are the energizer bunny of filters and last and last...the hobby wants us to spend every penny and chase the FOTM.
Know yourself First because the other people will come and go
So the male drops eggs and the female holds them and they hatch?
I had a dozen at one point but military life and constant moves just became too much. Have it up for about ten years, retired, and loving my two tanks with no intention of getting more. I do have a quarantine tank as well but intentionally refuse to gravel and decorate so I can tear it down within minutes or visa versa. Got everything I want without more work then I want. I absolutely love fish rooms but know I don't want to care for that many tanks again. People really need to set realistic expectations.
I started in the hobby back in '83. Yep, I'm getting old. So much has changed over the years including all the negative opinions of UGFs. I was moving too often during my military time and gave up the tanks for a very long time. When I came back just this year, I went with sponge filters and HOB. HUGE mistake! Water would never settle out and become stable for more than a week or two. I went back to using an under gravel and just starting over. Within two weeks my tank cycled, was clear as air, and my ammonia & nitrates settled to near perfect! Fish colored up and everything was so much better. Then found Dr. Novak's channel and started over again with baked clay (cat litter) although I still prefer an inch of gravel for preferred look. I'm down to water changes about once a month and those are usually only about 10%. I use a gravel vac, but only to siphon anything on the top layer, never push further down into substrate. The bacteria (as you mentioned) will use all that gunk I used to clean out and the plants are growing like crazy. The cat litter base actually helps with the negative/positive ion interaction and keeps the water insanely clear. I don't completely understand all the science, but Doc N does and he's been right so far. It is very difficult to find people who like/use the UGF and I greatly appreciate your video and explanation to the hobbyists who should be switching back to the best filter ever invented...although they probably won't. Personally, I will NEVER setup another tank without a UGF EVER AGAIN! Keep up the great work!
I also had a period where I tried to keep everything and just got demotivated after a year or 2. I everything just kept one tank with 2 angelfish and a group of kulhi loaches and Corys. That tank is still going strong 8 years later and the fish are healthy. I had 2 Angelfish, 20 corys and 10 kulhis when I started the tank. I only lost 4 corys and 2 kulhis since.
My dad who started keeping tropical fish over 45 years ago says the same thing. Undergravel filters with a deep substrate are great for promoting various types of bacteria as the flow rate is varied too unlike a canister, sump etc.
Good for me.
Do you have any pictures or videos of babies of that pair because I got the same pair breeding. I cant wait to see how they turn up😄
Don’t know if anyone has suggested yet but, you can cover the plate with a black paper for lawn care that is used to keep weeds out but let’s water pass thru
results?
A year ago i emptied a 29 gal tank full of eco complete. I put all the substrate in a bucket, did not clean it and left it outside in the yard. Today i decided to clean the gravel and to my surprise even the last bottom cup was clean with no foul smell. Years ago it was told a deep substrate would result in hydrogen sulfide and dead fish. I figure there must have been some good bacteria action going on. I love the undergravel filter but i run them very slow bubble to get better plant growth.
If you want to put sand or dirt on a ugf, put .75" - 1" course, larger gravel down first, followed by the same amount of fine gravel on top of that. Then you can put your sand or dirt on top of that. As long as you don't have any diggers, you'll be fine. I've used Ugf's on EVERY tank I've ever had(got my first tank in '94, started breeding shortly thereafter) with the exception of bare bottom and digger tanks. However, I only ever put the plate on one half of the tank and I've found it works better.
For sand, try using the 'weed barrier' plastic sheeting from any yard or hardware store. Just thin, strong plastic sheeting with tiny holes to let the water through. You could also cut a trash bag into a large sheet to fit and poke tons of holes in it with a pin. For digging fish, put down some of the substrate, then put a layer of plastic mesh or light diffuser, then put more gravel over that. Fish can only dig down that far.
Show us the results
U/G with sand? Easy : Lay the U/G plate, cover with a sheet of fine sponge or floss, then a layer of fine mesh / netting and finally the sand. Worked for me for many years.
Mine I had for a 2 months now and they are getting almost out of the water
I’ve never thought about this. I agree though. It’s not practical for most hobbyist to have multiple stacked tanks. It can lead new people into making decisions that aren’t practical for their lifestyle or interests. Aka investing a lot of money only to be overwhelmed and eventually have to sell off, or get out of it all together.
Also, pushing the latest and greatest equipment, chemicals and decor can be detrimental too. Several years ago, I changed my substrate twice to “achieve the best results”. I was fine with what I had in the beginning.
This is the best footage I’ve seen of this. Thanks so much. Lucky to have been present during this!
Hello sir, From India, Can we fit Or add sponge filter with Undergravel Net??????🤔If possible make us video please🙏
Hallelujah! There is zero substitute for personal accountability. And husbandry? That is the key to the successful rearing of any creature, legs, paws, fins, feathers, and flippers, all of them. Having had many pets, some exotic, and making many mistakes, some fatal, I take it upon myself now to actually study the animals that I am considering. This technique has also served me well with my sons. ( I know.......but you didn't have to live with them! Ha) I approach my " animal" husbandry in one of two different directions now. I either build an environment to fit the critter, or I find a critter that fits the environment that I have built. Either way, I study. Great video! And thank you.
Under gravel filters never have issues with noise, running dry, or overflowing. If you're using a powerhead and it dies you can run it on an air pump until the replacement shows up. As evidenced by LFS that use them, oxygen deprivation, regardless of how insanely you over stocked a tank just doesn't happen with UG filters driven by air.
So what happened to cause people to start hating on these types of filters so much? They're sleek, discreet, cheap and super effective at biological filtration, which the biological is even more important for the health of the aquarium ecosystem they just having clear water in my opinion. I'm using one in my planted tank which helps to pull down the nutrients from the fish waste from the water column down to the roots of the plants and away from where algae can use it. Combine that with a little over tank trough filter to pick up any particulates, and my tank is super duper clear and polished. Also my fish are breeding again which is a good sign of their health.😊🐟
Beautiful Male!