How To Build An Under Gravel Pond Filtration Filter

The most basic requirement in keeping a healthy, happy fish tank is clean water. Think of taking a clean, clear jiff of fresh air versus a smoggy, polluted 1 – here the parallels between our need for a clean surround and that of our fish becomes readily apparent.

Fish in the wild can usually rely on the natural filtering procedure of tides and water flow to remove waste and oxygenated h2o.

In dissimilarity we domicile aquarists must consider the artificial aggregating of these potentially chancy materials and rely on complicated, often confusing mechanical filtration systems to care for our fish.

Worry not, dear reader as we've gathered the all-time information on creating an like shooting fish in a barrel undergravel filter setup that will keep your fish healthy for years to come!

What is An Undergravel Filter?

Undergravel filters are ane of the oldest filtration methods and have been used successfully for many years to decrease the build upwardly of harmful wastes and bacteria in the aquarium and lower the stress of deep cleaning.

Typical "UG" filters consist of filter plates, typically near two inches wide (besides referred to as the ugf plate) that lie beneath the gravel bed on the bottom of the aquarium.

Lift Tube

At the dorsum of this plate blazon filter is a elevator tube which is designed to pull air towards the bottom, creating a vacuum as air bubbles back up towards the surface. This vacuum pulls filtered water down through the gravel and the filter plate, to be carried out via the lift tube.

NOTE

This may sound a fleck confusing, just suffice it to say that undergravel filters allow us to use a unproblematic air pump to do a huge amount of work for our overall filtration system.

How Do They Work?

An undergravel filter works by using air pumps to create vacuum, pulling free floating waste material and bacteria out of the aquarium water. The gravel substrate acts as a filter media as water passes through, trapping particles too large to go far downwardly through small holes within the gravel to the filter plate beneath.

A more contempo advancement in aquarium technology is the power filter. A powerhead water pump acts by mechanically pulling the water in those elevator tubes upward, rather than relying on the less efficient water catamenia vacuum generated by older under gravel filters.

In fact, these filters tin be efficient plenty that they don't even crave a separate canister filter (Skomal).

Why Get An Undergravel Filter?

There are quite a few adept reasons to consider undergravel filters when considering the filtration system for your fish tank.

Affordable Upfront Toll and Budget – Considering that a typical system is little more than an air pump and a filter, these systems are often cheaper and easier to maintain than other options
Biological Filtration – As benign bacteria accumulate on the surface of the gravel, they act to farther filter out more than harmful organisms
Aesthetics – Undergravel filters are low-profile and are less probable to disrupt the natural beauty in your fish tank
Compatibility with Other Filters – Undergravel filters make an excellent addition to other setups, such as a hang-on-back, or hob filter.
Longevity – The simplicity of undergravel filters, along with their ease of cleanup can mean that you can go along one in your tank for the lifetime of some fish
Customizable – The availability of multiple types of arrangement setups means that a gravel filter can get office of about any fish tank
Beneficial to Plant Tanks – The beneficial leaner and biological filtration fostered by an nether gravel filter can assist remove chemicals that can impairment your beautiful plants or worse, generate oxygen depleted environments altogether!
Substrate Aeration – H2o circulation through the base of operations of your aquarium means less buildup of harmful bacteria, and increased oxygen for beneficial ones

TIP

Working on your plant tank? Consider the effect of air stones in CO2 levels earlier calculation them to the tank if using an boosted injection organisation.

Merely remember that this will require more airline tubing between the air pump and stone (Skomal).

Disadvantages of An Undergravel Filter Setup

Unfortunately in most instances, undergravel filters cannot be the entirety of your aquarium filtration setup. There will exist the need for additional cleanup equally debris accumulates which can mean actress time spent vacuuming or manually removing pieces that are too heavy for the filter.

Saltwater aquariums with coral, besides known every bit reef tanks, in particular can be a difficult friction match with a gravel system equally the stand up lone filter as the difficulty in cleaning around coral and large rocks poses a problem.

Air Stone

The air pump component of near under gravel filters can exist obtrusive when running at max level, creating backlog noise and visual disturbance. Consider an air rock to disperse those pesky bubbling!

Additionally, well-nigh undergravel systems do not include much past way of chemical filtration, significant in that location is a possibility for an over-buildup of harmful sulfides and nitrates. This tin be corrected by calculation a carbon pre-filter unit of measurement to the lift tubes.

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Carbon inserts are a peachy manner to boost the power of whatever filter in your aquarium!

When to Consider Undergravel Filter

Penn Plax Premium Under Gravel Filter System

For a fish-simply aquarium with proper air and water period (peradventure with the addition of an air stone to disperse air through the tank,) a gravel filter can make an splendid choice.

In whatever beginning-time tank setup, an under gravel filter can brand for an easy to understand and setup system that when properly installed leads to lower maintenance and long-term stress for the aquarium owner, significant more than time to just relax and enjoy!

TIP

An under gravel filter is greatly affected past substrate selection. Typically, this means using a effectively gravel covering on meridian, with a fibroid gravel layer beneath to best foster biological filtration.

How to Choose An Undergravel Filter

There are several factors to consider when choosing an appropriate filter for your tank:

Aquarium Size – For a tank with a larger surface area, an under gravel pump and air filter system may demand to exist bulked up with more ane water pump! Annotation that size is typically based on an empty aquarium, and y'all may need to consider boosted space taken up by decorations and the fish themselves.
Filtration Requirement – Larger aquariums with more fish (and thus more waste!) may demand to consider more than only one nether gravel filter, boosted chemic filtration and an air pump. Always start past checking the water quality when determining the specific requirement for your tank.
Additional Needs – Tank is low on oxygen? Consider calculation another air pump or two! In that location is typically e'er something you can add to an nether gravel organization to rest the downsides. Air stones, an air pump, and even extra chemical filtration may need to be considered.
Budget – While a typical under gravel setup is relatively affordable, make sure to note the overall plan for your tank before diving in. One unexpected extra component can rapidly mean three or four more than, adding extra complications to something that should exist fun and rewarding!

How to Set Up Undergravel Filters

As mentioned previously, setting upward an under gravel filter system is relatively easy. Select your substrate (in this instance, gravel,) determine the appropriate amount of gravel to add together, and pour on top of your filter plates. After this, plow on the water pump to the undergravel filter and you're good to go!

Things can get more complicated when considering additional filter equipment, or dissimilar varieties of aquarium or environment.

Here's a quick video on how to gear up your undergravel filter

How To Ready a Penn-Plax Clear-Gratuitous Undergravel Filter

When using a powerhead undergravel filter, information technology can be as simple as plugging the head onto the tube of the existing siphon tube attachment.

These extra devices profoundly increase the air menstruation efficiency of the undergravel filter, but information technology must be remembered that powerheads provide no extra filtering in and of themselves.

Ponds and Undergravel Air Pump Filters

But what about ponds? Undergravel filters tin absolutely be a smashing fit!

The main affair to consider with a larger outdoor setup is that natural debris such as leaves and sticks can't exist mechanically separated by the biological filtration of an undergravel filter and may demand to be removed manually.

TIP

Be sure to eliminate the presence of dead-spots on the lesser of your undergravel filter by properly pumping air to the surface from the bottom of the "outdoor fish tank."

Maintenance of Undergravel Filters

To go along your aquarium under gravel filter working at its best and providing the maximum amount of possible filtration, there are a few steps to consider.

Keep the gravel substrate free of excess large droppings, including old food, sticks, and particulates
Use a back filter, a type of water pump designed to flush water back through the under gravel filter and unclog it
Take note of when you need to add more components to the system. An overworked undergravel filter can't provide the amount of filtration it should!

Conclusion

As we've discussed throughout the article, an undergravel filter setup can make a great addition to any aquarium.

They not only provide an like shooting fish in a barrel to set up and maintain filter, only tin can subtract the amount of potential harmful chemical filtration required thanks to the presence of beneficial leaner inside the gravel substrate.

One time once again I'd like to thanks for reading this article, and if y'all've constitute the information useful feel gratuitous to share with other fish enthusiasts!

References

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