Je55*e

I am soon going to be setting up a 20 gallon tank, after I get all the supplies I'll need for it. I would like to get an undergravel filter, but have no experience with them whatsoever.
What are the best brands, and any tips you might have regarding them?
Thanks! =)

Lucy

I haven't used one for a long time so maybe they've changed.

I remember how much gunk collected under it. Before I knew it the bottom was really nasty.
It's something you can't see unless you can see the underneath the tank.

Hopefully someone who uses one now will weigh in.

Red1313

The only under gravel filter that I have had was in my 2.5 gal hex tank. I haven't had any real problems with it. I'd personally rather go with a different style now that I've used other filters but it did it's job.
Likely someone who's used them on a larger scale will let you know
good luck!

soldieroffortune1974

Undergravel filters serve no useful purpose,except to form a bed of detritus to be converted into fertilizer for live plants.If you don't have a planted aquarium,it's best not to use undergravel filters because the waste is accumulated,and there's no way to get it out,without breaking everything down.They were designed specifically for planted aquariums.Some say they increase water circulation,but not enough to warrant the headaches of keeping it clean.

Jess

I agree with soldieroffortune1974. All that I've read, is that it traps debris.

Je55*e

I do plan to add some live plants. I had heard from one woman that having added that along with her 'regular' filter, it kept the tank cleaner.
I do water changes once a week, and plan to continue to do so, but any extra help I can get is always welcomed.
Any other filtration suggestions? I have an aqua clear for a 30 gallon right now, that I have yet to set up. That will likely suffice, I'm sure.
Thanks for the input so far, everyone.

RandomKayos

I have used UG filters for years with no problems. In most cases I only have to clean the tank once a year or so. The advantage is that instead of filtering through a 4 or 5 inch square of filter media, you are using the entire bottom of the tank for your media. That means alot more of the benificial bacteria is able to grow.

The down side is that you can't just pull it out and rinse it off every week like you can with an HOB filter but you don't need to. And if you are going to have plants in your tank you will want some mulm in your gravel anyway. I only use HOB's on my sand bottoms because sand will get through the UG plate.

Je55*e

^What brand do you use? What is "HOB" filter?
Thanks for the information!
EDIT: and, would you not recommend using a UG filter with a planted aquarium with gravel as opposed to sand? Just want to make sure.

sirdarksol

I would not run a UGF unless you're going to put powerheads on it. With powerheads (or better, with powerheads set to run a reverse UGF), you don't have so much of the gunk buildup.
UGFs do provide excellent biological filtration, and some mechanical filtration (with the reverse UGF, they keep a lot of the gunk from settling into the gravel, allowing the HOB to pick it up).

HOB is "hang on back," they're the "standard" filter for small to moderate-sized tanks.