Joe G

I have a 10-Gallon Tank it came with a compatible Power filter.
I and I am undecided if I should also get a, Undergravel Filter, or would that be too much.

chickadee

Undergravel filters are usually always considered unreliable as all they really do is pull the waste productis further down into the very place you are trying to remove it from. They do a poor job and cause a lot of hassle. There have been cases on this forum where tanks have had to be rescued from very badly kept or handled undergravel filters and they are very difficult to maintain. I would jettison the idea of an undergravel filter and get a Power Filter big enough to handle the tank and let thst be enough.

Rose

not4you

Undergravel filters are usually always considered unreliable as all they really do is pull the waste productis further down into the very place you are trying to remove it from. They do a poor job and cause a lot of hassle. There have been cases on this forum where tanks have had to be rescued from very badly kept or handled undergravel filters and they are very difficult to maintain. I would jettison the idea of an undergravel filter and get a Power Filter big enough to handle the tank and let thst be enough.

Rose

I would be one of those UGF cases that Rose is talking about. I removed mine about 3 months ago. You would not believe the amount of funk that had collected beneath it. I'd just stick with the power filter if it's of adequate power. You want to have one with a GPH (gallons per hour) rating of 10 times the volume of your tank. So for you 10 gallon tank you would want a filter with a 100 GPH rating.

0morrokh

Yeah, UGF's apparently used to be really popular, but people are starting to realize they aren't so good...I've heard so many bad things about them. In a tank that's only 10 gallons, you don't need to be too worried about extra filtration.

chickadee

I will be so happy to qualify that not4you was the recipient of a tank that had been sadly uncared for. He worked very hard to correct the situation. The bad condition of the tank was not the result of his care. But it did take him a lot of work and a LOT of water changes and MONEY to correct the situation. It is a much harder job to correct a bad situation than just to prevent it in the first place.

I am very proud of the job he did.

Rose

ncje

UGF's were once popular and they actually did a of a job. A UGF requires substrate cleaning every week. That said

They are no good for any fish that digs the substrate as they often go down to the UGF and stop it from working. They are also no good for the planted aquarium which are far more popular now than they were ten years ago. Perhaps thats the reason for decline of the UGF. If you have a tank with substrate and movable rocks, driftwood only with non digging fish, then a UGF is cheap and works very well. A UGF works very well with Haplochromines for example.

Gunnie

If you were just bent on using an ugf, you could reverse the flow so the water pushes the water from the bottom up through the gravel where your HOB filter can catch the waste. If you have live plants in the tank with root systems in the gravel though, they won't do well with this set up. A sponge filter might be a cheaper option for you if you need more filtration.

lokky.funky

I have a UGF installed in my 8 gallon. If I were to use it with the reverse flow, what should I do? Please explain me.... I'm not familiar with this..

Gunnie

Instead of the powerhead sucking the water down, you can reverse it to push the water up and out through the gravel. If you already have the tank established, I would not recommend doing this. There is so much waste already under your plates that lifting the plates would release the toxins and probably kill all your fish. You would have to completely start over.

Joe G

Thanks for the advice, i have not gotten purchased any under gravel filter nor do i think i will get one.

Butterfly

When I used a UGF years ago My Nitrates stayed off the charts and I couldn't understand why. Even though it was heavily planted and I vacuumed the whole substrate every week they still stayed high. Then I decided to rearrange the tank and change the gravel. You would not believe the gunk that was under it. It looked like a layer of mud, plus all the plant roots had just about clogged the whole UGF. Never again!! the HOB(hang on back) filters and canisters take all that stuff out of the tank and you rinse it out when you service your tanks. It's a much better system. Sure alot of stuff still gets in the gravel but nothing like with a UGF.
Carol