padgett@inuxd.UUCP (11/25/87)
At the advice if a friend I arranged my tank (29 gal.) so that the power filter pulls water through the undergravel filter. I have noticed that most tanks seem to have the filters functioning separately with the air-driven undergravel filter outputting water through an activated charcoal filter into the tank and the power filter pulling water through a syphon tube an inch or so above the gravel. What are the advantages/disadvantages of my present setup? I have floss and an "Ammono-Carb" bag in the power filter (I heard "Chemi-Pure" is better. Also my plants are suddenly disappearing. I have several varieties of Tetras, platys, paleatus catfish, two varieties of gouramis (flame and kissing), and an ever-enlarging plecostomus. I suspect the plecomostomus. Any coments? Thanks in advance for advice and comments. I'm still fairly new at this. Gary Padgett AT&T Consumer Products Indianapolis, IN
richard@gryphon.UUCP (11/26/87)
In article <1097@inuxd.UUCP> padgett@inuxd.UUCP (Gary Padgett) writes: >At the advice if a friend I arranged my tank (29 gal.) so that the >power filter pulls water through the undergravel filter. I have >noticed that most tanks seem to have the filters functioning >separately with the air-driven undergravel filter outputting water >through an activated charcoal filter into the tank and the power filter >pulling water through a syphon tube an inch or so above the gravel. Well, what this will do is increase the efficiancy of your undergravel filter, as the expense of not being able to clean the muck out of your outside filter. Said muck will be trapped in the gravel. Is that what you really want ? Yeah, I know it was a neat idea. I did it once too. Could you get those "power head" undergravel filter motors that stick onto the tops of the undergravel filter output stems ? >What are the advantages/disadvantages of my present setup? I have >floss and an "Ammono-Carb" bag in the power filter (I heard >"Chemi-Pure" is better. Never used 'em. Changing water is cheaper. >Also my plants are suddenly disappearing. I have several varieties of >Tetras, platys, paleatus catfish, two varieties of gouramis (flame and >kissing), and an ever-enlarging plecostomus. I suspect the >plecomostomus. Any coments? The pleco sure is a good suspect, as are the platies. What kinds of plants ? Are the plants going from perfectly healthy to gone in one fell swoop, or are they turning brown and dissolving ? >Gary Padgett -- Richard J. Sexton INTERNET: richard@gryphon.CTS.COM UUCP: {hplabs!hp-sdd, sdcsvax, ihnp4, nosc}!crash!gryphon!richard "It's too dark to put the keys in my ignition..."
greg@ncrcan.UUCP (12/01/87)
In article <1097@inuxd.UUCP> padgett@inuxd.UUCP writes: >Also my plants are suddenly disappearing. I have several varieties of >Tetras, platys, paleatus catfish, two varieties of gouramis (flame and >kissing), and an ever-enlarging plecostomus. I suspect the >plecomostomus. Any coments? This is probably your best bet. I have a 13 inch "pleco" in my tank and it eats a fair number of plants. I've tried to discourage the pleco from eating plants by feeding him more and putting grow lights on top of the tank in order to produce more algae. Nothing I do seems to stop him from eating his leafy greens! -- "Shit Happens!" +-------------------------------------------------------+-------------------+ | UUCP: ..!mnetor!utzoo!lsuc!ncrcan!greg | Greg Foisy | | INTERNET: Greg.Foisy@Toronto.NCR.COM | NCR Canada Ltd. | | CANPOST: 6865 Century Ave, Mississauga, Ont. L5N 2E2 | (416) 826-9000 | +-------------------------------------------------------+-------------------+
andre@nrc-ut.UUCP (Andre' Hut) (12/02/87)
In article <1097@inuxd.UUCP> padgett@inuxd.UUCP (Gary Padgett) writes: >At the advice if a friend I arranged my tank (29 gal.) so that the >power filter pulls water through the undergravel filter. I have >noticed that most tanks seem to have the filters functioning >separately with the air-driven undergravel filter outputting water >through an activated charcoal filter into the tank and the power filter >pulling water through a syphon tube an inch or so above the gravel. This is almost the best set-up. The undergravel filter is by far the best type of filter for keeping the ammonia levels under control, and the more flow you have through it, the better. The best set-up is to have the water going *down* your 'uplift' tubes. This has the advantage of keeping your gravel clean, while still maintaining the biological filtration. The water should be pulled from the surface where there is more oxygen, then through your mechanical filter, then through the chemical filter (carbon), then down under the gravel filter, and back up. The oxygen is useful to the bacteria which break down the ammonia into nitrates (which are then used by your green plants). You do have to clean up the bottom once and awhile though, cause nothing is sucking water from the bottom. >What are the advantages/disadvantages of my present setup? I have >floss and an "Ammono-Carb" bag in the power filter (I heard >"Chemi-Pure" is better. Chemi-pure is great for salt-water tanks, probably fine for fresh-water too. >Also my plants are suddenly disappearing. I have several varieties of >Tetras, platys, paleatus catfish, two varieties of gouramis (flame and >kissing), and an ever-enlarging plecostomus. I suspect the >plecomostomus. Any coments? I had a plecostomus once too. It's great for cleaning algae off the tanks, but if you don't keep it fed, it will eat plants and even other fish. Try feeding it frozen-lettuce. For some reason if you freeze it first, it makes it mushier and they like it better. I once noticed that some of my tiger-barbs (a very quick nimble fish) were getting 'sucked' on by the plecosto-sucker. I couldn't figure out why the skin of some of these tiger barbs were getting ripped off, until I actually saw it sucking on one of them. Damnest thing I ever saw... -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- sdcsvax-\ ihnp4-\ \ \ Andre' Hut sdcrdcf!psivax!nrcvax!nrc-ut!andre / / / hplabs--/ ucbvax!calma-/ / utah-gr!uplherc/ Network Research Corporation 923 Executive Park Dr. Suite C Salt Lake City, Utah 84117 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
richard@gryphon.UUCP (12/03/87)
In article <353@nrc-ut.UUCP> andre@nrc-ut.UUCP (Andre' Hut) writes: >In article <1097@inuxd.UUCP> padgett@inuxd.UUCP (Gary Padgett) writes: >>At the advice if a friend I arranged my tank (29 gal.) so that the >>power filter pulls water through the undergravel filter. I have > >This is almost the best set-up. I disagree. What you have with an outside filter is a device removing suspended junk from the water. It would get trapped in the filter material where it can be easily removed. In a sub-sand filter its a lot harder to remove, and worse, it's still IN THE TANK. > The undergravel filter is by far the >best type of filter for keeping the ammonia levels under control, and >the more flow you have through it, the better. The best set-up is to >have the water going *down* your 'uplift' tubes. This has the advantage >of keeping your gravel clean, while still maintaining the biological >filtration. The water should be pulled from the surface where there >is more oxygen, If there is any degree of water movement, there should be appx. equal amounts of dissolved oxygen throughout tha tank. then through your mechanical filter, then through >the chemical filter (carbon), then down under the gravel filter, and >back up. The oxygen is useful to the bacteria which break down the >ammonia into nitrates (which are then used by your green plants). > >You do have to clean up the bottom once and awhile though, cause nothing >is sucking water from the bottom. This is how those "Vortex reverse flo undergravel filters" work. They've been around quite a few years and havn't really seemed to catch on. There just doesnt seem to be an advantage to them. > >Andre' Hut -- Richard J. Sexton INTERNET: richard@gryphon.CTS.COM UUCP: {hplabs!hp-sdd, sdcsvax, ihnp4, nosc}!crash!gryphon!richard "It's too dark to put the keys in my ignition..."