sjencso@bbn.com (Steve Jencso) (04/01/88)
I am about to rip one of my tanks down for Sping Cleaning. It contains an undergravel filter. Being this is my first tank with a UGF, should the plate be removed when the tank is cleaned or will this destroy the bacteria build-up underneath? Steve Jencso
richard@gryphon.CTS.COM (Richard Sexton) (04/04/88)
In article <22888@bbn.COM> sjencso@cc6.bbn.com.BBN.COM (Steve Jencso) writes: > >I am about to rip one of my tanks down for Sping Cleaning. It contains an >undergravel filter. > >Being this is my first tank with a UGF, should the plate be removed when >the tank is cleaned or will this destroy the bacteria build-up underneath? > > All i do is rip everything out, and diatom the tank. The bacteria are covering the gravel not living underneath it. ------------------------------- Curing wood: soak it in water for a long time, preferably months. Just any old wood you find lying around is no good. Well weathered wood from a lake is ok, but ceder or cyrpess root are worth seeking out as they leach active beneficial biological compounds into the water. ----------------------------------- Live rock is a matrix of rock and marine organisms. It is usually small pieces of rock infested with marine plume worms, and all other sorts of invertibrates. If you buy it in the store you get what you see. If you can order a box full of the stuff from a collector in Florida you may get shrimp, snails, fish, who knows what... -- Remember me. Toggle my taco. richard@gryphon.CTS.COM rutgers!marque!gryphon!richard
Ram-Ashwin@cs.yale.edu (Ashwin Ram) (04/04/88)
In article <22888@bbn.COM>, sjencso@bbn (Steve Jencso) writes: > > I am about to rip one of my tanks down for Sping Cleaning. It contains an > undergravel filter. > > Being this is my first tank with a UGF, should the plate be removed when > the tank is cleaned or will this destroy the bacteria build-up underneath? The bacteria live in the gravel (more accurately, on the surface of the gravel particles) that sits on the UGF. In fact, most of the bacterial population lives on the upper third of the gravel. Removing the UGF plate, therefore, won't destroy your bacteria. However, washing the gravel DOES destroy a lot of bacteria. Gentle rinsing with slightly cool water is recommended unless you really need to wash the gravel well for other reasons. Ditto for the UGF itself. -- Ashwin. ARPA: Ram-Ashwin@cs.yale.edu UUCP: {decvax,ucbvax,harvard,cmcl2,...}!yale!Ram-Ashwin BITNET: Ram@yalecs
andre@nrc-ut.UUCP (Andre' Hut) (04/05/88)
In article <22888@bbn.COM> sjencso@cc6.bbn.com.BBN.COM (Steve Jencso) writes: >...Sping Cleaning... >Being this is my first tank with a UGF, should the plate be removed when >the tank is cleaned or will this destroy the bacteria build-up underneath? The bacteria are in the gravel, not underneath. It should be ok, just don't overwash the gravel, and save some of the water from your tank to put back in. -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------