# DIY Under gravel filter



## gravelguppy

Hey everyone! 

I just wanted to greet everyone since I am new!
I just wanted to share an idea that I am trying and wanted some input from some awesome fish keepers! 
I just bought a 55 gallon tank and was sick and tired of paying for HOB cartridges. So...I made my own Undergravel filter! I went to my LFS and looked at the cheap UGF filter plates which were over priced, so I decided to make my own.

Here's the project:
I bought 4 four foot 1/2 inch tubing, made tiny holes every 1/2 inch on all sides of the pipe, connected them with Tees and a high flow power head. I used seeds from the filter media of my established 10 gallon tank, and put all the gravel in the new tank. I have 2 inches of gravel over the pipes and the power head is pulling a LOT of water! If this idea works, I should have a mechanical and biological filter made for only 7 dollars and an hour worth of work. Bye Bye expensive filter cartridges!

Questions:
How long do you think it will take to cycle at 80 degrees, with bacterial seeds and Biozyme and StressZyme?

Do you think the UGF that I made will work? I see that it is pulling water from the opposite end of the tank just as well as from close to the power head.

I will post pictures soon if you guys and gals want!


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## susankat

I know the ug will work I have made some that way. As for seeding tank, it can vary on time it takes. Just keep an eye on it.


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## gravelguppy

Thanks for the quick response! Do you think I will need activated carbon to help with filtration or do you think the gravel and the UGf will do all of the filtration?


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## fishguy2727

Don't do an UGF, they are a waste and will cause more harm than good long term. Sand is a much better substrate anyways. It is much cleaner and much more natural than gravel, and requires no maintenance. If you want a simple, old school filter just get a sponge filter.


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## Kehy

UGFs can work, they just don't work as well with live plants. With the design that OP has, it might be interesting to see if it works. Have a backup filtration system if it doesn't work. (better safe than sorry) I personally think gravel is a decent substrate, since not every waterway in the world has a nice sandy bottom. I've heard of sand compacting more than gravel, and I feel there is more water flow through gravel than sand. That being said, sand might not be a good choice with a UGF, since there is less water flow.


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## fishguy2727

UGFs work if you do very thoroughly vacuuming every week ever and luck out. They are outdated and old school and almost all end up causing more harm than good.

Some sands can compact, the one I use and recommend doesn't. I use Estes Marine Sand (also known as Ultra Reef and Stoney River) and have never had any of the issues so many associate with sand in general. It is extremely uniform and the perfect grain size. It also comes in multiple color options. I usually do either solid black or do a 50/50 mix of the black and white. 

There are simply too many good filter options out there to risk using something that MAY work. 

Almost all of the fish we keep in aquariums are from waters too slow to allow gravel as a substrate. Almost all of them come from waters with sand or finer as a substrate, so gravel is unnatural to 95%+ of the fish we keep.

Gravel is too large. It traps massive amounts of debris, which creates work for the aquarist and/or a nitrate factory. It simply isn't worth it since there are better, safer, lower/no maintenance options out there.


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## beaslbob

Yea yea UGF's are old outdated etc etc etc

And I don't use them.

But to the original poster please read this thread:

http://www.aquariumforum.com/f18/tank-birthday-40-years-11547.html

A action of maintaining reef tank (where Paul believes the UGF is a key element to success) for 40 years should speak louder then any of these words.

my .02


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## Kehy

fishguy2727 said:


> UGFs work if you do very thoroughly vacuuming every week ever and luck out. They are outdated and old school and almost all end up causing more harm than good.
> 
> Some sands can compact, the one I use and recommend doesn't. I use Estes Marine Sand (also known as Ultra Reef and Stoney River) and have never had any of the issues so many associate with sand in general. It is extremely uniform and the perfect grain size. It also comes in multiple color options. I usually do either solid black or do a 50/50 mix of the black and white.
> 
> There are simply too many good filter options out there to risk using something that MAY work.
> 
> Almost all of the fish we keep in aquariums are from waters too slow to allow gravel as a substrate. Almost all of them come from waters with sand or finer as a substrate, so gravel is unnatural to 95%+ of the fish we keep.
> 
> Gravel is too large. It traps massive amounts of debris, which creates work for the aquarist and/or a nitrate factory. It simply isn't worth it since there are better, safer, lower/no maintenance options out there.


Opinions my friend, we clearly both have them and they seem at odds. Personally, I like gravel for my tanks. I like a nice mulm layer in my gravel to help feed my plants, so I don't vacuum my gravel thoroughly, just the large bits. It's an excellent base for bacteria. I say keeping fish in tanks is 100% unnatural, so why stop with the substrate, unless a fish needs it for safety reasons?
For me, gravel is much easier to find, and I often supplement it's plant nutritional value by layering it over an inch of garden soil. Not the recommended method sure, but it grows plants, and I personally have had very few issues with it. Plants root well in sand most of the time. The nice thing is, they also root quite nicely in fine gravel as well.


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## gravelguppy

This is why I love forums, so many opinions! 
I read the 40 year old tank article beaslbob, and it was great. It truly shows that with proper maintenance, anything can work. On the note of substrates, I like Kehy's opinion on the gravel. Keeping fish in a tank is 100% unnatural, a different substrate wouldn't affect them any more than a giant glass wall in their faces. I know that sand is nature's filter, but as fishguy said, it can compact and possibly clog up the pores in my filter. Gravel is good because with a thick layer, enough bacteria can grow to keep nitrite levels low, and filter large debris by acting as a strainer. Yes, I know...I will have to vacuum every week, but I had to do that with my HOB filter anyway! A water change for me was vacuuming the gravel. 
Now comes a better question...
What other filters do you swear by, or for that matter, swear on? Everyone knows the most popular, HOB, canister, and UGF, but do you have your own? Love to hear the responses!


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## Kehy

Since I sometimes have to take my tank on 3 hour road trips, internal filters are something I've grown to love. Keep them submerged in the tank, you keep the bacteria through the trip. I'm just a poor college student, so no canisters for me, and my tank is by a bunch of electronics, so I get a little nervous with splashing from HOBs, although I did just get a new tank with one, so we'll see how well that works. I might try growing plants in it and dumping my heater in there.


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## gravelguppy

I am also a broke college student! Fish keeping is an addicting hobby, and keeps me busy. I thought about internal filters, but I didn't like the low water flow for a 55gallon aquarium, and also the fact of cartridges. I hate those cash sucking cartridges! I rather do a little maintenance where I can enjoy the fish rather than waste money and stick a cartridge right into the filter and not relish the fact that I built my filter.


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## Kehy

my internal is for a 1.5 gallon tank, it's pretty much a sponge stuck to a tiny powerhead, so I don't have to replace anything (even if the instructions said to). Works great for a small tank, but I can see how an internal might not be enough for a larger tank


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## gravelguppy

I do want to add a sponge in mine, but I don't know where I can put it! Here's a picture of mine with the gravel (most of it) removed and the power head removed. I'm not sure what kind of responses I will get from posting this picture, but atleast I get some feedback! Sorry, I didn't kow how to rotate them...


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## fishguy2727

One guy having one tank with old school methods that he manages to maintain enough to not have the tank crash does not disprove that there are better, lower maintenance methods that are less prone to crashing. 

If you like more work and the risk of huge nitrate problems then use UGF. If you like to enjoy your tank instead of working hard to keep it from crashing then use sand.

Sand is not hard to find. Go to any LFS and they are happy to sell it to you.

Have you used sand? IME the people who argue against it the hardest are the ones who haven't tried it, or tried one or two bad types that didn't work well for them. I have used both and would not use it on 99% of tanks. 

The fact that not every UGF tank has crashed isn't a reason to use it.


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## susankat

I've made a ug filter similar and so has a few other people that I know, but what I did was put a fine mesh screen over the area where I put the holes and did use sand. I have also used very small gravel. As long as you do weekly maint. there should be no problem.


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## Kehy

fishguy2727 said:


> One guy having one tank with old school methods that he manages to maintain enough to not have the tank crash does not disprove that there are better, lower maintenance methods that are less prone to crashing.
> 
> If you like more work and the risk of huge nitrate problems then use UGF. If you like to enjoy your tank instead of working hard to keep it from crashing then use sand.
> 
> Sand is not hard to find. Go to any LFS and they are happy to sell it to you.
> 
> Have you used sand? IME the people who argue against it the hardest are the ones who haven't tried it, or tried one or two bad types that didn't work well for them. I have used both and would not use it on 99% of tanks.
> 
> The fact that not every UGF tank has crashed isn't a reason to use it.


We can talk about this more in PMs if you want, but I didn't say there was anything wrong with methods different from my own. I just want you to keep in mind that methods of than your own can work as well.


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## fishguy2727

Yes, they do work, but people should know the difference. Working is not always the same. One works with a lot of extra work and you still have some risk. Another may work with no work on your part and be a much safer alternative. I have no delusions about switching UGF users to sand, if they are STILL using sand nothing will ever change their mind. But for people who aren't they need to understand it is not just as simple as 'there are multiple ways to get the same result and all the options are equal'.


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## jrman83

fishguy2727 said:


> One guy having one tank with old school methods that he manages to maintain enough to not have the tank crash does not disprove that there are better, lower maintenance methods that are less prone to crashing.


LOL, I guess you don't know beasl very well. He has many such odd beliefs.


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## gravelguppy

Thanks for all your replies!
I finished the UGF and it is working with a Marineland 295GPH pump. It looks good so far, but if things go sour, I have a back up HOB


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