# Replacing undergravel filter



## sunny21 (Jun 18, 2011)

I am summarizing the entire process of replacing an UG filter stepwise. Please correct me if i am wrong anywhere.

Step 1. Unplug the heater and let the tank sit for an hour

Step 2. Unplug all the filters and pumps

Step 3. Remove 50 percent water into a bucket1

Step 4. Remove the fishes and keep them in that bucket1 of removed water

Step 5. Add an airwood connected with an air pump into the bucket of fishes

Step 6. Remove the remaining 50 percent water into another bucket2

Step 7. Remove the entire gravel,decorations and filters and put them into the bucket2

Step 8. Remove the old under-gravel filter

Step 9. Set up the new under-gravel filter

Step 10. Put the gravel back from bucket2 into the tank and lay it evenly over the plates of the new under-gravel filter

Step 11. Add 50 percent fresh tap water after treating with anti-chlorine into the tank

Step 12. Add the filters and decorations into the tank

Step 13. Add the fishes into the tank from bucket1

Step 14. Add the remaining 50 percent water from the bucket1 where the fishes were kept

Step 15. Wait for 15-30 minutes to settle the water

Step 16. Start the filters,pump and heater


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## cinderella (Jul 13, 2011)

complicate................. Sorry I am new here. Just start keep fish


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## sunny21 (Jun 18, 2011)

@ cinderella

Yeah a bit complicated for beginners 

What tank and accessories you have?


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

If you're overhauling the entire tank, here's a few suggestions - 

If possible, keep your fish in the bucket for as long as possible after the overhaul. To do this, I would put the heater in the bucket and run it to keep them warm. Second, I would wash out the tank and wash the gravel too, as you'll be surprised how dirty the bottom layer of gravel and the UGF can be. And lastly, if you decide to put your fish right back in, I would do all of the old tank water, not 50/50 fresh water and old water. It'll lower the shock on your fish.

Why are you replacing the UGF? Or are you just overhauling for cleaning?


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## sunny21 (Jun 18, 2011)

Gizmo said:


> If you're overhauling the entire tank, here's a few suggestions -
> 
> If possible, keep your fish in the bucket for as long as possible after the overhaul. To do this, I would put the heater in the bucket and run it to keep them warm. Second, I would wash out the tank and wash the gravel too, as you'll be surprised how dirty the bottom layer of gravel and the UGF can be. And lastly, if you decide to put your fish right back in, I would do all of the old tank water, not 50/50 fresh water and old water. It'll lower the shock on your fish.
> 
> Why are you replacing the UGF? Or are you just overhauling for cleaning?


Actually my existing UGF covers only 40 percent of the tank bed so want to replace it 

what you suggest?


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Depends - does your tank actually need more filtration? And also, it's recommended that every 6-12 months you overhaul your tank anyways, just to clean the bottom layer, hence why many of us that have live plants don't like UGFs - when they get clogged they loose effectiveness, and uprooting everything in a planted tank isn't always a good thing


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## sunny21 (Jun 18, 2011)

Gizmo said:


> Depends - does your tank actually need more filtration? And also, it's recommended that every 6-12 months you overhaul your tank anyways, just to clean the bottom layer, hence why many of us that have live plants don't like UGFs - when they get clogged they loose effectiveness, and uprooting everything in a planted tank isn't always a good thing


To be more precise one of the tube of UGF is not working as some of the gravels has blocked the plates due to my own mishandling so am planning to replace it with a new one


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

You could do that, or just clean up and rebuild using the UGF you already have, but set up right this time. Personally, I wouldn't waste the money on another UGF and just use the one you've got.


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## sunny21 (Jun 18, 2011)

Gizmo said:


> You could do that, or just clean up and rebuild using the UGF you already have, but set up right this time. Personally, I wouldn't waste the money on another UGF and just use the one you've got.


One of the portion of the plate had been broken due to my mistake where some gravels clogged up the filter


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Gotcha. Then yeah, I would replace it and get the full tank version.


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## sunny21 (Jun 18, 2011)

Gizmo said:


> Gotcha. Then yeah, I would replace it and get the full tank version.


So should i proceed with the steps i mentioned?


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

I would add to put the heater in the bucket of fish, and to go 100% old tank water, and to rinse the gravel and clean the tank before putting everything back together again.


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## sunny21 (Jun 18, 2011)

Gizmo said:


> I would add to put the heater in the bucket of fish, and to go 100% old tank water, and to rinse the gravel and clean the tank before putting everything back together again.


Thanks a lot 

Wish me luck for my tank cleanup


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## Mushtang (Jun 15, 2011)

Gizmo said:


> Second, I would wash out the tank and wash the gravel too, as you'll be surprised how dirty the bottom layer of gravel and the UGF can be.


About 2 months ago I completely tore down my 55 gal after the last fish had died and replaced all the gravel, cleaned the glass, got new plastic plants, new decorations, etc.

When I drained all the water that I could, scooped out the gravel, and lifted the UGF plates, I was SHOCKED at how much nasty stuff had been stuck under there. The air stones just didn't pull the water along under the plates fast enough to lift the nasty crap back into the tank so that the Fluval could filter it out. So it built up over the years and probably led to the death of my fishies, but I didn't realize this was why.

After I had everything set back up I stopped into a mom and pop pet store and talked about the new tank, and I was told they no longer recommended UGF for this reason. They suggested that vacuuming the gravel regularly is good enough to keep it clean, and the build up of stuff under the UGF plates could do way more harm than the UGF could do good. 

It convinced me, so I came home and pulled them all out and threw them away. I put the air stones under the gravel and under the new decorations, so there's still plenty of pretty bubbles in the tank now.


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## sunny21 (Jun 18, 2011)

Hey is this setup of mine okay?


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Hence, why UGF's need to be cleaned every 6-12 months, eliciting a complete overhaul.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Looks like a good setup, but if your UGF plates are busted then I would definitely throw them away. Whether you replace them with 100% plates or plates at all is up to you.


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## sunny21 (Jun 18, 2011)

Gizmo said:


> Looks like a good setup, but if your UGF plates are busted then I would definitely throw them away. Whether you replace them with 100% plates or plates at all is up to you.


If i remove the UGF will the power filter and sponge filter be sufficient for my goldfishes?


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Ah, you didn't mention you had goldies. Definitely want an UGF, in my opinion, unless you go with live plants.


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## sunny21 (Jun 18, 2011)

Gizmo said:


> Ah, you didn't mention you had goldies. Definitely want an UGF, in my opinion, unless you go with live plants.


Opps 

have artificial plants 

So i am replacing the existing UGF. Is that okay?


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Yes


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## glassbird (Feb 2, 2011)

If I may chime in here...

If you have goldfish, I would most definetly upgrade your UGF plates to cover the entire bottom. But I would never, under any circumstances, run a UGF with air power. No way, no how. If you were running your previous UGF set-up with air power, then that is your explaination for the big buildup of crud that came out when you pulled up the old plates.

I have had various size tanks over the last 30 years, and they all had UGF systems in one form or the other, up until recently. A long time ago, I upgraded to powerheads, instead of air pumps, and the results were spectacular. No more crud build-up under the plates. And the long strings of goldfish poop just fall apart once they hit the gravel, and dissolve away, down into the gravel.

I had a 36 gallon before my current 75 gallon, which was on a wrought iron stand. The stand had an open top, which meant I could kneel down and look up at the bottom of the tank. It gave me a full view of the underside of the UGF plate. I had that tank running for more than 6 years, and never pulled up the plates. The underside of the UGF plate was spotless...no buildup of crud. I did regular (monthly) gravel cleaning with an oldstyle (non-Python) gravel cleaner, and a bucket. The cleanliness under there was all due to the powerhead.

About a year ago, I finally aquired a Eheim cannister for my 75 gallon (with fancy goldfish). I removed my old HOB filter, and pulled up the UGF plates. (There was a small amount of crud underneath, but at that point the plates had been there (undisturbed) for almost 10 years.) But I very quickly noticed that the strings of poop now just sit on the surface of the gravel, for days. Not impressed. I added a sweeping powerhead to a back corner, and that keeps the poo stirred up enough so that eventually the filter catches it.

My current plan is to reinstall the UGF plates the next time I decide to re-landscape that tank. I will have a hefty powerhead running each plate. More filtration (always a good thing with goldfish), and less poo floating around.


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## glassbird (Feb 2, 2011)

...forgot to add...

If you are going with artificial plants, consider tieing (sp?) them to the UGF plates with fishing line. I do that, and this enables me to gravel clean without knocking everything helter skelter. I put a spot of super glue on each knot, and then trim the loose ends short, so they don't poke my fish. It is a lot easier to do this tieing and gluing with the plates outside the tank. I also tie down air lines and air stones. I like stuff to stay where I put it!

You might also consider using a dab of silicone to glue down the caps on the unused ports on the UGF plates. This will minimize the chances of getting gravel under the plates if you accidentally loosen a cover while gravel cleaning. This silicone can be peeled out later if you decide to use a different port down the road.


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## sunny21 (Jun 18, 2011)

glassbird said:


> If I may chime in here...
> 
> If you have goldfish, I would most definetly upgrade your UGF plates to cover the entire bottom. But I would never, under any circumstances, run a UGF with air power. No way, no how. If you were running your previous UGF set-up with air power, then that is your explaination for the big buildup of crud that came out when you pulled up the old plates.
> 
> ...


Hey thanks a lot for this valuable info 

Could you please explain what actually happens if a powerhead is added to UGF what exactly happens? Please explain 

What are its advantages?


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Bubbles do the same thing as a powerhead, just less effectively. Bubbles travel up the side tube and in doing so pull water along with them. It's called convection and it's a way to generate current to operate the UGF. Powerheads do the same, they just do it better. I used a powerhead on my 10 gallon's UGF, just attached the inlet to the top of the UGF tube and plugged it in. Great system.


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## sunny21 (Jun 18, 2011)

Gizmo said:


> Bubbles do the same thing as a powerhead, just less effectively. Bubbles travel up the side tube and in doing so pull water along with them. It's called convection and it's a way to generate current to operate the UGF. Powerheads do the same, they just do it better. I used a powerhead on my 10 gallon's UGF, just attached the inlet to the top of the UGF tube and plugged it in. Great system.


Thanks 

Should any powerhead be okay?


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

FWIW

one "upgrade" to the standare UGF was to simply run the water down the tubes instead of up. Called a reverse flow under gravel filter.

that way the crud collects on the underside of the filter plate and is "blown" away from the gravel. During water changes you can just hook up a drain tube to the filter tubes. Then when you drain the water the crud under the plates come out due to the back flushing.

actually paul_b has ran a reverse ugf in a marine reef tank for like 40 years and swears by it. 

Just a thought.

Worth at most .02


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## sunny21 (Jun 18, 2011)

beaslbob said:


> FWIW
> 
> one "upgrade" to the standare UGF was to simply run the water down the tubes instead of up. Called a reverse flow under gravel filter.
> 
> ...


Thanks 

But how to run a reverse UGF?


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

sunny21 said:


> Thanks
> 
> But how to run a reverse UGF?


One old method was to add a "u" tube to the uplift tube and put the airstone at the bottom of that tube with an air hole at the top of the 'U'. Air bubles up creating current the follows the "U' pushing water down the former uplift tube.

Some power heads have adapters for RGUF operation.

Look around should be something.

my .02


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## glassbird (Feb 2, 2011)

Just be sure you get a powerhead that will sit securely on top of your riser tube. Most come with a cone shaped adapter which means it will fit on different sizes of riser tube, but these can also make the powerhead a bit insecure as it sits there. I saw one cone adapter that had "steps" in it, so it would sit more securely, rather than slant sided. Some come with brackets, etc. Take your riser tube to the store, and then take the powerheads there completely out of their boxes until you find one that fits tightly. If possible, get one with an adjustable flow. That way you can get a bigger one, and step it down if needed.

I am going to take it one step further the next time I re-landscape my 75. I am going to use PVC pipes as risers, instead of the clear plastic ones that come with the UGF plates. I will be taking one of my plates to the local big box store, and trying every size of pipe they have until I find an adapter that can be glued over the ports on the UGF plate in such a way that when/if I remove a riser tube I do not have to worry about gravel falling down into the dang hole every time. This adapter will only need to go up 2-3 inches, then I will find a pipe that will fit into the adapter AND securely hold my powerheads. I might even glue the powerheads into the PVC pipe...that should be plenty secure! 

All of this PVC (and possible the UGF plates) will be getting several light coats of flat black Krylon Fusion paint which will make it blend into my black background. And then some plastic plants will be tied around them, which should result in nearly invisible riser tubes. My ongoing goal is to have NO support gear visible in my tanks.

Just some stuff to think about...


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## sunny21 (Jun 18, 2011)

glassbird said:


> Just be sure you get a powerhead that will sit securely on top of your riser tube. Most come with a cone shaped adapter which means it will fit on different sizes of riser tube, but these can also make the powerhead a bit insecure as it sits there. I saw one cone adapter that had "steps" in it, so it would sit more securely, rather than slant sided. Some come with brackets, etc. Take your riser tube to the store, and then take the powerheads there completely out of their boxes until you find one that fits tightly. If possible, get one with an adjustable flow. That way you can get a bigger one, and step it down if needed.
> 
> I am going to take it one step further the next time I re-landscape my 75. I am going to use PVC pipes as risers, instead of the clear plastic ones that come with the UGF plates. I will be taking one of my plates to the local big box store, and trying every size of pipe they have until I find an adapter that can be glued over the ports on the UGF plate in such a way that when/if I remove a riser tube I do not have to worry about gravel falling down into the dang hole every time. This adapter will only need to go up 2-3 inches, then I will find a pipe that will fit into the adapter AND securely hold my powerheads. I might even glue the powerheads into the PVC pipe...that should be plenty secure!
> 
> ...


Thanks a lot


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## sunny21 (Jun 18, 2011)

@ All

What about reverse functioning of powerhead in ugf? 

please explain. is it better reverse better than normal flow?


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

sunny21 said:


> @ All
> 
> What about reverse functioning of powerhead in ugf?
> 
> please explain. is it better reverse better than normal flow?


A reverse function power head sucks the water from the tank and blows it down the tube. From an on line source:



> Models 50 and 70 offer both forward and reverse water flow. The use of reverse flow throuh an undergravel system promotes bacterial growth from the bottom up, increasing biological filtration capacity. The injection of water containing oxygen beneath the gravel bed helps to support superior conditions for beneficial nitrifying bacteria. Substrate maintenance is facilitated by debris being located near the surface for easy removal.
> •Supports Efficient Filtration
> •Dependable Service
> •Flow Control
> ...


So it's something to ask about at any LFS

another source from the old vortex company:

Reverse Flow Undergravel Filter

Or just try googling reverse flow under gravel filter.

my .02


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## sunny21 (Jun 18, 2011)

beaslbob said:


> A reverse function power head sucks the water from the tank and blows it down the tube. From an on line source:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks a ton


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## briane (Jul 9, 2011)

Thanks Gizmo learnt a few things


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## glassbird (Feb 2, 2011)

"Models 50 and 70 offer both forward and reverse water flow. The use of reverse flow throuh an undergravel system promotes bacterial growth from the bottom up, increasing biological filtration capacity. The injection of water containing oxygen beneath the gravel bed helps to support superior conditions for beneficial nitrifying bacteria. *Substrate maintenance is facilitated by debris being located near the surface for easy removal*."

I do not understand how blowing debris down the riser tube and underneath the UGF plate puts it "near the surface for easy removal". It seems to me that the exact opposite would be the case. It's possible that the other statements in the quote might be valid, but this line makes no sense to me. 

I have never run a reverse UGF, so I can not offer any opinion it. Very happy with a UGF in the regular direction WITH powerheads, though.


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

glassbird said:


> "Models 50 and 70 offer both forward and reverse water flow. The use of reverse flow throuh an undergravel system promotes bacterial growth from the bottom up, increasing biological filtration capacity. The injection of water containing oxygen beneath the gravel bed helps to support superior conditions for beneficial nitrifying bacteria. *Substrate maintenance is facilitated by debris being located near the surface for easy removal*."
> 
> *I do not understand how blowing debris down the riser tube and underneath the UGF plate puts it "near the surface for easy removal*". It seems to me that the exact opposite would be the case. It's possible that the other statements in the quote might be valid, but this line makes no sense to me.
> 
> I have never run a reverse UGF, so I can not offer any opinion it. Very happy with a UGF in the regular direction WITH powerheads, though.


Actually from what I hear the idea is the crud is blown up off the gravel to the power head. But most use come kind of filter at that point to filter out the crad before it is blown down the tubes. Some even use a canister filter for that.

that's what I hear anyway.

mo .02


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## glassbird (Feb 2, 2011)

Ah ha! So that quote is saying that the reverse method blows the crud up off the gravel so that another filter can catch it, instead of drawing it down into the gravel to be broken down by the beneficial bacteria there....ok, now I get it!

Still, that "draw down" is exactly why I will be putting the UGF plates back into my 75 gallon the next time I re-landscape it. I removed it when I finally aquired a good Eheim cannister filter. I thought that would be plenty, and the cannister is doing a fine job. BUT! Without the UGF in place, the strings of poop just lay in the gravel for a day or three, until they fall apart. With the UGF in place they would disappear in a few hours. And when I gravel clean now, I have noticed that I get much larger clouds of crud up out of the gravel. Obviously it was being broken down better with a strong flow thru the gravel.

Blowing the poop up off the gravel sounds like it might be a good idea, but I would like to see LESS poop blowing around my tank...and if it can be pulled down into an additional source of filtration, like a well running UGF system, then that is the system for me!


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