UGF and the Dealer
Undergravel filters have been a hot topic for debate since their debut about 40 years ago, and there are few signs that that controversy will end soon.
The Ongoing UGF Debate...
Contents:
Under ground filter or not?
by "Darren J. Hanson" (Wed, 29 Oct 1997)
NEED ADDRESS.
by Randy or Deb Carey (Wed, 29 Oct 1997)
reactivating a UGF ...
UGF: See under gravel filter.
Ultraplankton: Plankton that are less than 2 micrometers in size. They are difficult to separate from water.
UGF (Under Gravel Filter) - Most UGF’s are sold in beginner aquarium kits. They are inexpensive and relatively maintenance free. They work by placing a filter “plate' under the gravel or substrate of your aquarium.
UGF: The gravel will need to be kept wet to preserve the bacteria for the biofilter.
Air powered sponge filters: Can be kept running in the bin with a battery powered air pump.
UGF: This type of filter involves a few long, plastic tubes which remain upright in the aquarium and are attached to a plate on the bottom. In each tube is an air stone attached to an air pump.
UGF - Under Gravel Filter. Perforated plates rest on the aquarium bottom and support the gravel substrate. Using lift tubes and power heads, water is pulled down through the gravel, up into the tube, and returned to the water column.
UGF UGF = undergravel filter
Encyclopedia 1.0 by Rebecca Smallwood
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UGF will provide warmth for biochemical activity, and nutrient and toxin transport. Hot feet would be very tricky to achieve, if not impossible.
UGF's make good biological filters, because the slow flow of water through the gravel fosters large colonies of beneficial bacteria which neutralize toxic ammonia. The hitch is, that UGF's are awful mechanical filters.
UGF - Under gravel filter. Click here to read our filtration guide.
ULNS - Ultra Low Nutrient System, is a term used for an aquarium that has very low Nutrient levels via equipment to remove these or by carbon dosing.
UNDERGRAVEL (UGF)
An old standby that is good for biological filtration (the conversion of fish waste from ammonia and nitrites to less harmful nitrates), but is poor for mechanical filtration (the removal of debris- organic and inorganic).
Check to see what kind of filter you have, if you have an Under Gravel Filter (UGF), you will need to place that next. The UGF goes on the bottom of the tank. Place the lift tubes in their sockets.
No UGF. No acclimation. Nothing. He was despondent and lethargic for a few days. And I did learn that I needed to add a chlorine remover to the water. But soon after, he was energetic and eating pellets out of my hand.
Dupla makes special laterite balls which can be used in an UGF (though expensive).
``How deep a substrate?''
In general, it's good to match the substrate with the types of plant (or types of roots).
Some hobbyists also advise not to use an UGF filter for Discus. The Discus should be fed a well-rounded, varied diet.
Underground filters (UGF)
Wet/Dry filters (figure 3)
When making a choice keep in mind that you need to accomplish at least mechanical and biological filtration.
You should keep in mind that no under gravel filter (UGF) can be used with the sand. The sand will become too packed to allow any kind of flow to the filter.
This means chemical, biological, and mechanical filtration - no undergravel filters (UGF). There are a lot of types of filters out there but not all of them are appropriate for a Betta.
Although all the plants were growing great I felt that the UGF in time would get clogged by the root systems of the plants and eventually have a major problem. So as not to create a time bomb under the plate , I decided that it was time for the swap.
When you have to spend money on lighting, filtration, UGF, and a heater, you are going to be out some serious money. Most people who have a tank have the accessories.
UGF works by drawing the water through the gravel and through a plate underneath the substrate, after which it is pumped back in the aquarium.
Under gravel Filter - (UGF) Basically it is a perforated plate which is placed under
the aquarium gravel. Water is drawn thru the gravel, thru the plate, up thru lift tubes,
and finally sprayed back on top the aquarium water.
...
Under gravel Filter (UGF) - Basically it is a perforated plate or series of joined perforated tubes which is placed under the aquarium gravel.
There are the undergravel filters (UGF), box or corner filters, hang-on-back (HOB) filters, canister filters like the Eheim, internal filters attached to the bottom of a powerhead, internal filters that are complete units with mech., bio. & chem.
Any type of undergravel filter is not advisable with a laterite and peat substrate for reasons that should be obvious! The UGF will dump the laterite and peat into the water creating an unbelievable mess! ...
UGF See under gravel filter. ultraviolet sterilizer A device which uses UV light to kill bacteria and other tiny organisms. under gravel filter This filter provides both mechanical and biological filtration.
 See also: Water, Aquarium, Fish, Filter, Gravel
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