Under gravel

[alex4angela]

I currently got a under gravel mess thingy and power head in my reef tank but am wondering if it is nessesary to have when it its a reef set up?

[colindoug3]

what kind of substrate are you using?
do you have the powerhead connected to the undergravel filter, or are you asking if you need one in general (separately)?
if attached to UGF, which direction is it flowing?

[alex4angela]

I am using 30LBS of crushed coral for about 7 months now. Dont have a problem and have lots of stuff living in it. The reason why I ask I broke the extention on the gravel powerhead "no filter" and was wondering if it is needed. Pump still works but instead of directing the outer flow it shots straight up and kind of like to remove it to put another piece of Tonga in it's place. I just dont want to remove it and have my PH/Nitrates and all that other stuff go crazy on me. Here is a picture. Thanks, Alex

[Dakota]

Undergravel fitlers are SO last century :P ditch it, and get some aragonit substrate...... only filteratoin you need is mechanical, and a skimmer. . . the LR does your biological filtration.. and UG filters are just m essay and nirtate producers.

[wsonner]

Undergravel fitlers are SO last century :P ditch it, and get some aragonit substrate...... only filteratoin you need is mechanical, and a skimmer. . . the LR does your biological filtration.. and UG filters are just m essay and nirtate producers.

I don't have any mechanical...

[Dakota]

What do you have then? just a skimmer and LR?

[wsonner]

What do you have then? just a skimmer and LR?

Yep, skimmer, LR and DSB and powerheads out the wazoo for flow. I DO want to add a sump but have been debating over whether or not to use a sock on it.

[wsonner]

I currently got a under gravel mess thingy and power head in my reef tank but am wondering if it is nessesary to have when it its a reef set up?

Hey, if you plug up the big holes in your UGF it will be like a plenum :-). Hmmm....wonder if that would really work.

[alex4angela]

So it should be not problem to remove it? I do got what I think is a good CPR AquaFuge Protein skimmer and it collects. Picture is of the cpr home page.

[wsonner]

So it should be not problem to remove it? I do got what I think is a good CPR AquaFuge Protein skimmer and it collects. Picture is of the cpr home page.

WAIT! What do you have for live rock? If you pull the UGF your bio filter will go to heck. Is the UGF totally non-functional at this point or do you have another PH on it? I'm not real clear as to your set up, please give some more details.

[alex4angela]

I got 60LBS of live rock (Branching Tonga). UGPowerhead is still functional just does not get directed. It shoots straight up as you can see in the picture.

[wsonner]

I got 60LBS of live rock (Branching Tonga). UGPowerhead is still functional just does not get directed. It shoots straight up as you can see in the picture.

Well, with 60# LR I would feel comfortable just turning the UGF off. BUT...I can't say what it might do to the tank to have the dead space under the crushed coral with no flow. I hope someone else here can comment on that.

[phishphood]

Dunno bout alex's, but all i had on my 90 was skimmer and LR. I did have a sump but didnt use a sock.

[phishphood]

And I actually think if you pull the PH off it, the UGF would turn into a plenum if you plugged the big holes...

[Dakota]

All I have to say is after using a filter sock, there's no way I'd go ay other way... knowing the crap that I trap every week could still be floating around.... yuck. As for the UG.. yes, amke sure you have LR otherwise you'll shock the bio filter.