Undergravel filters

[paul b]

 

Why am I the only one who uses a reverse undergravel filter? Am I Bad? 

[John Ford]

Your not the only one. Someone who's had a reef tank for over 40 years uses one as well~

[zygote2k]

no need to continue this thread.

[smallreef]

Lol...

I love Paul!

things like this are interesting to me...as it was invented before I was born and is the precursor to most of the hobby as we know it today

[paul b]

Smallreef Thank you.  I think some of my hermit crabs  have canker sores older than most people on this forum.  And those are my younger hermit crabs, the ones without nose hairs. 

[Big Country]

I never used a reverse undergravel filter although I used to use undergravel filters in my freshwater tanks and also in my saltwater tank when I started it.  I also used bio balls and whatever that rolled up cotton with the plastic screen was called in a wet-dry filter when I started saltwater also.

[sen5241b]

I tried an undergravel in a marine tank with no sand and predictably it became a detritus trap but my trates stayed low. When i finally removed it, it was full of detritus and worms. I did not try a reverse undergravel. How do you reverse the flow?

[paul b]

As you found out, a regular UG filter in a salt tank would be a disaster which is the reason they are not used.  I reversed it by connecting the 3 tubes that go under my gravel into one container over the water and having one powerhead pumping into it.  You can also buy reversible powerheads.  This is the home made manifold I built to feed all 3 tubes.