UGF with pump

[Soilwork]

Ok, so just ignoring the part where we dismiss the UGF entirely and talk about other types of filtration.

What was/is the main reason people decided to use a submersible pump on an undergravel filter as opposed to the humble air pump?

wasnt the whole point to break the surface of the water column and oxygenate the water then pull the oxygenated water downwards towards the substrate?

Thanks
CJ

 

[Nick potts]

SImply as pumps are more powerful and can pull more water through the substrate/ugf.

A pump would still break the water's surface and increase gas exchange.

 

[Maf 2500]

What was/is the main reason people decided to use a submersible pump on an undergravel filter as opposed to the humble air pump?

Because people like to spend more money for no good reason.

Being a bit more serious, for a single tank I can see that a water pump might provide more flow and possibly be quieter than an air pump. For fishroom use I don't feel many people would buy one or two water pumps per tank versus one central air pump and some tubing.

 

[sparkyweasel]

ignoring the part where we dismiss the UGF entirely

It's funny how they worked perfectly for so many years, and then suddenly stopped working when the fashion changed.

 

[John q]

I ran a ugf on a 600mm tank up until about 4 months ago and it worked fine on a low tech, that was with an air pump.
The only reason I switched to a canister filter was over concerns the plant roots would end up choking the filter bed.

 

[Soilwork]

Thanks all.

i was just wondering why I’ve heard that the submersible makes them ‘superior’ than with an air pump. You might be able to pull more water through the substrate but would that water be as oxygenated as than with the constant surface breaking via bubbles?

Cheers
CJ

 

[Nick potts]

Thanks all.

i was just wondering why I’ve heard that the submersible makes them ‘superior’ than with an air pump. You might be able to pull more water through the substrate but would that water be as oxygenated as than with the constant surface breaking via bubbles?

Cheers
CJ

If the powered pump is breaking the water's surface, chances are it is oxygenating the water better than an air pump would be.

 

[Soilwork]

If the powered pump is breaking the water's surface, chances are it is oxygenating the water better than an air pump would be.

You could be right, I’m just not sure the average person would set them up with this in mind.

 

[Another Phil]

I started with UGF when pea gravel was the only sustrate available. Downside was noisy air pumps and having to frequently stir the gravel to get all the mulm out. Powerheads (is that what you mean by submersible pump?) are quieter, and move a lot more water, plus you can angle them to get circular flow.
False memory maybe, but I thought plants didn't do well in UGF, late '80s the only shop in town sold a lot of non-aquatics so I never had a lot of success.

The best water quality i've had was an external filter with a 'Y' connector diverting 1/4 flow into a tub of sponges on top the old airlift tube to run reverse UGF, provides oxygen to the gravel bed, and the mulm can either be siphoned easily or removed via the canister or the sponges. I would go this route again if I had a large fish load and lack of plants, but with a smaller grain substrate.

I have doubts about how effective canisters are if they are low turnover, slight ripple, taking water from the least oxygenated part of the tank and have a heavy fish load with few plants, going by fish health problems some people have.

 

[foxfish]

I have not come across any post about people using under gravel filters in a C02 enriched tank, as Phil points out there were labelled taboo in the 80s as they would draw oxygen over the plant roots and kill the plants!
Also because the roots would clog up the filter slots... that sounds more realistic!
However I am sure there are ways around that particular threat and in fact a UGF could offer very good C02 distribution!
I did do something similar a few years back with a reverse flow UGF and potted plants, there is a thread somewhere.....