# Undergravel Filter in a 10G



## Jasoncham2003 (Feb 28, 2008)

I just picked up a 10g to use as a fry tank or quarantine tank. It came with an undergravel filter and a bio wheel filter. Anyone have a preferance? Thoughts? Advice?

Also once the tank has cycled. If you remove the fish but keep the water and filters going how long will the bacteria stay alive?


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## eljuancho (Apr 7, 2008)

I'm not a fan of the undergravel filters, for fry it's better an aquarium without gravel, and constant partial water changes.

The bacteria will stay alive as long as nitrites are present in the aquarium, wich is produced from fish waste. I don't know actually how long it'll take run out of nitrites, but i think it will happen if you take out fish.

Hope this was useful.


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## kornphlake (Feb 12, 2004)

Most people don't like undergravel filters anymore, I'm kind of indifferent, I never had problems with my UGF but I didn't know as much about water quality and what not, I thought it was normal for a few fish to die every time you buy a batch.

For a hospital tank that won't be used all the time I'd use the biowheel, put it on one of your regularly stocked tanks to keep it seeded and when you have a sick fish move the filter to the hospital tank. It wouldn't hurt to keep the UGF going but you'll have to supply ammonia to feed the bacteria and you'll have to do water changes occasionally to remove nitrates, it sounds like a hassle. For a true hospital tank I'd keep it empty when not in use and get rid of the gravel so I'd be sure there isn't anything in the hospital tank that could be worse than the regular tank.


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## Jasoncham2003 (Feb 28, 2008)

kornphlake said:


> Most people don't like undergravel filters anymore, I'm kind of indifferent, I never had problems with my UGF but I didn't know as much about water quality and what not, I thought it was normal for a few fish to die every time you buy a batch.
> 
> For a hospital tank that won't be used all the time I'd use the biowheel, put it on one of your regularly stocked tanks to keep it seeded and when you have a sick fish move the filter to the hospital tank. It wouldn't hurt to keep the UGF going but you'll have to supply ammonia to feed the bacteria and you'll have to do water changes occasionally to remove nitrates, it sounds like a hassle. For a true hospital tank I'd keep it empty when not in use and get rid of the gravel so I'd be sure there isn't anything in the hospital tank that could be worse than the regular tank.


This may sound wierd but I dont have room on top of my tank for a biowheel so would it work just to throw the wheel in my tank to get baceria to grow on it and then put it in use on the hospital when needed?


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## scuba20v (May 28, 2007)

use a power head with a sponge 
or a HOB with a sponge over the inlet
:thumb:


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## kornphlake (Feb 12, 2004)

I've actually started putting foam prefilters over the intakes of my hobs, this way I've got a piece of established media that can be transported to another tank at any given time to seed a new tank. I'm not sure how effective a biowheel floating in a tank would be but it's got to be better than nothing.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

Under Gravel Filters are fine for keeping a moderately stocked Tropical (non-Cichlid) tankâ€¦ But fry tend to pick at the substrate for food and under gravel filters use the substrate as filter media, so they arenâ€™t a good mix. Since juvi and adult Cichlids like to dig they often expose the plates of the under gravel filter and since water takes the path of least resistance, the filter is rendered uselessâ€¦ So they have their place but you wonâ€™t find too many fans of them on a Cichlid forumâ€¦

Sponge filters are great for a fry tankâ€¦ you can power them with an air pump or a PowerHeadâ€¦

I always keep a sponge filter in an established tank so at any time I can move this mature sponge filter into a fresh 10 gal tank and can instantly make a cycled tank ready for fry or a sick fish to be nursed.


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