250g Maintenance Free (sorta)
- Thread starter CHOMPERS
- Start date
Chompers, I am planning to add a very similar reverse flow UGF to my 300 gallon. I will be using a canister filter to pull water in from a drilled hole in the bottom of the aquarium and returning back into the UGF via another hole drilled in the bottom of the tank. My goal is to minimize the amount of non-deco clutter in the tank. I will be using valves between the bulk heads and the canister that I can close during maintenance of the canister. What do you think of the idea of using a canister filter? How has the setup been running since your last post? How big were the holes that were drilled in the PVC and how far apart? How large is your sump return pump that feeds the UGF? Mine will be 634 gph (upgrade pump on my Eheim 2260).
Thanks for a really awesome thread!
Thanks for a really awesome thread!
peterp63;1899442; said:
I'm not a canister guy but I like the idea. It will certainly let you keep the aquarium looking stream lined.
The tank has been running like a champ. I recently vacuumed the gravel for the second time. You would think that it would be all caked up but it is doing its job extremely well.
The holes in the RUGF were spaced out every 3-4 inches. I don't remember the diameter, but I sized them to match the size of the pipe supplying them. (Their total flow rate is equal to the pipe supplying them). That way they are shooting into the gravel bed at the same velocity that is flowing to the tank. This also prevents the RUGF from restricting the flow below my calculated turnover rate.
I don't remember the exact numbers but the pump is pushing about three turnovers, so it is in the ball park of 750 gph.
Jgray152;1899456; said:haha, wow I didn't think anyone else thought of the reverse flow UGF. I will be doing the same to my tank. I don't feel so special anymore knowing someone else got to it before me
Good job though!
I didn't pioneer the idea either. It has been around for a long time.
I got it at Lowes, and most of their employees don't know they carry it either. HD does not carry it at all. There is a discussion about the stuff at the link below. Check the link because it is alive and going at the time of this posting. I imagine there will be more info published there.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150220
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150220
Just as a gee wiz kind of thing. I can't tell which direction you have the holes drilled in your ugf. Do they point straight up, to the side, or are they at an angle? I made a spray bar and to make it cover more of the media it was spraying I put a hole on each side of the pipe at an angle facing downward to spread out the spray. I was thinking of doing something similar with my UGF just turned upward instead. Seems like I might have to use a ton of pvc lol. Think a 3/4 hp pump will do the trick on the ugf? I'll try to dig up some pics of what I am talking about.
the streams criss-cross at about 6" down. I think I might try to make them criss-cross at about 4" up to get maximum coverage in the ugf.
I did mine like yours. I have holes on both sides 45 degrees pointing down.
Your 3/4 hp pump is going to be an overkill, but as long as you do your math, it will be ok. It is going to consume more power than I think you really want, and the extra flow will really have little benefit. However, by having the UGF on a timer, you will end up with a bacteria colony that will thrive both aerobically and anaerobically.
Your 3/4 hp pump is going to be an overkill, but as long as you do your math, it will be ok. It is going to consume more power than I think you really want, and the extra flow will really have little benefit. However, by having the UGF on a timer, you will end up with a bacteria colony that will thrive both aerobically and anaerobically.
