Filtration change?

My air pump for UGF on a 20g tank (established for 4 years) has given
out. I would like a quieter option and have been looking into other
types of filtration. I am considering pulling out the UGF and replacing
with a power filter of some sort with the aim of finding something
quiet, economical, and easy to maintain. The fish load is light and
there are some live plants (certainly not thriving, though). My
questions are (1) should I pull the UGF (or go with a powerhead (trying
one now and it makes a racket), and (2) if removing the UGF, what kind
of filter to go with (eg, is a bio-wheel necessary in a cycled tank
like this if I keep the gravel)?

Thanks for your input.
-Barry

wrote:
My air pump for UGF on a 20g tank (established for 4 years) has given
out. I would like a quieter option and have been looking into other
types of filtration. I am considering pulling out the UGF and replacing
with a power filter of some sort with the aim of finding something
quiet, economical, and easy to maintain. The fish load is light and
there are some live plants (certainly not thriving, though). My
questions are (1) should I pull the UGF (or go with a powerhead (trying
one now and it makes a racket), and (2) if removing the UGF, what kind
of filter to go with (eg, is a bio-wheel necessary in a cycled tank
like this if I keep the gravel)?

Thanks for your input.
-Barry

I would encourage you to rinse the gravel and clean under the UGF plates
no matter what you do. There will be a lot of gunk under the plates
after 4 years.

Reverse flow UGF is supposed to be a nice filter system if you put a
prefilter on the powerhead, and it would use your gravel bed that is
already full of bacteria. I've never run RFUGF myself. I haven't
generally found powerheads to be noisy unless I'm using the venturi inlet.

Without a lot of plants, a bio-wheel would be good if you don't run UGF.
I've learned from Frank in alt.aquaria that it will grow heterotrophic
bacteria that break down dissolved organic compounds. This greatly
improves the water quality, much in the way thriving plants do. Bio
wheels also keep the tank cycled as you change filter cartridges. If I
were to run an unplanted tank, I would put a bio-wheel filter on it.

For my planted tanks, I love AquaClears. Inexpensive, easy to clean,
generous carbon bags, sponge that lasts forever, and very quiet.

--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com

On 24 May 2005 23:58:44 -0700, wrote:

My air pump for UGF on a 20g tank (established for 4 years) has given
out. I would like a quieter option and have been looking into other
types of filtration. I am considering pulling out the UGF and replacing
with a power filter of some sort with the aim of finding something
quiet, economical, and easy to maintain. The fish load is light and
there are some live plants (certainly not thriving, though). My
questions are (1) should I pull the UGF (or go with a powerhead (trying
one now and it makes a racket), and (2) if removing the UGF, what kind
of filter to go with (eg, is a bio-wheel necessary in a cycled tank
like this if I keep the gravel)?

Thanks for your input.
-Barry

I took the bio wheels off the 2 Penguins I have on a 75 gallon tank.
The wheels tend to stop turning when the water flow rate slows. It
forces more frequent and thorough filter, tubes and impeller cleaning
to keep the water flow rate up. I have spoken at length on my
speculation that an established tank does not need these gimmicks.
Frequent partial water changes have kept my tanks healthy. Not having
to clean the filter media means that home for bacteria is disturbed
less often. Although, I clean the media more often in the same 75
gallon tank as I am using a fine mesh media that clogs up faster and
forces the water to flow out the intake, but the other 4 tanks seldom
need filter cleaning.

Others will have better suggestions about power filters. My 3 ten
gallon tanks use simple "Whisper Juniors." Two are quiet, one isn't.
One of the 2 Penguins is noisy, the other quiet. I have a 10 gal in
my bedroom and put the air pump under the chest of drawers. It is
quiet, but I find my house is full of noises, all the air pumps and
filters add to the house air conditioning and refrigerator noises. In
the day time 2 computers up the noise. I do love quiet and am lucky I
can step outside and have all the quiet I want, most of the time, but
in the house I just forget it. I have a medical condition, Tinnitus,
a sort of ringing in the ears, so even when outside and all is quiet,
I carry my own noises!

dick

Thanks for the input!
-Barry

Dick wrote:
On 24 May 2005 23:58:44 -0700, wrote:

My air pump for UGF on a 20g tank (established for 4 years) has given
out. I would like a quieter option and have been looking into other
types of filtration. I am considering pulling out the UGF and replacing
with a power filter of some sort with the aim of finding something
quiet, economical, and easy to maintain. The fish load is light and
there are some live plants (certainly not thriving, though). My
questions are (1) should I pull the UGF (or go with a powerhead (trying
one now and it makes a racket), and (2) if removing the UGF, what kind
of filter to go with (eg, is a bio-wheel necessary in a cycled tank
like this if I keep the gravel)?

Thanks for your input.
-Barry

I took the bio wheels off the 2 Penguins I have on a 75 gallon tank.
The wheels tend to stop turning when the water flow rate slows. It
forces more frequent and thorough filter, tubes and impeller cleaning
to keep the water flow rate up. I have spoken at length on my
speculation that an established tank does not need these gimmicks.
Frequent partial water changes have kept my tanks healthy. Not having
to clean the filter media means that home for bacteria is disturbed
less often. Although, I clean the media more often in the same 75
gallon tank as I am using a fine mesh media that clogs up faster and
forces the water to flow out the intake, but the other 4 tanks seldom
need filter cleaning.

Others will have better suggestions about power filters. My 3 ten
gallon tanks use simple "Whisper Juniors." Two are quiet, one isn't.
One of the 2 Penguins is noisy, the other quiet. I have a 10 gal in
my bedroom and put the air pump under the chest of drawers. It is
quiet, but I find my house is full of noises, all the air pumps and
filters add to the house air conditioning and refrigerator noises. In
the day time 2 computers up the noise. I do love quiet and am lucky I
can step outside and have all the quiet I want, most of the time, but
in the house I just forget it. I have a medical condition, Tinnitus,
a sort of ringing in the ears, so even when outside and all is quiet,
I carry my own noises!

dick