Air Driven Filters - how placement matters for sponges, under gravel filters and more.
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- Filter placement can mean a big difference in your tank, now we're going to air driven filters like sponges, box filters, and under gravel filter systems. Let's put my bad art skills to work to explain some things and learn a little more about what matters!
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Music
"Envision" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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I'm tried UGF for 6 months. its really effective, I just change all my tank filter to use UGF.
I use a air driven sponge filter as a secondary filter in opposite back corner of my 4'-0" Lg. 200 Litre tank with my external main cannister filter.
Works fine
Air driven is still my favorite filtration ❤
I have an oddball 10 gallon column tank (12" square, 15" deep). I found that using 1 plate from a normal 10 gallon UGF fit nicely though, so all is well. I have set it up and am cycling my tank now.
How did I miss this series? I love my UGF. I replaced my cannisters on my big tank with a UGF powered by a powerhead. I switch between conventional flow and reverse flow, honestly can't tell which I prefer 😂
What size tank do you have?
@@J1e2n hey, it's 5ft by 2ft by 2ft
I really like the combination of UGFs and canister filter, I use my UGF as biological and canister for mechanical filtration.
I would have loved to know a bit about matten filters. I am considering using that type for a couple of my tanks now that my airline drop system is completed. I love your videos. Thank you so much for the breakdown.
👀🍿👀 This is EXCELLENT info!! Thank you. I have some sponge filter placement to reconsider in my tanks.
I have a new 10 gallon tank set up for dwarf shrimp. I didn't want to go with a Matten filter on such a small tank, so I have Aquarium Co-Op Medium and Small sponge filters stacked together, just because the shrimp like to graze on sponge filters so much. But to do that in such a small I had to really cut down the output tube. That also gives me the ability to clean only 1 of the sponges at a time. But during cycling the tank I went ahead and stuck a hang on back on it, just to improve the water clarity. Not sure I'll leave the hang on back there, but I may if I can baffle the output a little. I like the options for chemical filtration offered by the hang on back. Thanks for another thought-provoking and helpful video. Hope things are going well for you and yours.
Thankyou
New to the Channel
Very happy i found you 😊
Great video Bentley love my air driven UGF with a 4" pea gravel substrate.
Sometimes if its tucked in the corner, it actually turns the corner into a "wind tunnel", that pulls debris into the corner, later on, I've noticed ...but only once the filter starts getting clogged. Have you seen that too, you mentioned seeing the opposite (it not pulling to the back)...but most my sponges have a lot of algae or mulm in them by that point.
Usually when I've seen the buildup of mulm it tends to be under the filter after the lower portion of the filter is clogged up quite a bit.
as always great information, that is easy to understand. of coarse had you done a power point presentation, well it would have had that wow factor. but then you would have to run cables move monitors, computers, maybe buy a wirless clicker or red lazer pointer. but you can't go wrong using the kiss system. stay well
Yes! Been waiting for this ❤ thanks bentley ❤️ 💙
Thanks!
Thank you so much!
my spongefilter is always at the very center of aquarium for maximum effect.. ibhave live plants and aquarium was so clear detritus in sponge is massive collected when it was in the very center.. i dont care about the aesthetic what i care is the effect for the libe stock inside aquarium
BOX FILTERS are the best for clear water.. i had HOB filters and the water was always cloudy.. placed a box filter in and crystal clear water.. the speed in which the water flows thru the floss must be slow.
can I use one uplift tube with ug filter in my 3ft tank? (FILTER BED WILL BE THE TOTAL BASE OF THE AQUARIUM)
I have a 38 gallon tank. It has the under gravel filtration and I also run a Seachem Tidal 55 in it. I never have to gravel vac it. It has a heavy fish load and heavy plant load as well. I also run CO2 in it. Usually I can go 4 -5 weeks between water changes. I checked my TDS last night and it was nearing 500. I also tested the nitrates and they were about 30-40 using the CO OP test strips. Would you think I could hold off a bit longer to to do a water change ???
I would basically keep a monitor on your nitrates you really don't want them to go too much higher than that. And while that TDS might seem high, tds is all of the dissolved solids. So it's not the most perfect accurate measure. But if you knew, for example the water out of your tap was only say 100 TDS and now your tanks clocking in at that amount. Then I would be looking at doing a water change but if the water out of your tap is relatively close to that number say within 100 TDS I would just keep monitoring the nitrates and as soon as they start getting above that 30 to 40 range water change
My TDS out of the tap is 170 . My daughter who lives about 25 miles away has a RO unit at her house as they have well water. Her TDS out of her tap is 440, this the RO unit. I just picked up 20 gallons from her. I usually do a 75 % water change using 70% RO water and top off with RO water between water changes. Most of my other tanks I use tap water, except my Hillstream Loach tank 20 long gets about 30% RO water when changing.
Filtration is so Amazing and depending on how you do it almost anything is possible. I have a AQQA fluid media filter along with some 2 HOBs and a 4inch air stone in a 55g tank. I also have over 110 fishes in the tank and for the first week I was doing water changes every other day, to keep nitrites down. By week 2 I was doing it every 3 days, now I do it once a week and that's because to Nitrates because my Nitrites and Ammonia are 0.
My AQQA is doing what a sponge filter would do but fancier 😂. And with 2 tidal 110 HOB with matrix. I'm not a firm believer in as long as the fish isn't bigger than the tank, ie Oscar in a 20gal. My belief as long as you have the necessary places for bacteria to grow (enough filtration) and enough oxygen (air stone or air filtration) you can keep a really over stocked tank
So Gravel filters are good for over stocked tanks and amazing for plants
They can yes, but usually when we heavily stock tanks we want some type of powered filtration aid, this can be a power head on sponge or to UGF and not necessarily a full HOB or Canister.
Should i keep my betta fish tank 2.5 gallon small sponge filter, low, mid or high in the tank?
@@SPADERZ216 doesn't necessarily matter, make sure it remains below the water line at the output so it creates proper flow
I just installed my ugf with 2 uplift tube, a air pump for 20-40 gallons tank. There's no water coming out from the tube, is it because air pump isnt strong enough thus not able to carry water all the way to the top?
Most likely, also check any check valves to ensure they aren't the wrong way
If I use that setup (sponge in left back)....and ALSO have a fluval HOB in the middle back of my tank, would that mess up the flow of both?
You would primarily get the flow pattern from your hob, but you would get some additional flow from the sponge.
Is there any benefit to adding a longer uplift tube? I’m thinking about 2 inches from the top of the water? Thank you
Longer uplift increases the overall flow rate assuming you have enough air power to drive it
Hi Bentley, is it OK to put filter pads on top of undergravel filters before adding gravel? Thanks.
There's a risk of them clogging up
Hello,
Just curious, but what happens when you have a old school UGF from the early 90's+deep sand bed+gravel on top of that? Do you have a video on that? Im not going to redo my tank at this point. I also have a Aquaclear HOB 50 and 2 ACO sponge filters in an old school 25gal flat back hex tank 😂. Also, is there a better way to ask you questions?
Well in general you have flow from the UHF, but the plates having sand cause the water to slow significantly, similar to how anoxic systems are out in place.
@BentleyPascoe nice! So I've got potential for all 3 types of bacteria in there? That's awesome! Here I was thinking I was a bit overkill on the amount of filtration and oxygenation that I have 😀 still clicking through your videos and learning a lot. Thanks for posting them!
Hello Bentley great video as always I love your videos. I have a question for you regarding the Fluval plant 3.0 light I now own 2 of them for my tank because of your videos and recommendations. However do you believe this light is capable of making plants pearl with oxygen bubbles. I’m hearing different information on if your light is not strong enough your plants will not photosynthesize correctly to use the nutrients AKA nitrates that are in your water. What’s your take on this mabey you could do a video regarding this?
The important thing is to not confuse pearling with photosynthesizing or how well a plane is photosynthesizing. I can probably do a video addressing this because it's a cool concept and there really is some bad and good information out there
I would love that and be much appreciated of it!!! When I heard this and someone saying the Fluval plant cannot do this and does not provide enough light and you need a light like a radion by eco tech I was like omg. But look at your plants everything is beautiful. But that’s when they also said of course your plants will grow but if your light isn’t strong enough or making your plants pearl and leave oxygen bubbles then they are not photosynthesizing correctly. So I wanted to reach out to you. Sorry hope I didn’t bother. But you have been a big inspiration to me lately I came from the reef tank side of things and I know what I’m doing there but lack the knowledge in planted but I am only going to ever to a low tech easy system lol
Overall tho would say that the Fluval plant 3.0 is enough to allow the plants to properly photosynthesize?
?
Hello Bentley is there anyway you can help me identify one of my plants? It was sold to me as Ludwigia repens but I’m not sure it is
how about having 2 sponge filter in the corner ?
@@jeyjey2836 same corner? Different corners? Basically just apply the effect of one in each location the sponge sits.
Super random question but I want to remove the powered uplift tube from an undergravel filer ( small betta tank) . I want to put a small sponge filter in the tank instead. Do I lose all the bacteria in the gravel? Ammonia spike?
You should not lose it all, but the change over might risk a minor spike as there will be less flow to the gravel
@@BentleyPascoe thank you sir for the direct and concise answer. Appreciate your commitment to the community!
I assume you live in an old house with wood floors and it’s the reason for your concern. I have a 32gal tank with ~3” average seachem gravel and rock. I estimate the weight is somewhere in the 400-500lb range. I would contact a building contractor of structural engineer to see that can be done about your floor. I know $$$.
Hello everyone , I have a question , I want buy aquarium of 79 gallons , BUT my problem is where I put the aquarium ?
I live in New Jersey is very cool here , but if I put the aquarium in the living room my problem is the heavy weight for my floor actually am scary about the weight , and maybe in the basement, BUT my basement is not finished, and is not insulated 😢 is very cool in the winter 🥶 …
I saw a lot aquarium UA-camrs and almost all of them have the aquariums in the basement … actually I can’t understand NOBODY do a video about this BIG “problem” about the aquarium , I guess the best big problem in this beautiful hobby 😢
Bentley I love your shirts I too am a large man. May I ask what brand and where to purchase from?
Harbor Bay brand through DXL. I've been wearing them for years because they are light and comfy with a perfect front pocket for my phone.
@@BentleyPascoe thank you so much
👍🏻👍🏻
Hey... you didnt draw all my Filterless tanks *high light plus in the window* KAY THANKS BYE
You and Bentley are my two go to content providers on aquariums. Can't we all just get along? Kinda a dick move on your part. This wasn't about still water tanks.
It's sarcasm I promise you. Alex and I know each other very well and he knows I see that as a joke. Don't worry! It's all fun with us.
@@BentleyPascoe lol, I seen it and was like grrrr. I seriously thought he was trying to turn people away from you. You guys are probably friends with Cory, I personally find him abrasive. You guys are my favorites. Sorry I said anything.