# Reversing UGF



## Sincere (Aug 18, 2005)

So I was on here looking for answers as to why my water is cloudy white, and I ran across something called "reversing your under gravel filter." Now with me being a noob and all, I'm curious as to how and why this is done. Please help me here, because it seems like a very beneficial thing to do.


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## Ethos (Sep 11, 2005)

Although I am a noobie here, I am not to general fishkeeping. I cannot answer about your undergravel filter ( i personally hate undergravel filters, I'd never use one), I can possibly amswer your cloudy water.
Now, if your tank is new, and being cycled, your water WILL get cloudy. Its very hard to get around that.

If your tank is older, I'd use some "Jungel Clear Water." It always works great for me. 
Also, Look for sickness amongst' your fish. 

As I've said, I dont like undergravel filters, and have always heard bad things about them, so I've never used one. I've seen many tanks, and I have a bunch of friends that use them though....

orry if this was no help. 

Ethos


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## Sincere (Aug 18, 2005)

Ethos said:


> Although I am a noobie here, I am not to general fishkeeping. I cannot answer about your undergravel filter ( i personally hate undergravel filters, I'd never use one), I can possibly amswer your cloudy water.
> Now, if your tank is new, and being cycled, your water WILL get cloudy. Its very hard to get around that.
> 
> If your tank is older, I'd use some "Jungel Clear Water." It always works great for me.
> ...



Well see here's the thing..Yes the tank is relativly new, but I was almost sure I had the cycling done with. I also had a fish in there that had a strange puffy spot on him, but I got some medicine for it, and him and the other fish are acting fine now. So I'm stumped.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

RUGF's are used to push the debris back into the water colum where another filter can suck up the gunk. Not really efficient as the gunk is where the most active bacteria live to convert Nitrogen forms to less toxic forms (NO3).


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## Ethos (Sep 11, 2005)

Could it possibly be The aftermath from the medicen? I know when I treated my blue Gourami for fungus it made my hospital tanks' water buble. mean, at the top of the tank it was all fomy, from the filter stiring the chemicals...


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## Sincere (Aug 18, 2005)

Ethos said:


> Could it possibly be The aftermath from the medicen? I know when I treated my blue Gourami for fungus it made my hospital tanks' water buble. mean, at the top of the tank it was all fomy, from the filter stiring the chemicals...



I'll betcha thats what it is, I forgot to add to my original post that the top of the water was rather foamy as well.


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## DavidDoyle (Jan 18, 2005)

An RUGF (or UGF) done right is possibly the most efficient bio-filter available. First, you need at least 3 inches of medium sized substrate as this is where the bacteria will mostly live. An RUGF uses a powerhead with a sponged intake to push water down the uplift tube and up through the gravel. This prevents the build up of gunk under the plate.

Because the flow is up through the gravel it will keep particles suspended in the water which then allows your second filter to be loaded mostly with mechanical media (and chemical media when needed) to pick up the solids. The sponge over the PH intake also acts as a bio and mechanical media and should be rinsed weekly.


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## Sincere (Aug 18, 2005)

Ah so you need a powerhead to make it a RUGF?


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## DavidDoyle (Jan 18, 2005)

Yes- a powerhead and a powerhead reversal kit which consists of an elbow to adapt PH our to fit over uplift tube plus a strainer an large sponge for the PH intake.


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## Sincere (Aug 18, 2005)

DavidDoyle said:


> Yes- a powerhead and a powerhead reversal hit which consists of and elbow to adapt PH our to fit over uplift tube plus a strainer an largeg sponge for the PH intake.


Awesome man, thanks for the info..I'll definatly be looking into this.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

The Aquaclear ( formerly Hagen ) series of powerheads are reversible without an extra conversion kit. Just slide the lever on the side to "shift gears" into reverse.


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