# cloudy water undergravel filter



## Ebaun (Sep 6, 2010)

my new goldfish tank is pretty cloudy its been up for about a week now but about three days ago i put an undergravel filter in and it was really murky so i took my goldfish and my pleco out and when it was semi cloudy i put them back in and three days later it still looks like the pictures bellow and I'm running a sponge filter too do i just need time? or what should i do?
they are really really happy 
the ph perfect 7 maybe 7.1 
low ammonia


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## Peeps (May 24, 2010)

Sorry but undergravel filters are horrible. They trap the food and stuff at the bottom and it's hard to clean. Just my opinion. Right now if your tank has only been running a week you are going threw the cycling process. You need to get a test kit for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph. Any type of ammonia and nitrite can hurt or kill your fish. I would do water changes, 30% daily. It could be a bacterial bloom or you stured up all the food and poop at the bottom putting the undergravel filter in.


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## Ebaun (Sep 6, 2010)

yeah it probably did the last one... well i saw a fish store and they had the ugf and their tanks where all really clean ! and i though wow they have like 45 tanks and these filters must save them a lot of money and effort so thats why i got it


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## someonefishy (Oct 14, 2010)

I have a UGF in my 20-galllon high. They're fine, as long as you VACUUM YOUR GRAVEL with each water change. That requires a simple aquarium siphon. You also need a powerful pump and aeration system. In my tank, I have the Maxi-Jet 400, which is a submersible pump with an UGF adapter that goes into the lift tube of the UGF. I also have the Venturi aerator hooked up, which activates the air bubbles and further agitates the water to improve oxygenation. Larger tanks will benefit from two or more of these powerheads.

When siphoning your gravel, look at what goes through the large siphon cylindar. At first, you will see all kinds of muck and debri coming up into the cylindar. Then the water will start rising up more clear. When it clears up, it means that most of the debri has been removed from that one spot. Then you move on to the next spot and siphon that, and you repeat this process until all of the gravel is vacuumed. This reduces the workload on the beneficial bacteria that filter your tank.

It's a lot of work, and it's not practical if you have live plants because ideally, you should remove all the decor from the tank and vacuum the entire bed. I like it because I have artificial plants in my tank, so taking them out and changing them isn't a problem. It also gives me the opportunity to rescape my tank each time -- changing the decor and adding new plants and ornaments and rearranging their positions, etc. Makes for visual variety, and doesn't get monotonous afterawhile just looking at the same old scenery.

Everyone says how awful UGFs are. If you maintain them properly, they do a fine job. Even with a mechanical filter, you would still have to clean it.

Best of luck -- someonefishy


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

This is an old debate. UGFs are tried and true but a PITA to clean. The do the job and cheaply, but listen to someonefishy


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