movement/powerheads

[DanV1317]

so somebody reccommended i get some type of circulation/powerhead in my 75 gallon tank. do i have to have my powerhead hooked up to an UGF or can i just put it in without one and just have it circulate some of the water on it's own? let me know what the deal is with this. thanks
Dan

[jennigypsy]

Hey Dan-
you definately don't need an ugf to use one. I don't use ugf's at all..I have a powerhead that has a sponge on the intake to make it a 'filter'...it works great..I use it in addition to two LARGE hang on filters...you can buy powerhead filters or buy a reg. powerhead, and get a filter sponge (square one..like maybe for an aquaclear?..) then slice an X to make room for the intake.

[DanV1317]

do you keep the powerhead on the forward flow or the reverse flow shooting the water downward?

[Watcher]

i have an undergravel filter with 4 heads at the top and 4 air stones. i have them at staggered heights and it circulates the water good.

[Seedy]

Why I like (and use ) a UGF with africans

1. A UGF protects the bottom of your tank from your "rocktropolis"

2. Despite the fact that a UGFs loose bio-filtration efficiency due to digging, they still circulate/areate the water.(better than nothing)

3. You will have less anerobic "sludge" build up from "dead spots" than if you don't use one...

4. They are relatively cheap....(compared to say...a new cannister or wet/dry set-up)

[Vip]

that is one mad setup watcher! your undergravel must be clean 24/7 with 4 powerheads on it, do you have a filter? or the powerheads do it fine?

[Watcher]

Originally posted by 2qik4u
that is one mad setup watcher! your undergravel must be clean 24/7 with 4 powerheads on it, do you have a filter? or the powerheads do it fine?

2 hang on filters. penguin 170 and penguin 125

[Joebo1717]

I dislike UGF for the fact of egg laying cichlids. If egg layers dig a nest to UGF and lay eggs will fall through. I looked under the bottom of a 20gal I had and found fry growing in the space between UGF and glass once

[jennigypsy]

yep...they go into the sumps too ...look at the LFS...you'll see baby fish in there i bet!