aehageman
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Posts posted by aehageman
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I spend hours a week writing on forums and working with forum moderators and owners.
This is the most ridiculous use of power outside of the government I have experienced on a forum.
Not only were your warnings vague they were unfounded.
This DID NOT HAPPEN!
Once a thread begins to veer from kind and helpful over to demands for evidence I start thinking about locking the thread. I am very close to locking this one.
I was sharing evidence, willingly and often, that is the POINT of forums.
Now I must find somewhere else to go.
Really poor job Cory I am surprised and disappointed in you!!
You just lost a very wealthy patron!
I am certainly not wasting my time here any more!
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4 minutes ago, tonyjuliano said:
You need a baked clay that also is rich in iron
Guess I missed that part of the videos.!
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1 hour ago, JAG said:
I am reading that people are saying the plain "Special Kitty" cat litter, from Walmart, is breaking down and getting mushy ~ they are now using "Safe T Sorb", from Tractor Supply, which is also a pure baked clay product, which holds up better.
I don't have a sump, to utilize Dr. Novak's basket, but why couldn't a mixture of "Safe T Sorb" and "Seachem Flourite Red", be used as the UGF substrate, instead of gravel?
I think I will email Dr. Novak and ask him ~ I'll let you know if he replies ...
Thanks, my wife literally just left for the tractor supply store.
We have a partial bag of special kitty. I will test both.
I believe in one of the videos from Dr. Cat litter, He said it can be used as the substrate, but that he does not like to see the cat litter, so he does not use it that way. -
50 minutes ago, Ryan W said:
Yes. Very normal for stem plants of all kinds. What you are describing are called “aerial roots”. Stem plants tend to start growing aerial roots in search for more food. If your substrate is very nutritious, the plants may not grow aerial roots at all because they are getting all they need from the substrate. However, just because your plants are growing aerial roots, that isn’t necessarily indicative of a malnourished substrate. It’s just the plants way of eating. Although, if you built your substrate to be very heavy on nutrients, it may be a sign that your substrate needs a boost by using some root tabs. Not many people intentionally build a highly nutritious substrate like that though. You can trim them off if the look of them bothers you. A lot of people trim them. Aerial roots are great for topping-and-replanting though because you now have a completely converted, rooted, stem ready for replanting after topping.
Could aerial roots mean that your water is very nutritious, also?
Plants grow in every direction they find food, yes?So they grow in every direction they find nutrition, not just in the substrate or just out into the water, but BOTH if the nutrients are available?
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1 hour ago, tonyjuliano said:
The clay kitty litter is for the "basket type" filters (intended for larger vessels, combined with an iron source).
For aquarium use, you need a single product that combines the ionization of clay, with added iron. Due to the size constraints this single product can be either Laterite (hard to come by anymore) or Seachem Flourite Red. Both are clays - high in iron.
The kitty litter has no iron.
In a UGF plenum setup, layers are as follows (bottom to top):
- Bio-Media of choice
- Filter Plate
- Clay/Iron Source (Laterite or Seachem Flourite Red - only about 1/4" is necessary))
- Substrate of choice
so I just need kitty litter something with iron, like lava rock?
As the iron is the vitamins for the kitty litter. -
16 hours ago, tonyjuliano said:
Laterite is baked red clay, nothing more.
The clay component is important as it is also a negatively charged ion
It’s gotta be clay, has to be baked, and it’s gotta be rich in iron, lava rock will not cut it.
All of this is well known and comes right out of the industrial wastewater treatment field.
Am I missing something?
The cat litter needs to be clay, the laterite was only used for the Iron. Why does it need to be Clay? -
13 hours ago, Evan said:
Wow. I have to say I'm surprised to read these glowing reviews. Frankly, I hate the new format and I find the mobile site now unusable. When I'm trying to read about a product on my iPhone, say the ingredients in a particular food or how to work the Ziss Brine Shrimp Hatchery, this dropdown thingie telling me to add the product to my cart drops down automatically and covers half the screen. Now I can't read what's on the screen. Nor can I see the "you may also like" product links toward the bottom of the screen. Oh well, maybe when I get home to my desktop I will remember to look again for the information or product I was interested in. Or maybe not.
I get that the dropdown thingie comes and goes but I can't for the life of me figure out how to control it. Is there a setting I'm missing? Am I just tech illiterate?
There are issues on the desktop version too. The dropdown thingie shows up here but it isn't so bad because it is fairly unobtrusive. However, now when I read a blog post and want to check out all the "featured products" there is no link to the product page. The only thing you can do is add the product to your cart. Then you can view your cart, click on the product picture and be taken to the product page. Instead of one step to read about a featured product there are now three steps. Four if you count removing the product from your cart because you were just browsing anyway because an excellent blog post got you thinking about trying something new. FYI, this is also a problem on the mobile site.
This is just way I see it. Your mileage may vary.
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Forum notification do not have read and unread functionality, upfront and easy to figure out.
I am new to this forum script, so correct me, when I am wrong.
Most forums I participate in the notification area does something to allow you to tell read from unread. This is normally in your face easy to see.
In the header drop down, Sure they are blue and white backgrounds, however, once you click ONE they all turn blue.
Then when you view all notifications there is absolutely nothing to let me know what I need to read.I did figure out how to go to the unread area and click the filters. To figure this out. This took time and effort. Which is something we Internet Consultants call Friction.
Less Friction means more views, more views means more time on site, more time on site equals more sales.
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49 minutes ago, KBOzzie59 said:
And not nearly as efficient as gravel. If you get any flow at all. Been there / Done that.
edit: Maybe with a very coarse sand.
High flow is not required.. Slow flow is and can be the best. increase the size of the power head or aeration?
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4 minutes ago, tonyjuliano said:
Very hard to find anymore, but this is a perfect substitute…
Laterite seems to come from India, so I reached out... It seems to be their sand! Maybe after some research, my friend will mail me a bag of dirt from his yard? If we are lucky.
I just realized lava rock from the store is high in iron. Could be why my tanks do so well so easily? Besides me that is LOL!
I am looking at tumblers and other mechanical ways to smooth the lava rock and now to make it pebble size!!
The point of the laterite is the iron? -
2 hours ago, tonyjuliano said:
Get ready for lots of controversy!
Google “Dr. Kevin Novak plenum”
I am almost lost for words! Seriously where do I start?
I found this link
https://mjvaquatics.com/using-a-plenum-in-a-freshwater-aquarium/
Which led me to this
https://mjvaquatics.com/anoxic-biocenosis-clarification-filtration/
to
this
video This is great you gotta watch it... then watch the next video
I am going to find a replacement material for the laterite.
http://www.bestpetsupply.com/shopping/pricelist.asp?prid=2796
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5 minutes ago, tonyjuliano said:
Get ready for lots of controversy!
Google “Dr. Kevin Novak plenum”
I found out I know what a plenum is, just did not know the word for it.
Googling now!
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18 minutes ago, tonyjuliano said:
Every point made here is correct.
There is no doubt that different sized plates can be used in many configurations.
for example, a penn-plax UGF kit sold for a 10 gal tank consists of 2 plates measuring 9.5” square that are meant to be clipped together for use. You can use each one “singly” in a small tank. Most other standard sizes work the same way.
UGF’s are cheap, and they work.
But they work even better configured as a slow-flow plenum.
What tonyjuliano said!!!
Did I mention you can stack them?
@tonyjuliano and thanks for giving me more research to do.. "plenum" is my new word of the week.... -
10 minutes ago, tonyjuliano said:
Every point made here is correct.
There is no doubt that different sized plates can be used in many configurations.
for example, a penn-plax ,
Certainly penn plax Under gravel filters allow you to build to your liking. I have stacked them.
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1 hour ago, BenA said:
@aehageman Just to help you a bit 😇 8.5. Under Gravel Filters (aquariumscience.org)
I love this article thanks!
Is the wheel antiquated?The brown gunk is what you move to new tanks to speed up cycling!
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6 minutes ago, lefty o said:
i dont know, i run hang on backs, and i cant tell you how many years it has been since i bought any replacement filters. nothing wrong with an ugf, but they arent for everyone, just like a hob, or a canister, no one filter type is for everyone.
I completely agree.
I use all the above!! But only cause when I buy used tanks they come with stuff. I never have bought replacement filters. I have bought a few replacement rings...
I like to over populate my tanks! water changes hooooe! Which I love a good water change.
I am certainly NOT saying UGFs are better for YOUR (whomever is reading) setup.
I just want to make sure people know that UGFs are better for MY setups and with proper education and instruction a UGF is probably the best all around filter for a long term tank setup. -
14 hours ago, Steph’s Fish and Plants said:
I’ll certainly admit that UGFs are very much out of style atm (I don’t think we even sell them at my LFS) and while all the above is very much valid, I do think that one other disadvantage (which credit to Cory for bringing this up in a livestream) is that most UGFs are one size fits one size, there’s no one size fits all UGF that is functional at the same capacity as what you’d expect. They’re not upgradable if you get a bigger tank, whereas other filters you can always run smaller filters on bigger tanks in conjunction, and use that to help quicken the cycle with needed. It’s not necessarily a con that you can’t use it for the cycle, but more so lacking a perk which canisters, HOBs, and sponges all have. I did consider using a RFUGF for my saltwater mantis tank build but ultimately went a different direction.
Ultimately, I think that the turnoff for me for UGFs is the lack of upgradability, and I think that goes for a lot of people in the hobby right now, most people end up moving or upgrading or swapping tanks a lot more frequently and UGFs make that more complicated than other filter styles that can run on a wider variety of tank shapes and sizes.
I don't like to step on Cory's toes but
UGFs are one size fits one size, [ buzzer sound!!! ] Sure you can not put a big LEE's for a 55g in 10g, but I have 55g Lees in my 45s and in my 65s and I have used them in my 100gs and 200Gs. There is no where that says it MUST fit the tank size. There is no where it states the entire bottom of a tank must be used for a UGF to function. The lees 55G is actually two plates. NONE of my tanks have two. Most of my tanks only one side has a UGF. Unless it is the 45 tall and then the 55G lees takes up over half the bottom. The 45 long is the same width as my 65tall and my 55s. so they are all halfsies.Really how many people shut down a tank when they upgrade to a bigger tank, don't most people just add the new tank? Thus why we all have 23 tanks in the house, office, kitchen, dining room, bed room, living room, etc. Maybe it is just me.
The larger a tank the less surface area is required for a UGF to operate..
The larger the tank the lower the requirements for filtration.
The larger the tank the easier to maintain. ETC!
Scaling a UGF can be done by increasing water flow and substrate depth and type. I certainly do not want hangon my aquarium anything, if I were building a pretty tank. Which I do not build."You can’t use it for the cycle," What?
I certainly use it for the cycling new tanks, all the time. Get a scoop and a bucket. take the media from one tank to the new tank, leave the dirty stuff in the media. I do this ALL the time with new tanks. Then I add new substrate back into the old tank and new substrate over the cycled substrate in the new tanks. Do not remove all your substrate, Half at most, unless a large well established tank. The bacteria lives on the media, thus when you move some over boom there is your cycle started. I have a 32gallon trash can with water and lava rock. This is where my water sits to acclimate and where I season my substrate. For the pebble and gravel substrates, I just over fill a few tanks and leave for a few weeks, then I can remove as much as I want for new projects. Boom instant cycle starter.A UGF can do almost everything any other system can do except increase your maintenance time and costs!
IMHO and experience, UGFs are more upgradeable than any of the options you mentioned. The real issue is that the market has educated people to think they way you think, because UGFs are not profitable recurring products.
As Cory stated in a video, he was using MOSTLY UGFs in his store display tanks, until he allowed customers to peer pressure him into removing them. He also said the uplift tubes make it more difficult to catch fish to put in your baggy. just fyi.
Everytime I go to buy something for a tank, I compare the price of that item to the price of another new tank.$50 buys a lot of tank and not a lot of filtration. Hard to buy a good NON UGF filtration system for under $50 that can scale up. Sure I can add 3 or 4 small hang on the back filters to a bigger tank, but then I have 3 or 4 back filters hanging on my tank. Now I have to buy filter replacements for 3 or 4 filters.
Thanks for the feedback and I certainly see your point, I just see more options than you shared.
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8 minutes ago, tonyjuliano said:
UGF’s have certainly fallen out of favor in the last 20 years or so, but you know what? They make excellent slow-flow plenums.
I just built a couple of tanks based on UGF’s as plenums, and I will never build another tank without one.
I wanna SEE!
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21 hours ago, Ken D. said:
I'm glad you're having success with the UGF! I mean, my tank was clean using it, I just felt I should be cleaning out a filter every once in a while!
That is what 'THEY' Want you to think.. LOL!
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4 hours ago, Tanked said:
The only downside is that for best performance, you are limited to a gravel substrate.
What other substrates have you used that did not perform well?
Certainly anything so small it goes through would not work. Like sand is difficult. I have used sand with a mesh to keep it where it belongs. I was never happy with sand.
Tiny gravel/pebbles was okay, but if you keep a dirty tank, like me, then 1/16" - 1/8" inch sized pebbles as substrate is what I like.
Gives the roots and worms room to do their thing. Oh yeah and the MTS!
You might like this article
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0075951111000399Remember when reading this, that they were not studing a UGF, so grain size is not as relevant to this study when using a UGF.
From what I understood and used to draw my conclusion is that a UGF would increase the roots access to the nutrients.
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2 hours ago, BenA said:
Didn't know that. I have thought that the roots will block the water flow when penetrating inside it. Currently am waiting for a 75gl (3'x1.7'x1.7') tank and depends on the substrate I might build an UGF using 3/4" PVC tubes and an air pump to work together with a large canister.
At some point sure the roots could cause some issue, I have never had an issue roots blocking too much flow.
Roots need flow for nutrients and aeration. In my experience UGF tanks have better plant growth.
I have used back filters to grow tomatoes and the roots grew down the water fall into the tank and never clogged the back filter. It certainly looked clogged, but the water fall was still running strong.
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3 hours ago, Ken D. said:
I had an UGF years ago and while it did a good job of keeping the water clean, I always had this feeling of, "what's under there?" I like to be able to clean a filter and know more of what's going on. After that one I never tried it again.
I completely get this, feeling! I did some water changes today, just cause of that feeling. I was really surprised at the amount of bla I stirred up around the UGFs.
I often put a large hose down the uplift tube to pull out what is under there.
Often I connected my return to the uplift tube forcing clean water up through the gravel.
Half the tank is pulling down into the UGF and then the flow is being passed to the next tube and going up through the next UGF.
UGF and RFUG combo!! Reverse Flow undergravel filters are really good when you want to polish your water.
Also with my stands, at the time. 2X4s and concrete blocks or the default iron stands, it is very simple to look UNDER the tank and through the bottom to see how much dirt is there. Which is also the only way to spy on the Kuhli that live there.
If your stand base is solid, this does not work. Obviously.These days I am using a combination of methods with little to zero water polishing. I only clean when I get that feeling!
I love dirty tanks and detritus worms!!
Did I mention SNAILS!!!Think I am going to go build a RFUG now!
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2 hours ago, lefty o said:
i dont know that they are better or worse than any other filter option, but they have sort of faded into the past. most people tend to want the latest and greatest, newest, bestest thing. right or wrong, it is what it is.
Here is how I see this.
UGFs are not a recurring income product. They have no filter to replace, no media to replace, etc. There is no reason someone using a UGF will contact Marieland for a replacement O ring link I current am required to purchase to revive my magnum 350.
Besides never really knowing what is under them @Ken D., which I can help fix, I can not think of any Cons, that I can not fix.
Unless you buy a cheap one that breaks easy.
Lee's are super and not cheap, @Beardedbillygoat1975 stated above that they are robust. Very true. I have broken many CHEAP UGF building with rocks my cichlids could not move around. LEE's, while I will not stand on them, I bet my 13 year old son could stand on them.-
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1 hour ago, BenA said:
Will it work for Loches that like to dig into sand? Horses for courses I think. It is a good filter and my cousin runs his 600Ltr tank only with UGF but he has no Loches and no plants.
I have used with my kuhli loaches in the distant past. Be sure to weigh the Filter down as they will get under it. But this is not bad as they prefer this space under the UGF. Except you will not ever see them, once they can get under it. EVER! LOL!
Plants LOVE UGFs!
unfair thread lock
in Off Topic General
Posted
Just because people report does not mean it is true.
I read nothing hostile towards anyone.
I was doing my best to ready everything that came in.
Nothing unexpected came through.
With my type of experience your are over moderating this forum.
Maybe I missed something! but shutting us ALL down is WRONG!
I do not stand for this type of censorship!!
Hate speech is protected by the US Constitution!!