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From: andre@nrc-ut.UUCP (Andre' Hut)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria,rec.pets
Subject: Re: Tank Filtration
Message-ID: <353@nrc-ut.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 1-Dec-87 19:54:12 EST
Article-I.D.: nrc-ut.353
Posted: Tue Dec  1 19:54:12 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 5-Dec-87 12:45:50 EST
References: <1097@inuxd.UUCP>
Reply-To: andre@nrc-ut.UUCP (Andre' Hut)
Organization: Network Research Corp.  Salt Lake City, UT
Lines: 54
Xref: mnetor alt.aquaria:28 rec.pets:2050

In article <1097@inuxd.UUCP> padgett@inuxd.UUCP (Gary Padgett) writes:
>At the advice if a friend I arranged my tank (29 gal.) so that the
>power filter pulls water through the undergravel filter. I have
>noticed that most tanks seem to have the filters functioning
>separately with the air-driven undergravel filter outputting water
>through an activated charcoal filter into the tank and the power filter
>pulling water through a syphon tube an inch or so above the gravel.

This is almost the best set-up.  The undergravel filter is by far the
best type of filter for keeping the ammonia levels under control, and
the more flow you have through it, the better.  The best set-up is to
have the water going *down* your 'uplift' tubes.  This has the advantage
of keeping your gravel clean, while still maintaining the biological
filtration.  The water should be pulled from the surface where there
is more oxygen, then through your mechanical filter, then through
the chemical filter (carbon), then down under the gravel filter, and
back up.  The oxygen is useful to the bacteria which break down the
ammonia into nitrates (which are then used by your green plants).

You do have to clean up the bottom once and awhile though, cause nothing
is sucking water from the bottom.

>What are the advantages/disadvantages of my present setup? I have
>floss and an "Ammono-Carb" bag in the power filter (I heard
>"Chemi-Pure" is better.

Chemi-pure is great for salt-water tanks, probably fine for fresh-water
too.

>Also my plants are suddenly disappearing. I have several varieties of
>Tetras, platys, paleatus catfish, two varieties of gouramis (flame and
>kissing), and an ever-enlarging plecostomus. I suspect the
>plecomostomus. Any coments?

I had a plecostomus once too.  It's great for cleaning algae off the tanks,
but if you don't keep it fed, it will eat plants and even other fish.  Try
feeding it frozen-lettuce.  For some reason if you freeze it first, it makes
it mushier and they like it better.  I once noticed that some of my tiger-barbs
(a very quick nimble fish) were getting 'sucked' on by the plecosto-sucker.
I couldn't figure out why the skin of some of these tiger barbs were getting
ripped off, until I actually saw it sucking on one of them.  Damnest thing
I ever saw...
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