My 3Ft undergravel has been compromised by snails and empty shells keep blocking the power head and sooner rather than later it will be dead too so i decided to replace it with an spare internal filter I had. The reason for this is because I can't remove the fish to clean underneath the undergravel.




Thus I got my bits and pieces together


First I put a home use sponge in boiling water to remove any loose colouring and to ensure it was clean and suitable


This was done two times to be sure, the fork was to move it around, weight it down and squeeze safely. After this I checked to see best way to use it.



I decided to cut and place it this way


Then filter cotton


and then the cap


Next I placed some seed cotton from another tank


On top of that I placed bio ceramic rings which have been in the water from the tank for the last week


I then topped it off with sponge


Put the pump together and away she went.


For the next few days I will use both
but then I will remove the powerhead and leave the internal to do the work and the under gravel will still be working but not to the same extent

Hi Mickey,

Looks good. I think you're far better with an internal rather than an under gravel filter. The internal will cause you far less problems in the long run. You've set it up perfectly so shouldn't have any problems. Test the water every day for the next week to be sure.

i have to say no problems for three years tills snail arrived.( forgot to boil bucket after cleaning an infected tank) and if i had place to relocate plec i would not change a thing. the only reason i have not changed to an air stone it would not have the power.

but we could argue pros and cons but we all have our preferences. but what will be interesting to see how this copes with snails and watching the clowns feasting.

Mickey

Hi Mickey,
probably a weird suggestion but have you tried putting the hose of a gravel syphon over the outlet pipe and sucking those blasted snails out, i had your problem years ago when i used undergravel filtration and it was my old man who suggested it, got a lot of the snails out and lessened the problem a bit, might be worth a try... on another note looking at the sponge your using it seems a bit on the fine side for a filter i may be wrong but i can see you changing that a lot due to clogging..try those tuffa or lufa sponges women use to exfoliate their skin better by far i found, but don't let the missus find out where hers went or i'll deny all knowledge of this post
Seamus

Hi Seamus,
i would agree the sponge is fine and will clog a lot! but it will also catch the snails while they are still at the earliest stages thus reducing the problem. it will in the long term help remove them. As for the extra work involved well to get things right you have to but the work in.

normally i would only use this type of sponge as the last barrier before the impeller. when you use a got filter cotton it really polishes the water but some can make its way to the impeller housing and get rapped round it thus reducing its effectiveness or pass through in to the tank and i had to remove it from a fish thus this is ideal as a final stage barrier to avoid this.

As for putting the hose in the up lift that was part of regular maintenance. I also worked the power head in reverse (pushing water down the up lift). it just got to the stage i would have to recycle the tank or use an internal. i chose the latter as there is a common plec in there and in all honesty the tank is not big enough for him. It is 36 x 15 x15 he is about 15 also there is another plec golden? 7 3 x 3 clown loaches.
rather than risk losing fish Just my maintenance on this tank has already trebled and with this fine sponge maybe more? but the end justifies the means!!!!!!!