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ugf mod

R

reeferwanabe

only reverse pump that I found looked like too much flow so I used 2 404 mini jets.
connected 1/2 inch tubing to the return then capped of the top of the main tube. drilled a 1/2" hole in it and passed it thru to 1" short of the bottom of tank.
seems to be working great adjusted flow half way on pump.
 
Paul B

Paul B

NJRC Member
Seems OK I can't picture it. As long as you are pumping about 50 GPH down each tube it should be fine. I don't use a reverse pump. I just pump water into a plastic container and the tubes are connected top the bottom of that.
 
R

reeferwanabe

not really sure how to gauge 50 gph. mini jets can be adjusted from 20 - 106 gph. turned it half way up. the half inch tube fit perfectly over the outlet of the pump I used the caps that came with the ugf and after drilling 1/2" hole in the center of it. I ran the 1/2" tube into this up to the neck of the pump.this is to stop backflow of water. then I ran the 1/2" tube thru the 1"tube with the cap resting over the 1" tube.
sounds complicated but it was simple.
 
Paul B

Paul B

NJRC Member
Sounds good to me. To measure the pump volume, fill a gallon bucket with the pump and time it. If it fills it in a minute that would 60 gallons an hour. Don't pump the water faster than that or you will defeat the purpose and you will have all the problems people have had with UGFs and you will be cursing me out. The thing needs to go slow, very slow. You don't want to push too much detritus under there or oxygen.
You are filtering the water first I think you said, correct?
 
Paul B

Paul B

NJRC Member
Dave you can buy those sponges that go over the intake of a powerhead to filter the water, I don't know if that is what you have but it makes it easier to clean.
I don't use a reverse running powerhead. I pump the water into this green container which is an old filter container. The three tubes coming out the bottom go to the UG filter. All of the tubes get the same flow and beinbg it is open to the air, the air bubbles rise out of the top.
UGF001.jpg
 
R

reeferwanabe

I only used one tube from each section 2 powerheads.
just did the gallon test. took 2 minutes to fill. is that too slow?
the pumps I'm using dont have a hole for intake so I wraped them with a piece of bonded filter pad. rubberband holes it on. if I could find a black sponge with a wide enough opening to slide over pump it would look better.
 
R

reeferwanabe

2 sections cover the whole bottom of 48"x18" so each section is 24x18. would rather not add more pumps but are you thinking I should have 2 pumps on each section? (too much) or turn up the flow a little?
 
Paul B

Paul B

NJRC Member
No, I think you should turn the volume down a little. One of those pumps could do the entire thing if you feel like piping them together like I did. I think about 100GPH down each tube would be perfect. You are not trying to push a lot of water down there. With the old UG filters we wanted to do that but with salt water you just want enough water go get a little flow to keep some creatures alive in the gravel, not oxygenate the hell out of it. Slower is better in this set up. Believe me, I experimented with it for decades and the slower you go, the longer it will run with no attention from you. Don't forget DSBs have absolutely no flow and they last for 8 years or so. If you run it very slow it will last forever. Well, almost forever ;D
 
R

reeferwanabe

if you fill a bucket in 60 sec. 60 gph. it took 2 min. thats 30 gph. that is why I asked if this was too slow but your saying thats good? I could tune it down even more.
 
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