Undergravel filter

[InsideTheBurg]

Hey guys, that kit I bought last night came with a "Clear Flow" under gravel filter.... 1st I don't understand how it works. I know how to set it up.... but do both tubes needs the air stone/tube/ and be hooked to airpump? How does that filter anything? I'm so confused.... also on the front it says "Slipstream exhaust for strong output and surface agitation" I thought bettas didn't like alot of currents.... should I just get another filter system? If so, what should I get for a 10 gallon with 5 females.

[Kim]

I personally wouldn't use the UGF. How is is supposed to work is that the airstone creates a suction to pull the waste underneath the gravel where it is broken down by your biological bacteria, while the surface agitation oxygenates the water at the same time. It sounds like a good idea, but most people don't use them any more for a number of reasons:

1) The gunk stays under the gravel making it get quite dirty and bacteria ridden
2) It's really hard to clean, and you have to basically tear apart your tank to clean it which may mess up your cycle

Any HOB filter with an adjustable flow should be good (or even one without the adjustable flow if you build a baffle). I also have a Rapids Mini Canister Filter that works well. It's easy to turn the outflow tube to face the wall so that the current is baffled, and my favorite thing about it is that it's SILENT. No noise at all, but it is a pain to clean (not nearly so bad as an UGF though) so I guess it depends on what you want.

[InsideTheBurg]

Ok, thank you very much for the advice, I've decided on getting a new filter

[Synthisis]

Another thing to consider about under gravel filters, is that you cant have any plants that are rooters. The filter pulls all the goodies from out of the gravel.