UGF Shrimp Tank

[cherabin]

Intending to change the HOF out to air-driven UGF. Objective for this is to hopefully lower tank temperature (running the Gex slim #L with submerged pump currently).

The plan is to cover as much of the tank base as possible with undergravel plates. This is how it'll be in a nutshell from bottom to top: Undergravel plates - Eheim substrate - ADA Amazonia II.

Tank (Nisso #L) is for rearing fire reds, decorated with moss on DW and cooled by a fan.

Sincerely wish to hear opinions from all the seasoned hobbyist

[avex30]

Intending to change the HOF out to air-driven UGF. Objective for this is to hopefully lower tank temperature (running the Gex slim #L with submerged pump currently).

The plan is to cover as much of the tank base as possible with undergravel plates. This is how it'll be in a nutshell from bottom to top: Undergravel plates - Eheim substrate - ADA Amazonia II.

Tank (Nisso #L) is for rearing fire reds, decorated with moss on DW and cooled by a fan.

Sincerely wish to hear opinions from all the seasoned hobbyist

If your soil is going to be above the eheim substrate one likely possiblity soil erosion and cloak the UGF plate.

[cherabin]

Thank you for the prompt advice, Avex30.

How about this instead: undergravel plates - Eheim substrate - black quartz - ADA Amazonia II?

Is there any other way I can work around this problem that you have pointed out?

[newlife]

Eheim sub pro under the Ugf and use netting to net it up...before adding the soil. Lay a layer of quartz or a layer of Eheim Mech....
This should be able to help or lessen the chance of the soil to break down.

[cherabin]

Hi Newlife, thank you for the advice.

So it's as follow from bottom to top: Eheim substrate pro - UGF wrapped with fine netting - ADA Amozonia II - Quartz or ceramic rings?

I'm a little confused with the arrangement of the quartz or ceramic rings if the arrangement above is correct. Should it be this instead: Eheim substrate pro - UGF wrapped with fine netting - Quartz or ceramic rings - ADA Amozonia II?

Thank you once again for the help.

[avex30]

lay your ugf plate, fine netting over ehiem substrate pro or fine netting wrap plate than lay ehiem substrate pro over it. Quartz cover over the ehiem substrate than last layer is your ADA 2

[cherabin]

Thank you once again avex30 and newlife I think I get the idea of setting up the UGF. Will I be able to get significant (2 degrees celcius) change in temperature? Cause this is the main objective for the switch while the side objective is caused by itchy hands and finding something new to explore

[RonWill]

Will I be able to get significant (2 degrees celcius) change in temperature?

The capability of any filtration/non-chiller cooling is largely dependent on prevailing ambient temperature.

Moving from a heat-generating motorized HOF to air-lift UGF, the improvement is nominal and at best, less than your hoped 2ºC reduction. Give this a read (from post #9). You might achieve better results. Again, it all depends on air circulation and ambient temp at your home or around your tanks.

Implement what you feel works best to your requirement.

[Navanod]

Thank you once again avex30 and newlife I think I get the idea of setting up the UGF. Will I be able to get significant (2 degrees celcius) change in temperature? Cause this is the main objective for the switch while the side objective is caused by itchy hands and finding something new to explore

I'm not sure how much heat dump that HOF is adding to your water but I'm doubtful that it'll drop by more than 1 degree unless your tank volume is really very little.
The tank temperature is usually slightly higher than ambient, due to heat load from pumps and lights. The smaller the surface area of which to lose heat, the warmer the tank will be.
What's your ambient temperature vs your tank's?

[cherabin]

Hi Ronnie. Thank you for the heads up to the thread. It's indeed interesting to use an air-lift filter I can now toy around with the idea of converting the HOF into an air-lifted back filter.

Hi Navanod, hasn't measured ambient temperature once before, seems like its time to do so

[Navanod]

Haha, take measurements of both ambient and tank at the same time, so you know the difference. That's how much heat your HOF is adding to the water.
On a related note, short of using a chiller, your only option to lower the temperature below ambient is to use a fan, but that'll result in massive evaporation that you have to top up with RO water. Using tapwater for topups will result in GH issues in the near future.

[avex30]

After Qing Ming the hot spell is coming as I believe everyone can feel it now even the sunny day is hard to tolerate. Best bet is still a chiller. I know not everyone home is allow to have a heat generating device cooling the water for the shrimps yet generating heat for the owner haha. But it the best bet and less headache can research for a DIY as alternative.

[RonWill]

It is said that increasing dissolved oxygen and aeration can *somewhat* compensate for lower temps (not applicable in all cases for all livestock though).

In the past, I've extensively used modified OHFs aka Henri-deBruyn wet dry filters for my cooler highland killifishes. It may not be the best temperature range for breeding but at least I was able to sustain (fishes kept alive) till monsoon season.

With the heat upon us now, I'm experimenting with Totto's Bubble Stopper to generate that increase in O² for my killie tanks (without creating a tsunami) and see how that goes. If the Totto didn't work as I had expected, it can easily be modified into a K1 moving bed reactor or egg-bubbler to manually incubate my Betta macrostoma's eggs. Don't waste mah...

Others can test my hunch at their own risk

[Navanod]

Can the TOTTO bubble stopper fit the K1 media? I also wanted to try but most likely I'll be using seachem purigen in it instead. Erm, I need "The Mesh" bro

[RonWill]

Heh... you know where to find me. Sssshhhh....

[avex30]

Can the TOTTO bubble stopper fit the K1 media? I also wanted to try but most likely I'll be using seachem purigen in it instead. Erm, I need "The Mesh" bro

It can fit but if you remember K1 function after awhile they so call process of BB start growing on the media it will start to sink download the lower portion is not cover unless you use a mesh to block up the bottom portion.

Heh... you know where to find me. Sssshhhh....

Why must Ssssshhhh i want to go find you leh but don't know where you hide