[CARE] More information of UnderGravel Filter (UGF)

Here is the information talk about substract and UGF before
From the last article about substract(click above), there has some more to talk about UGF.

There has many different ways to keep CRS healthy and breed, you can learn from real experience or risking CRS life to try it.
If you are new to this hobby and don't want to risk your CRS to try, here I can suggest you a common method that I learn from Taiwan CRS forum to set up a tank by using UGF.
UGF can turn the substract into bacteria Bed for Bio Filtration.

How to handle the substract layer above the UGF?
Use ADA Amazonia I screen out the smaller substract by spinning on a mesh/ hole bowl (washing fruit /veggie/rices). So, only 1 bag can turn into "powder" and "normal" size soil, saving $ but take more time.

UGF > Pad cover guard > "normal" size substract 5-6 cm > "powder" size substract 3-4cm

Why setting up UGF in this way?
UGF (UnderGravel Filter) - will help the in flow more average, but the water go through the substract may shorten the life of substract. so, ADA amazonia I is better for solid form.

Pad cover - use thin filter pad/bio pad/laundry mesh bag to cover the UGF. to avoid the substract get into UGF for longer run of the undergravel avoid the flow going slower.

Normal size layer - give better flow of the UGF, and few chance to stuck the UGF.

Powder size Top layer- used because the CRS can easily pick on them for eating and prevent the frys dig into substract.

Which UGF is best for you?
1) Choose smaller size UGF of the tank.
eg. 2.5 feet tank use 2 feet UGF. (10 gallon UGF normally has 2 portion UGF, use half of it) to set up a balanced cycle for half tank for Aerobic bacteria bed and half anti-aerobic N-Bacteria.
2) strong joint between the gravel and the intake tube. I faced the UGF tube slip off and the substract all go down the UG plate. (become useless)

Thanks,
KH

[CARE] maintenance of Soil

I didn't experiences lots yet since I keep only half year, but I notice the soil does gone into powder form.
from what I read from other experience, There has few things to determine if the Aquasoil gone bad or from the CRS population of shrimplets and body whiteness. and there has some solutions.

Determinations of the soil:
1) if you notice the CRS shrimplets survival rate 60% drop a lot to few % compare to 2-3months ago. Like before you see many shrimplets fry around and grow up, but this month you only see few shrimplets swim around.
reason cause it:
- a) may be reach the max population if in a small tank like mine 10 gallon. normally, 2-3 feet tank
can grow to 1-2k crs with great Cycled tank and bio filtration like 2 canister for bacteria grown to handle the large amount of waste.
- b) may be the cycle of the tank going wrong
- c) may be the soil gone bad
2) large amount CRS's whiteness gone to transparent
- a) may be pH/GH/Water unstable (normally pH GH rapidly change they act different)
- b) may be soil
- c) unknown reason (normally set the tank up again)

Solution of the soil going bad soil:
1) Normal maintenance, when you see the powder form of soil, use a Gravel Vacuums or something stir the soil powder up and avoiding the powder and left over food keep sinking to the bottom. After you stir the CRS loves to eat at that substract lol. This method make the soil last longer.

2) I saw some breeders will use the a layer of new substract cover a old substract to balance the soil. but this method may be need to clean out the CRS and plants or do a small portion at a time.

3) Substract choice. There has many kinds of substract make for CRS. The new EBI best CRS susbstract also claimed last around a year. If ADA I and ADA II , many said ADA I give more solid form but great amonia spike and ADA II can faster setup but more soft into powder from. (I Do experience of both ADA I and ADA II, I like ADA I better even though the cycling period is longer around 3-4weeks. ADA II less than a week for me to put CRS in.)

4) don't use under gravel filtration. water go through the susbtract make the soil life shorter. (but i still perfer to use it , because the soil can be count to be a part of the bio filtration - bacteria grown if under gravel set)
5) if it a small tank lol just change susbtract and setting up a new tank may be faster.

Smaller tank is easy manage, but the water in tank may distributed/going bad fast; however, larger tank more water is more stable water tank for CRS.
I think 2 Feet tank around 2-30 gallon is a great choice. I have no choice to use 10 gallon lol.

The soil normally is not the major cause of the problem and always consider at last, but it still needs to be monitored.
The most important element for CRS is still water. Great water sources solve many unnecessary problems.