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i was wondering if any one had eer hooked up a mag. 350 to an undergravel filter? If it work, and how well does it work. My fish are messy eaters and i was hoping this would help clean up the 55g tank. any info would be appreciated. Thank alot
john

I see no clear advantage in doing that, even if you set it up such that the UG filter would be in reverse flow. UG filters are designed to work with moderate water flows, not 350 gallons per hour pushing through them. I strongly suspect that pushing that sort of volume through the UG filter would result in very uneven flows through the substrate.

I would use the Magnum as a second filter, with its primary function being a mechanical filter working independently from the UG filter which would remain as your primary biological filter. Gravel vac it, one half each time, periodically to ensure the substrate does not become overburdened with mulm and once in a while, sneak an airline thin siphon down the uplift tube to siphon out mulm that collects under the filter plate.

I know a guy who has Magnum HOTS on all his tanks and runs them with the micron cartridges, rotating the filter elements regularly. (daily?) One element is in the filter, the second is soaking in bleach water and the third is drying getting ready to exchange with the one in the filter. Keeps his tanks sparkling! His biological filter is a massive wet/dry.

Alternately, you could run your Magnum with the polyfloss sleeve and rinse it frequently. In the central media chamber, you could use carbon, or ceramic noodles etc for extra biological filtration if desired.

If you have messy eaters which leave debris on the bottom of the tank, might I suggest a different solution.

Buy a python water changing system. Use it to vacuum the gravel of the tank while you perform weekly water changes. It will remove the accumulated debris and keep your tank in great shape.

best of luck,
asaint

Hi:

Haven't done it myself. I do know some turtle keepers have done it on smaller tanks & got clear water. No real mystery; the downflow of water into the gravel bed may pull particulates into the gravel bed, some of which may become trapped. Of course, that doesn't mean wasted food won't impact your water quality, but it may make the water column itself look clearer.

Richard.