Hello all,
I just recently picked up some new powerheads for the undergravel filter in my 75 gallon tank. The new pumps have the option to run in reverse, and the enclosed literature claims that by running one (or both? The brochure doesn't specify)in reverse--pulling tank water down into the undergravel filter--will encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria. I've never had this option before, does anyone have experience with this and does it work?
Thanks
Running powerheads in reverse?
Started by
Guest_rootsman_*
, Jan 14 2011 03:09 PM
5 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_Newt_*
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Posted 14 January 2011 - 03:47 PM
The bacteria should grow in the gravel either way. The only benefit I can see to having the water pushing up through the gravel, rather than settling down, is that debris and mulm will be more likely to stay at the substrate surface, where it can be more easily vacuumed.
#3
Guest_mywan_*
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Posted 14 January 2011 - 04:42 PM
I understand that reversible pumps are also used to mimic tides in saltwater tanks, but generally require a neptune controller or similar to work that way. Not really relevant to natives, but it can be use to dislodge detritus or circulate dead spots. Whatever environmental or operational function you want to experiment with using it for is fine.
#4
Guest_rootsman_*
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Posted 15 January 2011 - 04:28 PM
Thanks for the feedback. I'm setting the tank up again after a move, so I'm going to try running one of the powerheads in reverse to see if the tank stabilizes any faster than in the past when I had a conventional set up.
#5
Guest_reefkprZ_*
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Posted 18 January 2011 - 06:35 AM
if you run only one in reverse your just going to pump water around your ugf filter instead of through it. you either need both forward or both backward. the whole Idea of the ugf is to force water through the substrate. if you have one pumping down and one pumping up all your going to do is circulate around the substrate.
#6
Guest_rootsman_*
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Posted 19 January 2011 - 03:43 PM
Yeah, I see what you're saying about running only one in reverse. In this case, each powerhead is attached to it's own, separate undergravel filter plate. They are side-by-side but there is a two or three inch strip of gravel separating them. (I bought the tank second-hand but I assume this is because the smallish openings at the top of the tank preclude the installation of the filter plate in one piece.) While there is probably some communication between the two filter fields, I was thinking that there would still be a fair bit of water forced up through the gravel on the side of the tank with the reversed powerhead...in other words each field would function mostly independently. Reasonable theory?
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