Will an undergravel filter do the same as a gravel vac?

Question

I looked at my tank this morning and I realized it needs some cleaning, I've had it for about a month but haven't cleaned the gravel yet. It's a 10g tank with 4 Zebras, 2 Serpae Tetras, 1 Tiger Barb, and 1 Algae Eater. Should I go and get a vacuum or a undergravel filter?

I ran to walmart and got a mini vacuum. It picked up a lot and i could also do the water change. Still, there was a lot of junk still in the tank left floating around so hopefully the filter will pick some of that up. As for the vacuum, I'll do it once a week to catch up since I ignored it for about 2 months. Thanks for everyones help.

Answer 1

Get the vacume, its called a syphon. Put the bell on the end into the water and suck air from the other end. It will drain, try not to get water in your mouth. Put the bell part in the rocks and let it suck up debris until there is none. Get all the substrate clean. An undergravel filter is not necessary and is not the same thing as actually cleaning your tank. I would opt for a hang on the back filter, bio-wheels work great. UG filters are extremly hard to keep clean, and when you do its a major task. They are dirty and in my opinion unhealthy. They can clog easily causeing "dead spots" in the aquarium and deadly hydrogen sulfide will result. A snoot full of hydrogen sulfide can kill. Bio-wheels are easy to maintain and work flawlessly. You need both filter and syphon. Pick up a fish keeping book while you're there, it will come in handy.

Answer 2

An U/G filter would still require gravel vacuuming. Crud in a tank only goes away when we remove it. No matter what kind of filter you use, it still requires regular cleaning. What ever sort of stuff a filter catches,it's still in contact with the fishes environment,they can still smell or taste or sense the crap in one way or another. We can make the waste change its form by trapping it in a filter but it's still there and it's still harmful. All that a filter does is remove the gunk from our sight, the fish still know it's there. Basically a filter is just a plastic box full of pooh,if you had one in your environment, how often would you like for it to be emptied?------All that being said,a U/G filter is a good way to have a back-up bio-filter for your main system, however it would still require frequent vacuuming. ------ One other item,those battery powered vacuums don't work very well,look for a siphon tube with a piece of hose on it,and use a bucket to catch the stuff. If you intend to have more and larger aquaria a "Python No-spill Clean and Fill" would be a good investment,just a little pricey for one aquarium. ----Hope this helps.-----PeeTee

Answer 3

A vacuum. An undergravel filter doesnt work to good, and it'd also disrupt your tank and gravel too much, causing stress to the fish.

The gravel vacuum's are also cheaper. So yea, I'd opt for getting one of them.

Answer 4

No. The vacuums are cheaper, and they work better. They can get all areas of your tank, where a filter stays in one spot.