UG filters are not "out of fashion", like any filter it´s not perfect, each one has it´s pros and cons, the biggest deal with UG filters is that they need regular maintenace ( siphoning ) because the UG filter is anything but a filter, the true filter media is the gravel, the UG filter is a grid that maintains the gravel above the tank bottom leaving a space in which the water will flow after being displace and lifted by the uplift tubes.

Power filters have not displaced the UG filter, power filters are a complement to the UG filter due to it´s ability of increasing the filtering surface area and the addition of other forms of filtration ( chemical ) that are not provided by the UG filter, the action of the UG filter is purely mechanical.

UG filters can be installed with the traditional normal flow or enhanced through reverse flow ( more efficient ).

With out without UG filter the gravel has to be siphoned regularily to remove detritus but most important, to maintain the media ( the gravel ) loose.

I can't contribute anything to the debate (UG filter vs. other) - but I'm wondering about your wanting to put an elephant nose in a community tank? I didn't think it was a community tank fish? I don't have any experience with this fish - just going on what was told me at a local fish store when I asked what the fish was the first time I saw one.

Yes, I had always read that elephant nose were not community, but one site online (can't remember which) said it would be compatable with the fish I listed. I had my doubts.

So it looks like maybe I should think about adding a ug filter to the shopping list.

Thanks

Elephant noses can be in a community aquarium for a short period of time, as long as they remain small, but since they can grow quite large very fast it will outgrow the aquarium, 40 gals is not enough for them even if you only have one.

Don´t run the UG filter on an air pump, air pumps have the bad habit of breaking down, specially because they are used to run airstones and airstones clog which causes backpressure to the air pump, also, as the airstone clogs the water flow through the filter diminishes reducing the filtration, use a powerhead to run the UG filter.

IMO if you are using another filter an UGF is not necessary. I would keep it simple. A good substrate/gravel (2-4mm, micro gravel is optimum size, caribe sea makes nice natural gravels that do not buffer pH also some seachem are good, to save money "grower grits", a granites gravel used for dietary supplement in poultry feed is an option, only $6 or less for 50#) will host plenty of anaerobic bacteria and is simplest (IMO) to keep clean. That along with decor. IMO ugfs are more trouble than they are worth.

9 years ago, I use to have a 70 gallon aquarium with UGF. I worked effeciently. I did siphone once a month or lapsed no more then 2 months at a time. I did not have any major problems with this type of biological filter. My husband who was involved with me in this hobby still swears by this type of filter system as the best.
Theresa

FWIW, I do not use an UGF with my current tank. I have kept fish off and on for almost 19 years (since I was about 10). I'm currently running a 35 gal with the maximum fish load. I use an Eheim Pro canister filter, which I clean maybe 3x annually, and I change 30% water about every week or two. I test the water parameters monthly and have had no trouble.

The tank has a stock fluorescent light (in other words the tank has less than 1 watt/gallon, low lighting) but I'm able to keep live plants: java fern (very very easy once they attach to a rock or piece of wood) and floating anacharis (I expected it to die, I bought it cause "important" people were visiting; it keeps growing and growing and growing) so I think you could consider giving live plants a try--the "easy" plants (ie: low light requirements) are not really any work at all. I think if my anacharis was planted it would die but it is successful because it is so close to the light source.

I do have one silk plant, a tall red and green hygrophila, because I started out with silk plants and I can't bear to pull this last one out. If you go with the silk, get the ones with the heavy resin bases, much sturdier and easier to deal with.

My tank does not have the typical inch or two of gravel covering the bottom, instead it is decorated with wood, about ten 1-3 inch rocks and several java ferns. I siphon under the driftwood, rocks, little gravel "piles" (I have about a cup of white gravel on the bottom for interest), the plants...anywhere debris collects. I run an air pump because my tank shape does not allow for the canister spray bar to agitate the surface (it's a hex tank ). That is the purpose of the bubbles, to agitate the surface and allow oxygen to dissolve into the water.

I have no experience with an elephant nose but I looked it up in my Innes(1966 edition, I'm sure fishkeeping has come a long way since then). Says they can reach 9 inches and can be agressive toward smaller fish. Should be kept in large, well-planted tank. I tend to go with "majority rule"; since most sites you read did not recommend this fish, you probably should look for something else.

Example of what Innes recommends for a larger community tank: 2 "Blue Acara" cichlids or 4 scalare (as the larger fish).

If you go with the UGF, I agree with Raul. Use a powerhead and consider reverse flow or RUGF.

I have an elephant nose in my 155 gal community tank. The only problem i've had is he's hard to feed. Live tubifex worms are the only thing mine seems to eat. They also tend to hide a lot so provide some shelter.

Thanks Melle Sacto, I think I like the idea of no gravel bed, I'll think about that too. Seems like a regular water change with a siphon would keep it clean.

I'm leaning towards waiting a bit longer and getting a bow front 40 tank, or even a corner tank, and if I went that route, I'd probably get a canister filter and spray bar.

I'm going to check out some LFS this weekend, though it will be awhile before I can actually buy anything. I went to one last week and while the marine side was spotless and gorgeous, the freshwater department was like the neglected stepchild. Nearly every tank had at least one dead fish in it. So I don't want to go there for my fish. Not to mention, they didn't have most of what I wanted.

Sounds like the elephant nose will not fit my community. The alternative of corys are just about as appealing, so that's no problem.

I notice that alot, Marine tanks immaculate and freshwater cess pools. I guess the saltwater fish are a bigger investment to loose while "most" freshwater fish are a dime a dozen. One interesting thing about gravel. I recently did a fishless cycle on 2 - 10gallon aquariums, they will be QT tanks for some new fish. They where started the same day, with the same heaters,filters etc. Identical except for 1 thing. One didn't have gravel, a bare bottom with only 3 rocks med/large size, for a cave and shelter. The bare tank took alot longer to get to stage 1 (processing the ammonia). In fact I moved the filter to the gravel tank hoping it would catch up. I let both filters cycle in the "gravel tank" and replaced the filter to the "bare tank" , but I used the original filter from the gravel tank. I dosed with ammonia and the gravel tank cycled it to nitrate, while the bare tanks nitrites spiked. My point is that the surface area of the gravel is great for growing "helpful" bacteria. Along with decor you have tons of surface area. Melle has what seems to be alot of wood and live plants. Live plants make a huge difference because they utilize the ammonia/nitrite/nitrates better than the bacteria. This is why in a planted aquarium there is less bacteria doing the
"cycling". The wood and rocks sound like a really nice alternative. Don't let the maintainance (gravel vacuuming) scare you off of gravel. The newer "Python" gravel vacuums take the PITA part of the chore away for the most part. No heavy buckets (less puddles), better suction, the syphon is generated by the faucet attachment (like a waterbed drain and refill kit). The gravel gets really clean compared to the syphon into the bucket way. The best $25 you'll spend for maintainance.

I agree with Woeisme and Melle Sacto. I want to add a 3rd alternative. I have a 46 bowfront. I cut porcelain tile to fit the bottom instead of gravel. It looks very nice with the other decorations in the tank. I am using an eheim wet\dry canister with the eheim "exploded glass" stuff. I also use a marineland "hang on the back" canister with charcoal and amonia remover. I do water changes once a month. I've changed the ehiem filter media once in about 6 years, only because of the amount of time I had used it, not because it looked dirty or anything. The charcoal and amonia remover is changed once a month.

I've had aquariums over 40 years now. This is by far the easist, least maintainence setup I've ever had.
-Hal