Removing UGF

[Roscoe]

I currently have a freshwater tank 100 gal 72"x21"xi16" UGF & Cascade 1200 canister filter, 50 watts of light, 250 watt heater, 2 bale Sharks, 8 serape Tetra, pair of Yellow Top labidochromis, 1 unknown African cichlid, 1 electric yellow, 1 melanochromis auratus, 1 pseudotropheus demasoni, 1 petricola cat
Current test kit results:
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20 ppm
ph: 200 ppm
KH 6.4 dKH
The tank is about 2.5 months

My plan is to remove the UGF because of maintenance and digging issues.
What would be the best way to do this?

The canister filter pumps 315 gph and seems to be running strong. Would I need to add some other means of filtration or do you think the canister filter can handle it? If so what do you recommend? Should I add a few PH for water movement?

TIA.

[Deborah]

Since the tank is young I'd try to take it slow in removing the ugf so as to minimize the damage to the nitrifying bacteria. My last ugf was in two plates - if that's the case I'd remove 1/2 and then wait a week or so and remove the other half. Check for ammonia/nitrite spikes and do large water changes if they occur.

[Heerke]

Originally Posted by Deborah

Since the tank is young I'd try to take it slow in removing the ugf so as to minimize the damage to the nitrifying bacteria. My last ugf was in two plates - if that's the case I'd remove 1/2 and then wait a week or so and remove the other half. Check for ammonia/nitrite spikes and do large water changes if they occur.

[salt creepette]

dont do like me and just yank it without testing. very irresponsible. (everything was fine, though.) I had a ugf run by two powerheads in my 30 gallon. plus I have a whisper filter. I yanked the ugf, and kept the powerheads aimed at the surface for water flow and of course kept the whisper filter. I vowed to do weekly water changes (unlike i'd been doing in the past, which was lucky if I would do one once a month). after waiting for a month or so, then I added florabase and went with live plants. everything is doing fine. oh, i did vacuum out detritus and did a water change immediately after yanking the ugf. not sure if that was a good idea either (the vacuuming part: probably removed some good bacteria) but oh well....

[JennM]

You can leave the aeration devices and/or powerheads if you like.

I like the Cascade canisters... are you using the bio sponge or the "optional" ceramic noodle thingies? (technical term from my Penn Plax rep ) You could add some extra noodles if you want to move some of the biological before you remove the UG. Good advice, IMO about moving it in stages.

HTH

Jenn

I'm a re-newbie into FW but chemistry is chemistry