Do It Yourself (DIY) Undergravel Filter (UGF) Plans for a Saltwater Aquarium

Rinse the substrate material to remove any fine sand or sediment. If you do not, it will end up clogging the filter plate over time. Distribute the substrate material evenly on top of the assembled filter plate.

Make the air lines by taking an air stone and attaching it to one open end of the hose. Lower it down inside one of the uplift tubes so that the air stone sits level with the male fitting ring, then cut the air hose to the appropriate length to reach the air pump, or "T" connector if using one. Repeat this process until you have made one air hose line for each uplift tube. (TIP: If you have trouble with the air hose wanting to raise up out of the uplift tube when running, place some type of small weight around the area where the air hose attaches to the air stone. A large enough sized pinch-on, soft lead fishing line weight works pretty good. Large enough means, it will fit at least least half way around the hose and plastic connector part of the air stone when pinched on, so it won't fall off.)

Fill the aquarium with salt water and plug the air pump in.

That's it. After your tank has cycled start a regular maintenance routine. Anyone who has ever used a UGF with success has accomplished this by following a good filter maintenance program. To learn more about UGF's and how they work, refer to our UGF Filter Set Up Resources