Controlled plenum wasting

[FuEl]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...25&pagenumber=1

After reading it, it sounds rather promising. Might try this method next time if I were to set up a new tank.

[typrobin]

after reading for 2mins....my head start getting heavy....too much words...and i dislike the reading from RC....there is something tat my eyes can't get used to, and it always make me giddy...

[Achilles Tang]

This topic has been highlighted by me before. I believe Marinebetta is going to be trying out this new concept.... when I don't know..

[FuEl]

If I did'nt understand wrongly is there a piping which links the main tank water into the plenum area and another piping for draining the plenum water? If I'm not wrong you remove the built up nutrients by using a ball valve to link the tank water to that with the plenum, and then open the draining valve? Water below the plenum will get replaced with the tank water above the sand, without much water flow directly through the sand bed. Is this how it works? It certainly seems logical to me, furthermore no harm incoporating it. It can always be used as a backup in case of H2S buildup.

[Reefaholic]

I did actually read through sll, This method has been tried by this guy called DSB Heskey. Very sketical about this, as i also read about this in Boreman book on deep sand bed. He recommended a deep sand bed with about 4" sand with 1" eggcrate penum system but not using this method. The reason is the anaerobic zone will be affected. Not sure why? Failed to understand this.

[FuEl]

The article had someone do an measurement of accumulated nitrates, phosphates, O2 levels and pH of the fluid in the plenum. He stated that nitrates and phosphates would accumulate over time. And O2 and pH levels in the fluid will drop. Hence very dangerous in the long run. I like the idea as you can remove the accumulated substances but somehow his idea of removing water from the plenum daily might affect the anaerobic zone. So in the end imo there might be a anaerobic zone in the sand bed being sandwiched by 2 aerobic zones.

[victorp]

While converting to FOWLR, I was disconnecting my sump where I had a 1.0x0.75x0.75' tank filled with about 2" of very fine crushed corals and shells and topped with about 0.5" next grade crushed corals and sand. I was digging up this substrate and noticed that the initial top layer had some gas bubbles rising up the water with no smell. Digging deeper, I can smell something akin to mud taken from the bottom. So, I am wondering if it is something akin to DSB and the initial bubbles I noticed earlier are nitrogen.