Lr On Top On Dsb/ Tank??

[hbpencil]

Hi all,

I'm a newbie here and is planning to start up a Marine Tank. However, after reading intensively for the last two months, I'm still not too sure:

Where should I place my LR? Is it suppose to be on top of my DSB? (seems dangerous as sand may be move) OR

Is it suppose to place on top of the base of my tank? (Should I place the LR on the empty tank first before the DSB?) If that's so, should I silicon it to the base of my tank?

Your advise will be most important for my planning.

Thank you.

[seamonkee]

Most reefers use a base to support the live rocks... e.g. section cuts of plastic pipings...

I have a DSB myself of 4'. Sand will deplete over time. Your 6" DSB may become 4" or less as the time goes by.

Some website advocates placing the LR first and then the DSB for stability... but then again, isn't that a big waste of LR?

That's when base supports come into play... firstly, it even out the weight distribution of the LR. LRs have jagged edges and it's not good if they are resting directly on your bottom glass panel.. (Risk of cracking due to acute pressure).

Just remember, your base supports mustn't be anything metal or wood... Must be plastic.... I heard of people using CD covers, plastic egg cartons to stack also..

Put base first, fill sand until some of the base is still visible and put LR on top of the bases... cover up with remaining sand so base is concealed.

Picture says a thousand words... lousy sketch but just to give you an idea:

[junyong84]

i have no idea if sand will delepte over time or not... seamonkee, u mean they dissolve into the water????

maybe someone can help me out in here...

well... hbpencil...u can use other LRs to act as a base for LRs as well... as in stacking up...

[Cleartank]

I second junyong's opinion. I think I read somewhere that you can choose a flat base rock for the foundation then place other rocks on it!!

[seamonkee]

Sand does deplete over time (not at a visible rate) esp if you are using grade 0.

You may use flat LR as base if you like... I am just giving other possible options... there's no right or wrong on this...

What is more important is no matter what you use as base, it has to be flat and even....

[seamonkee]

Sand can deplete (esp Grade 0) in the following possible ways:

1) Erosion over time with current movements...

2) Getting compact....

* Note: you must be mindful too of the fast rate of dissolution of some sand beds. In most healthy systems, fine aragonite has a "half-life" of 18-24 months. That means that after two years, perhaps, a 3" sand bed will have been reduced to 1.5" and possibly failing in its duties (another unheralded cause for the unfair criticisms of mismanaged DSBs). For this reason, aquarists seeking optimum nitrate control are advised to resist being frugal and apply honestly deep sand beds, and adding more substrate as necessary in time.

Extracted from the following website:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/deepsandbeds.htm

[Nickel]

I think the danger of putting LR on top of DBSis that when fish/anemone/worms/snails.....or anything thing start to dig into the sand and if sufficient sand is dislodge that is supporting the LR, your LR will become unbalanced and topple over. At the $/kg of LR, I don't think you want to put LR on bottom and cover up with sand !! I think the uplifted base support aproach is quite practical. IMO. My 2 cents worth.

[PornStar]

Have a plenum system in place?

[Clownfish]

Sand can deplete (esp Grade 0) in the following possible ways:

1) Erosion over time with current movements...

2) Getting compact....

* Note: you must be mindful too of the fast rate of dissolution of some sand beds. In most healthy systems, fine aragonite has a "half-life" of 18-24 months. That means that after two years, perhaps, a 3" sand bed will have been reduced to 1.5" and possibly failing in its duties (another unheralded cause for the unfair criticisms of mismanaged DSBs). For this reason, aquarists seeking optimum nitrate control are advised to resist being frugal and apply honestly deep sand beds, and adding more substrate as necessary in time.

Extracted from the following website:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/deepsandbeds.htm

wah... u got 6" thick aragonite on ur sandbed ah....

u veri rich.... man

btw, i think aragonite dissolves once pH drops to some degree n below.... (think it's 8~8.2 )

cheers!

[hbpencil]

Most reefers use a base to support the live rocks... e.g. section cuts of plastic pipings...

I have a DSB myself of 4'. Sand will deplete over time. Your 6" DSB may become 4" or less as the time goes by.

Some website advocates placing the LR first and then the DSB for stability... but then again, isn't that a big waste of LR?

That's when base supports come into play... firstly, it even out the weight distribution of the LR. LRs have jagged edges and it's not good if they are resting directly on your bottom glass panel.. (Risk of cracking due to acute pressure).

Just remember, your base supports mustn't be anything metal or wood... Must be plastic.... I heard of people using CD covers, plastic egg cartons to stack also..

Put base first, fill sand until some of the base is still visible and put LR on top of the bases... cover up with remaining sand so base is concealed.

Picture says a thousand words... lousy sketch but just to give you an idea:

Hi seamonkee,

Thanks for sharing .... this is most helpful ..... by the way, can anyone also tells me that will there be any chemical reaction to the water if we use plastics as the base first?

Thanks.

[hbpencil]

Have a plenum system in place?

Hi pornstar,

Yes, I intend to use a plenum .... however, as I have a sump tank, I'm thinking of putting the plenum systems on the sump rather than the actual tank. Any comments, anyone?

Thanks.

[Clownfish]

Hi pornstar,

Yes, I intend to use a plenum .... however, as I have a sump tank, I'm thinking of putting the plenum systems on the sump rather than the actual tank. Any comments, anyone?

Thanks.

Hope this is helpful to u

Plenum_20System.pdf

[hbpencil]

Hope this is helpful to u

Dear Clownfish,

This is extremely useful .... not too sure are you using the similar system in this article .... can I 'Bai Shi' and can you guide me along with my new set-up for this plenum system?

[Clownfish]

Dear Clownfish,

This is extremely useful .... not too sure are you using the similar system in this article .... can I 'Bai Shi' and can you guide me along with my new set-up for this plenum system?

I paisei oso

not using the above system.... cos i onli come across the article after my tank is oredi set-up...

anyway, no matter u want to setup a plenum in ur main tank or/and sump, it lead u step by step on how to design it n also teaches u how to maintain it....

btw, a refuguim has quite a lot of advantages also, so u might not wan to restrict urself onli to a plenum....

IMO, DSB n plenum also hav their pros n cons as well... u may wan to compare more b4 u decide on which is a better bet for u....

how bout a plenum system in ur main tank n a refuguim with macroalgae at the sump?.... sounds like u can get the best of both world in this way (plenum for denitrification n refuguim to remove phosphate, etc)....

maybe u shld find out the best combi that other pple r using b4 making up ur mind...

cheers!

[hbpencil]

Yes, I'm actually planning to have a Refugium as part of my sump and the other part for the plenum system .... sounds possible??

[terryansimon]

stupid question coming up...

so am I right to say that a sump can also be used as a refugium? as in one of the compartments of the sump will have a DSB and macroalgae growing in it? or must it be a sperate partition that is connected to the sump?

thanks for the help (=

[Sinn]

as yazid once told me, there is no stupid questions

only stupid answers....

yes, u can incorporated a DSB and Macroalgae into one compartment in the sump ( Refugium )

[hongqixian]

as yazid once told me, there is no stupid questions

only stupid answers....

yes, u can incorporated a DSB and Macroalgae into one compartment in the sump ( Refugium )

but it must not have too violent water flow. Wouldn't that be defeating the main purpose of a sump somewhat though as there's also less space for equipment? It's still best to have a separately attached refugium which increases the system's water volume.