Has Anyone Tried a "Rubble Bottom?"

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6748241#post6748241 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CirolanidHunter
Man, I'm even considering making my current 75 a rubble bottom now :)

Other than Scott's tank, anyone else using pieces about the size of a quarter or larger for their entire bottom?

Brian
Click to expand...

This is what I'm planning on doing when I set up my 200g, no sand, just chunks covering the bottom front and sides of the tank. My rock I plan to put on egg crate with legs. I'm also thinking about placing my 2 seio's on the bottom corners to blow stuff forward into the zone. (RZ) If too much "stuff" builds up I can easily take a PH to the zone and use a filter sock on my overflow to clear out some of the excess.

I've been BB (and loving it) for about 6 months but I miss all the cool critters that used to live in and around my sand.

colleen
 
I just picked up 2 boxes of rock at the airport and I must say, i was slightly disappointed, there wasn't much rubble! But seriously I recieved some awesome transhipped kaelini from Dr. Mac. I have some enormous pieces of rock and now not enough rubble for what I am trying to do.

This is the plan for the new 75. 2/3's of the tank is about a 4 inch dsb for hopefully growing seagrasses and the other 1/3 will be ruble bottom with the majority of the rockwork. I also set up a "deep sand bucket" in the sump with over 8" of sand. I am using silica sand because of the cheapness factor, purchased 3 different types/ sizes. Still pretty fine but I put all the crushed stuff from my live rock bags in with it so it should give it some larger grain sizes.

So we shall see how the tank progresses, it's thanks to you folks at RC for all the ideas. I will try to get some pics in the next few days and once the levels stabilize after the cycle I keep track and post 'em here.

Greg
 
Now we know we've all lost it when we're disappointed about lack of rubble in our expensive live rock orders! LOL

To be honest with you, if you're not adverse to taking a sledge hammer to some of those pieces, you can certainly make your own rubble!

Thanks, Ken for posting my pics...I'm not much of a photographer, as you can tell- but I hope the pics convey one rubble bottom concept.

Barry- looking forward to seeing your rubble zone!

dan- your rubble 'fuge sounds cool, too!

Lots of cool ideas emerging here!

Remember- detritus can be your friend! LOL

Scott
 
I have a 90 gal RR and in the small space between the overflow box and the side of the tank I took all of my dead snail shells, coral, and rubble rock and piled them up to create an area in my tank that the mandarin could not get to. I started this about 6 months ago and the pod population in this part of the tank is crazy. This rubble pile sits on top of a 4" DSB. This isn't a huge pile but I feel it defintely helped as an in tank pod production plant.

Here is a pic

20608rubble.JPG


I've also added some live rock (not rubble) to my sump to assist in pod growth as well as a baffle system.

Greg
 
Thanks for sharing, Wombat.

I think that we're all seeing a common denominator here- rubble zones categorically seem to foster significant populations of small crustaceans....

Interesting, huh?

Scott
 
i have had 2 plastic shoe box type containers full of live rock rubble in my sump for about 4 months. these containers have numerous holes drilled in them to allow water flow through them. i have noticed a large amount of critters(pods, mysis shrimp?, brittle stars ect.) in, on and around these containers. i also noticed a fair amount of sponge growth on the rubble when i was looking for frag bases the other day. i do have detritus in my sump but cant help but think id have much more if there was not an area for critters to hide and reproduce.
i was wondering if i should occasionally stir up these containers and remove the build up of detritus or let nature take its course.
 
exoticequatics: on stirring, I find that waving my hand over the rubble or hitting it with a powerhead stirs it up pretty good without causing any harm to the 'critters'
 
Could someone please read through this thread and sum it up in a nut shell lol? :)

I don't quite have the patience to read through all 14 pages, but I really like the look of the pics and might consider this as an possibility for my 15gal?

Thanks,
Chris
 
Wow, there are sooo many different ideas and ways of utilizing rubble, in this thread, and it is a such new science, I am not sure it is possible to "sum up", without missing some reeeally interesting stuff. I know 14 pages seems overwhelming, but I think it would be better to read the pages.

However their are keener minds than mine in here, anyone wanna try a summation?
 
I'd imagine they give a huge amount of filtration capacity?

Also, something which I don't think will have been raised here, is the affects on the weight of the tank?

Thanks,
Chris
 
The use of rubble is neither a new idea or a revolutionary one, it is again another example of the great wheel of change rotating yet again. :)

Rubble was used by the Berlin Aquarium society on the bottom of their reef tanks in the 1970s, there is also mention rubble being used in sumps. Jaubert systems are basically coarse gravel and you might be tempted to also call them rubble, but to me rubble is on the order of a minimum of 1" diameter and a maximum of 2-3" diameter.

I have used rubble in some of my larger systems for decorative purposes mainly, however, this rubble was placed over a screened plate and suspended (see pic on page566 od TRA3). As has been mentioned here already, rubble will accumulate detritus very rapidly, as will using rough crushed coral, and unless a means is found to remove or consume it, there is shall remain ... and accumulate.

I think that placing a raised plate on the bottom that a thin layer of rubble is placed on would allow for the detritus to fall through and be removed either by a siphon or spraybar arrangement. You might even want to consider a reverse flow arrangement so that the water movement is UP through the rubble, or have a suction line and drain in the bottom of the tank to remove water as well as return line under the plate to keep the detritus suspended and therefore, easily removed by the suction line.

My 2 cents worth ...

Aloha!
Charles
 
Charles, I also used rubble in one of my tanks in the early seventees and I was never crazy about it. Snails could die under it and you will never find them and it is not very natural. I really can't recall anywhere I ever dove in the tropics where I saw a true rubble bottom without mostly sand mixed in. Here in NY we have plenty of sea floors like that but the rock here is not calcerous and would also not look good in a coral tank.
I would imagine in a very large aquarium of a few thousand gallons the size of the rock would not be noticed as much.
I would imagine that it would increase the surface area of live rock manyfold over sand.
Also my 2 cents worth.
Have a great day.
Paul
 
I'm seriously considering having an eggcrate layer about 2-3" above the bottom of my tank, supported by PVC pipes. I could then use one of the new Vortec pumps to clean out the bottom, or install a spray bar pointed towards the back of the tank.

Brian
 
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