Neptune777
Premium Member
Sandbeds!
Hey folks....it's Saturday morning and I just had some coffee....my brain is stirring and I just thought I would toss this out to the sharks and see what they think...
I was looking at my recently converted to BB tank and I must say that it doesn't look all that aesthetically pleasing at this point in time....sand just looks better IMO...
So I was thinking of a possible solution that I am sure others might find some problems with....which is why I am posting this....to see if it might work or to see if someone else has done it and what the results were.
We all know about the lifespan of DSB's and how they will crash over time.....even if you have a SSB you still need to maintain it as it will collect debris or you can't blast water around for fear of a sand storm.
Here is my idea for a system:
1) HEAVY SKIMMING per the BB methods.
2) Extreme water circulation per the BB methods in the main tank.
3) Lastly......close your eyes......use of undergravel filter plates in reverse with a very thin layer of very course substrate. Have the main return pump flow water under the UG plates up through the THIN coarse gravel layer back into the main system. The return water should have a pre filter of some kind to remove all large particulates that did not get captured via skimming.
If the water is polished before going to the UG plates it will greatly reduce debris collection. If the gravel is course and in a thin layer (just enough to hide the plates)...then it will be very difficult for debris to accumulate over time.....this way you will have the look of sand without the issues usually involved maintaining it.
The thought is that this "sand bed" doesn't serve as a filtration bed but rather it is just for looks and will keep itself clean by flowing clean water out of it rather than flowing dirty water into it.....again....the trick is flowing clean water under the plates....using a very thin layer of substrate, and the substrate should be very course so that it lets water flow through it with ease.....
OK folks....fire away.... :uzi: ....I'll be ducking under my computer desk.... :bum:
Hey folks....it's Saturday morning and I just had some coffee....my brain is stirring and I just thought I would toss this out to the sharks and see what they think...
I was looking at my recently converted to BB tank and I must say that it doesn't look all that aesthetically pleasing at this point in time....sand just looks better IMO...
So I was thinking of a possible solution that I am sure others might find some problems with....which is why I am posting this....to see if it might work or to see if someone else has done it and what the results were.
We all know about the lifespan of DSB's and how they will crash over time.....even if you have a SSB you still need to maintain it as it will collect debris or you can't blast water around for fear of a sand storm.
Here is my idea for a system:
1) HEAVY SKIMMING per the BB methods.
2) Extreme water circulation per the BB methods in the main tank.
3) Lastly......close your eyes......use of undergravel filter plates in reverse with a very thin layer of very course substrate. Have the main return pump flow water under the UG plates up through the THIN coarse gravel layer back into the main system. The return water should have a pre filter of some kind to remove all large particulates that did not get captured via skimming.
If the water is polished before going to the UG plates it will greatly reduce debris collection. If the gravel is course and in a thin layer (just enough to hide the plates)...then it will be very difficult for debris to accumulate over time.....this way you will have the look of sand without the issues usually involved maintaining it.
The thought is that this "sand bed" doesn't serve as a filtration bed but rather it is just for looks and will keep itself clean by flowing clean water out of it rather than flowing dirty water into it.....again....the trick is flowing clean water under the plates....using a very thin layer of substrate, and the substrate should be very course so that it lets water flow through it with ease.....
OK folks....fire away.... :uzi: ....I'll be ducking under my computer desk.... :bum:
