Wet & Salty for Christmas 2017.

Subsea · Dec 17, 2018

@Metasyntactic
Thank you for the interest. Where are you located in the world? Do you have a tank thread? Please link here, if you wish. For me, it provides a better platform for dialogue.

Weight on eggcrate has never been a problem on 25 year old Jaubert Plenum with > 6” sandbed plus large live rock on top of substrate.. After 25 years, my sandbed begin declining two years ago after a predator Wrasse decimated detrivores crew in substrate. Ten months ago, I vacuumed out several hundred pounds of aroggonite to reduce sandbed to < 2”. My project before New Years is to remove all live rock to catch Melnanarius Wrasse and allow detrivore crew to be reestablished. During this time, I will remove substrate to be lightly flushed out by well water with no chemicals. I will then plumb a 1/2” pvc manifold beneath eggcrate to support weight of substrate. The foundation support is drilled with equally spaced holes to distribute flow evenly. Fiberglass screening covers eggcrate and is tucked in next to glass and if possible underneath eggcrate and into void to hide loose ends. I found this difficult and unnecessary. Use substrate to hide eggcrate and fiberglass screen. Allow eggcrate spacing of 1” from glass edge. This allows ample space to place fiberglass screen material. After pouring substrate, use a thin flat edge to push screen back allowing substrate to hide screen & eggcrate. Diffused hydraulics is appropriate to discribe piping.

Consider flow as diffused. The most important thing is oxygen.

With reduced oxygen conditions, the bacteria populations schew to reducing chemistry. There is no need to encourage reducing chemistry in a healthy, mature reef tank.

This video is my 25 year old tank five years ago when GSP was ping pong size.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/2...m-on-top-with-30g-ecosystem-mud-macro.421526/

Metasyntactic · Dec 17, 2018

Subsea said:
@Metasyntactic
Thank you for the interest. Where are you located in the world? Do you have a tank thread? Please link here, if you wish. For me, it provides a better platform for dialogue.

Weight on eggcrate has never been a problem on 25 year old Jaubert Plenum with > 6” sandbed plus large live rock on top of substrate.. After 25 years, my sandbed begin declining two years ago after a predator Wrasse decimated detrivores crew in substrate. Ten months ago, I vacuumed out several hundred pounds of aroggonite to reduce sandbed to < 2”. My project before New Years is to remove all live rock to catch Melnanarius Wrasse and allow detrivore crew to be reestablished. During this time, I will remove substrate to be lightly flushed out by well water with no chemicals. I will then plumb a 1/2” pvc manifold beneath eggcrate to support weight of substrate. The foundation support is drilled with equally spaced holes to distribute flow evenly. Fiberglass screening covers eggcrate and is tucked in next to glass and if possible underneath eggcrate and into void to hide loose ends. I found this difficult and unnecessary. Use substrate to hide eggcrate and fiberglass screen. Allow eggcrate spacing of 1” from glass edge. This allows ample space to place fiberglass screen material. After pouring substrate, use a thin flat edge to push screen back allowing substrate to hide screen & eggcrate. Diffused hydraulics is appropriate to discribe piping.

Consider flow as diffused. The most important thing is oxygen.

With reduced oxygen conditions, the bacteria populations schew to reducing chemistry. There is no need to encourage reducing chemistry in a healthy, mature reef tank.

This video is my 25 year old tank five years ago when GSP was ping pong size.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/2...m-on-top-with-30g-ecosystem-mud-macro.421526/

I'm in Washington, DC (could have sworn I had that listed). I currently own a 50 and a 90 gal. No tank thread but I'm going to be starting a 480 gal plywood tank in late 2019.

We have a book case in the basement with a false wall and a hidden room behind it that was for storage/running wires for the entertainment system. I'm looking at having the aquarium built into that book case. That's what I was looking at the the filter for.

My only concerns is that I would like to house some sand sifting species so I think I'd be looking at a finer sand bed than what you're using. Also, one of the principle reasons for building this tank is to house an epaulette shark (also a unicorn tang) and they are notorious diggers. I'm wondering if I should be concerned about it damaging a UG filter.

Subsea · Dec 17, 2018

@Metasyntactic
That is a big tank for indoors and will effect moisture in your home. In the winter I use a dehumidifier that removes moistures and adds heat. In the summer, I use a ductless heat pump at 20 SEER.

The above big tank mariculture system is in a 20’ by 40’ greenhouse. The plywood tank maximum operating volume of 10,000G was shutdown five years ago due to cost to maintain strict water temperatures.

With respect to those large fish, you have some large sand stirrers. Design is the same for deeper sandbeds. An inherent problem with equal upflow will be changing resistance path of water. Your large sand stirrers will dig out allowing more water upflow with less sanddepth. Areas of substrate may we’ll be anaerobic with that scenario. During the 25 year history of my Jaubert Plenum, there was no active circulation in the void of the Plenum. I often viewed a thin black line of h2s migrating back & forth within 6” sandbed. IMO, sulfur is a relevant mineral. Dry analysis of sulphur in Gracilaria Parvispora 4.8% compared to 0.556% for calcium. Is that not 4800 ppm?

Metasyntactic · Dec 17, 2018

Subsea said:
@Metasyntactic
That is a big tank for indoors and will effect moisture in your home. In the winter I use a dehumidifier that removes moistures and adds heat. In the summer, I use a ductless heat pump at 20 SEER.

The above big tank mariculture system is in a 20’ by 40’ greenhouse. The plywood tank maximum operating volume of 10,000G was shutdown five years ago due to cost to maintain strict water temperatures.

With respect to those large fish, you have some large sand stirrers. Design is the same for deeper sandbeds. An inherent problem with equal upflow will be changing resistance path of water. Your large sand stirrers will dig out allowing more water upflow with less sanddepth. Areas of substrate may we’ll be anaerobic with that scenario. During the 25 year history of my Jaubert Plenum, there was no active circulation in the void of the Plenum. I often viewed a thin black line of h2s migrating back & forth within 6” sandbed. IMO, sulfur is a relevant mineral. Dry analysis of sulphur in Gracilaria Parvispora 4.8% compared to 0.556% for calcium. Is that not 4800 ppm?

I was under the impression that sulfur was rather benign in reef tanks. Isn't that the point of sulfur media reactors?

Subsea · Dec 17, 2018

Metasyntactic said:
I was under the impression that sulfur was rather benign in reef tanks. Isn't that the point of sulfur media reactors?

I have no opinion on sulfur media reactors used in reef aquariums.

I merely stated dry analysis of red ogo in my mariculture system.

From 25 years of watching an anaerobic digester operate in substrate of Jaubert Plenum, I saw my system flourish. What others do, is another thing.

Feet4Fish · Jan 26, 2019

What gah is the pump feeding your manifold? Also with a 4 x 2 footprint does all the flow come from the periphery or are there any cross pieces?

I am want to implement the same type of system and will be dealing with and 8x3 foot print. Thanks!

Feet4Fish · Jan 26, 2019

soffutt said:
What gah is the pump feeding your manifold? Also with a 4 x 2 footprint does all the flow come from the periphery or are there any cross pieces?

I am want to implement the same type of system and will be dealing with and 8x3 foot print. Thanks!

Sorry for autocorrect. Meant gph on the pump.

Subsea · Feb 11, 2019

@soffutt

I used a MaxiJet 1200 at < 300 GPH. I don’t think that much is necessary but who knows.

On my75G tank, manifold was three parallel 40” leangths of 1/2” pvc. These three runs raised bottom of egg crate 3/4” above glass bottom and supports weight of substrate and live rock. In the larger expanse of your system. I would allow for a support every 4”. With respect to distribution of flow, understand this, do not drill too many holes.

Dynamics 101
To optimize even distribution, your pipe should be large enough to supply the sum of all the distribution nozzles. The mathametical representation of area is the square of the diameter, which means that as you double the diameter, the area will quadruple. Flow is proportional to area.

In my case, with a 1/2” pipe, I drilled four 1/4” holes. I choose larger holes so as not to biofowl as readily.

First light pictures.

Feet4Fish · Feb 11, 2019

Subsea said:
@soffutt

I used a MaxiJet 1200 at < 300 GPH. I don’t think that much is necessary but who knows.

On my75G tank, manifold was three parallel 40” leangths of 1/2” pvc. These three runs raised bottom of egg crate 3/4” above glass bottom and supports weight of substrate and live rock. In the larger expanse of your system. I would allow for a support every 4”. With respect to distribution of flow, understand this, do not drill too many holes.

Dynamics 101
To optimize even distribution, your pipe should be large enough to supply the sum of all the distribution nozzles. The mathametical representation of area is the square of the diameter, which means that as you double the diameter, the area will quadruple. Flow is proportional to area.

In my case, with a 1/2” pipe, I drilled four 1/4” holes. I choose larger holes so as not to biofowl as readily.

First light pictures.

Thanks so much for that information. I am debating about setting up one large manifold with one feed pimp or perhaps dividing the tank in two and have two feed pumps. Both feed pumps should be easy enough to hide.

So just to clarify you are saying you drilled four 1/4” holes along each 40” length of pipe?

I plan on starting this construct in the next week or two! Really appreciate you experience and advice!

Subsea · Feb 11, 2019

soffutt said:
Thanks so much for that information. I am debating about setting up one large manifold with one feed pimp or perhaps dividing the tank in two and have two feed pumps. Both feed pumps should be easy enough to hide.

So just to clarify you are saying you drilled four 1/4” holes along each 40” length of pipe?

I plan on starting this construct in the next week or two! Really appreciate you experience and advice!

Hey Indiana,

I always suggest redundancy in mechanical systems and diversity in biofiltration. If not two seperate pumps, then you must prioritize the substrate as the heart of biofiltration in a captive reef tank. With that priority as a living breathing holistic ecosystem that uses oxygen 24/7, you should provide an uninterrupted power supply to all life support subsystems in your Ecosystem. Lights do not merit this priority. Loss of circulation to sandbed will create BOD replacing aerobic with anaerobic chemistry and circulation in tank.. Depleted oxygen during no photosynthesis has crashed many reef tanks and require special attention to detail when optimizing gas exchange.

A Cajun Aggie

Feet4Fish · Feb 11, 2019

Subsea said:
Hey Indiana,

I always suggest redundancy in mechanical systems and diversity in biofiltration. If not two seperate pumps, then you must prioritize the substrate as the heart of biofiltration in a captive reef tank. With that priority as a living breathing holistic ecosystem that uses oxygen 24/7, you should provide an uninterrupted power supply to all life support subsystems in your Ecosystem. Lights do not merit this priority. Loss of circulation to sandbed will create BOD replacing aerobic with anaerobic chemistry and circulation in tank.. Depleted oxygen during no photosynthesis has crashed many reef tanks and require special attention to detail when optimizing gas exchange.

A Cajun Aggie

Wow great thing to consider. Will but the sand biofiltration system on a battery back up. Already have my other life support (which is in basement) with generator back up. Thanks for pointing that out!!!

Subsea · Feb 11, 2019

@soffutt

So just to clarify you are saying you drilled four 1/4” holes along each 40” length of pipe?

As an engineer, I will get more specific:
Four 1/4” holes equal one 1/2” pipe. So if each 1/2” pipe has an independent supply then the answer is yes.

If one pump is used with 1/2” Tees to supply lines, “Houston we have a problem”. A 1” manifold will supply four 1/2” pipe each with four 1/4” holes.

Subsea · Oct 26, 2020

After a long absence, the system has limped along thru an epic epidemic of flat worms and neglect. Back in the saddle again, I have reenergized the food webs from the bottom up with phytoplankton & pods. I also activated macro/pod generator with clear 3” PVC DIY build.

PS. Wire management on the “to do“ list.

Subsea · Nov 7, 2020

I just received three different sponges: Yellow Ball, Orange Elephant Ear and two Red Tree Spobyes.

Subsea · Nov 20, 2020

I have added many new fish to assist with fun of feeding nutrient into tank.

10 Ocelarios Clowns
6 PJ Cardinals
5 Royal Hramma
1. Pygma Angel.

Also added recently is Gorgonion and several LPS.

Subsea · Nov 23, 2020

So now I have beaucoup minute feather duster since I have upped feed to one mussels twice a day. I see a need for a drawf Angel in the near future.

Subsea · Dec 4, 2020

Not sure about my video skills. Here is 30 seconds of Apple feeding.

Subsea · Dec 4, 2020

Yesterday, I purchased a flame scallop and adjusted to tank during lights out. During the night, to see how things were, as I peeped into tank with dim lighting, I saw a thin blue light flashing inside mantle of flame scallop. Today I saw the same blue flashing line. The scallop has changed angle to view, but I will not pester it until it wants to be photographed.