Ideas for the new tank

[JC Pollman]

As I plan my next tank, the wheels are moving (or perhaps grinding) at full speed, and I have tentatively come up with several key parts that I think will make a difference from the last tank. This one will be 84x30x24 and be a plywood tank again. I had a DSB in my last one, and it gave me problems, plus, at the 5 year mark, when I pulled a handful out, it really stank, so I want to avoid that again. But I also think barebottoms have problems too, and in the end, getting the gunk out of the tank is most important to a long term happy aquarium. I am thinking of doing the following:

1.Running the return water through pipes in the bottom. I will probably have 4 3/4inch pipes running the length of the tank. The idea is to have a vertical flow of water from the bottom to the overflows. I am planning on using a dart pump on this. The biggest issue I have with this right now is what to put between the pipes. Cement, like the kind used for DIY live rocks, would be ideal, but seems like an awful lot of work. I will put some plastic tubing in the holes in the pipes to keep the cement out

[zygote2k]

Why run water pipes under the sand? Are they part of the closed loop?

When you removed your old DSB, I'm sure that you unearthed a layer of anoxic sand/water and this is what caused the stink (sulfur dioxide). If you dig down in the sand in the ocean, there are plenty of layers just like yours. As long as you keep some sand stirring creatures in the first few inches of the sand bed, it will be fine over the life of the tank.

As far as mechanical filtration goes, why not use a large mass of chaeto instead of a filter sponge? It works better, and the chaeto will actually use some of the wastes coming from the main display tank. If you suspend the chaeto above the bottom of the sump, you can easily siphon out the accumulated detritus.

What about using a conventional return that dumps straight into the sump? Keep the closed loop piping on the outside of the tank in case anything goes wrong down the line. Put 3"-4" of sand in the display and make one area of the sump or a dedicated sump into the DSB. If it is a seperate container, you can plumb it so it can be removed from the main system using a bypass.

Just some thoughts...

[Jon Lazar]

I would use a filter sock or two in your sump instead of a sponge in the overflow. A filter sock will catch more crud than a sponge.

 

Also, you might find a dart is a lot of flow for your tank's overflow. I would use a smaller return pump, and use either a closed loop or tunzes in the tank for most of your water motion.

 

Jon