UPDATE
I posted my plans for a
DSB in this tank on another thread on TR and rather than type the whole thing a gain, I copied it here. So, if you read it before read it again or skip to the next entry.
I'm a advocate of
DSB with
aragonite sand. My method is modified from the standard
DSB. Most people doing a
DSB put their
LR right on top of the sand.
IMHO, that's a mistake. When ever I've talked to some one who "tried" a
DSB and would never have another, laid the
LR on the sand. This causes problems in about a year or two. The area under the
LR becomes stagnant from top to bottom. This leads to failure of the
DSB and problems for the reef. I'm not a scientist, I can't explain it technically, sorry. However, my methedology is different and it seems to avoid the problem.
Here's what I do. I'm going to do a 5"
DSB. I'll seed it with 40lbs of LS bringing it up a bit above 5". Prior to setting my
LR I'll strategicly place pieces of 1 1/2" x 6"
PVC pushed to the bottom of the tank. The
PVC will be drilled with holes to allow passage of water and the all important worms, pods, whatever lives in the sand. Next comes flat pieces of rock resting on the
PVC. You have to be creative in placing the flat rock because your
LR will be built on top of that. You can change locations as you build.
Ok, picture the
LR in place, none of it leaning against the back of the aquarium. At the top rear of the tank I have two bulkheads drilled through the top (I've used Acrylic tanks exclusively since 1974 because of the flexibility they provide.) - (You were just a little girl), oops, better stay on topic. I'll take pictures and do a progressive post when ready.
These bulkheads hold what is essentially a spray bar but they are submerged so they don't spray. They direct a flow of water vertically down the back of the tank and the flow naturally goes under the flat rock holding the
LR off the sand. Bingo, no dead stagnant areas under the
LR and the area is flushed clean.
The purpose of the
DSB is to provide both arobic and anarobic areas for the different nitrifying bacteria to perform their magic. Keeping the underside of the
LR health is a challange, maybe impossible long term, if the rock is on the sand. I've kept a sand bed tank for ten years with no problems using this method. The only reason the tanks were torn down was a move.
Here's a link to pictures on my website showing how I do this and the spray bar. The spray bar doesn't show in the first picture. Scroll down, there are four pictures and you can see it in three.
Here's the link -
DSB- pictures.
Man oh man, I'm glad we decided to drink bottled water when we moved in. We have some reservation about pesticide residue because this is an old grove. My old