Removing a Plenum...

[gREEF Stricken]

To the wise(you know who you are):





Please don't take this preface the wrong way but if you feel a desire to chime in and HELP, please do as it is why I write, but if yer goal is nothing more than to attempt to illustrate the negative aspects of the method please refrain, thanks.


So I am relatively new SW guy with 20yrs of FW experience. So by no means new to fishkeeping just the intricacies of SW. My reef is as follows...

90 gallon DT
40 gallon sump/fuge
reef Octopus 150 PS
700-800GPH return
2 Koralia circ pumps
60+ lbs LR in DT
20 lbs rubble in sump

8-12 various frags all zoas/stools/leathers
small frogspawn
3 head hammer
small torch

mated pair GSM Clowns
RBTA
Watchman Goby
LMB
cleaner shrimp
blood red shrimp

tuxedo urchin and cleaner crew.

Did quality tests today and have unpleasantly high ammonia, No3, Po4...noticed that my big female clown had swooshed the sand from atop my plenum exposing the screen material. I am now having second thoughts on the plenum. So...do I simply add more sand on the thin spots or remove my rock temporarily, siphon out my substrate and go bare bottomed?? I did a big WC today and am reading up on Vodka dosing but am hopin for some reasonable, rational constructive input. Thanks.

GS

 

[1guydude]

Wats ur deep sand bed consist of? How old is ur tank?
Crushed coral, screen, fine sand?

I'm running a bare bottom tank and one with sand right now. Both have benefits and cons.
Choice is urs really...
Vodka or Kalk dosing can be good when it's needed... I'd do the wc's and watch. Ur Bactria May need a cpl weeks to catch up is all.
Hths
D

 

[gREEF Stricken]

Have decided to suck it up, and pull as much rock as it takes to simply remove my plenum and go with a shallow sand bed...guessing sans plenum maybe 2-3" deep

GS

 

[Blue Lip]

I have multiple tanks. Some have no sand. I have fine white oolite (my favorite), reef sand (slightly larger), Hawaiian black & white (mixture of sizes), & crushed coral. Each has a plus & minus. I would leave all the substrate & only remove the screen. Over time it will get mixed especially if you like pistol shrimp. (They & other critters like jawfish need large enough pieces to build caves that don't collapse).

 

[gREEF Stricken]

Yeah, suffered a WICKED unpleasant car breakdown this week so the actual 2 hr process got pushed out but definately have settle on leaving the substrate and yanking the screen.
GS

 

[reefman069]

let me know when you want to remove the screen. i'm down to help. yep longer than 2 hours. glad to help you.