more newb questions

[Zibba]

How long will it take for the sandstorm do die down in my tank after I just added the live sand? I added a base layer of "dead" sand which cleared up nicely because I was able to rinse it thoroughly, but the I just put in the live sand last night and there was a bunch of "foam" that came to the top and I don't have my skimmer running yet. Will it all clear up pretty quickly when the skimmer is running? Also, I need some suggestions for the base of my refugium? I was thinking of going with egg crate that was raised off the bottom or else just putting live sand in there. If i go with the live sand, how deep should the base be?

I've been told by one person to use this: http://www.marinedepot.com/ps/ps_ViewItem~idProduct~CS0526.html
capped with live sand.

What are your thoughts? Recommendations? General imput?

Thanks everyone,

Eric

[mattb]

Eric, I'd get that skimmer running, it can clear up the water pretty well (including that foam). As for the refugium, I'd go for a sand bed of 4-5" if you can do it, doesn't need to be "live" per se as it will become so after a couple of months. As for the mud product, I've never used it so I can not comment on it. I do know that they guy would came up with the "mud" concept didn't add any live sand on top of it. The reason is that the calerpa (macro algae) would root into the mud and derive things such as iron from the mud (iron doesn't stay in our reef tanks that long).....

[morty]

Putting egg crate and screen down to make a space under the sand in the refugium is known as the Berlin method, and it isn't really necessary. (In fact it's been debunked in a two (http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/6/aafeature) part (http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/7/aafeature) article in Advanced Aquarist).

[mattb]

It's not called the Berlin method, it's called the Jaubert/Monaco system. It wasn't debunked either, it works, what the articles were talking about is if there were substantial differences between running a plenum and a dsb. Running either a DSB or a Jaubert system has been proven to run consistently a nutrient poor system...

[David Grigor]

I no longer use sandbeds but when I did, I would always add the rock/sand before the water and made it very easy keep disturbance to a minimum.

I just used a fish net to get some of the foam off the top but it's all short term probably doesn't matter what you do or if anything.

[patent]

How long will it take for the sandstorm do die down in my tank after I just added the live sand? Depends on your water motion a bit. I always use the diatom filter on a HOT magnum filter to pull it out quickly as I'm rather impatient.

Also, I need some suggestions for the base of my refugium? I was thinking of going with egg crate that was raised off the bottom or else just putting live sand in there. If i go with the live sand, how deep should the base be?If you already have live sand in your tank, there may not be much need for more of it in the fuge. why not just put sand in and let the system seed it? Much cheaper. Less stuff to die off too.

If you do egg crate, are you putting sand over it? Or just the egg crate? If the later, I'm not sure what it will help anything.

[Zibba]

why not just put sand in and let the system seed it? Much cheaper.

I guess I was just going to use some of the live sand that I had left over. I bought 40# of argonite and 80# of live sand. I don't think that I will need all 80# of live sand in my main tank so I was just going to use that.

Will this be a problem?

Ok, completely new question. When is a good time to start adding a "clean up crew" and can someone give me some recommendations based on my tank size?

Thanks.

Eric

[patent]

Will this be a problem?
No. It isn't a problem, more of a cost issue, so if you already have it.

Ok, completely new question. When is a good time to start adding a "clean up crew" and can someone give me some recommendations based on my tank size?

I waited a couple weeks and it was fine, but that isn't a very scientific answer. Test your levels, let the tank cycle and establish a little, and then add them. It shouldn't take very long.

patent

[Zibba]

cool thanks.

[morty]

It's not called the Berlin method, it's called the Jaubert/Monaco system. It wasn't debunked either, it works, what the articles were talking about is if there were substantial differences between running a plenum and a dsb. Running either a DSB or a Jaubert system has been proven to run consistently a nutrient poor system...

I stand corrected -- Berlin refers to LR/bare bottom or LR/DSB (no plenum), heavy skimming in both cases. But the "debunked" part referred to the unnecessary extra step of adding the plenum space. The article demonstrated that a simple DSB functions identically to a Jaubert system (which is just a DSB placed on top of a plenum.) Incidentally, if you read the article, you'll see that they found no statistical difference in metabolite levels in either of these systems compared to a shallow sand bed system.

But the DSB controversy is SO three years ago. :wink: