Plenum Filtration

[Strandedthinker]

Im thinking about a few things. Ive been wanting to rip out my bio balls and place live rock in their with some in the area before it flows onto the plate. Also Ive been interested in setting up a DSB, ive already got 20lbs in there. So whats your take and opinion?

[rsman]

me no gets it !!!

ok got the part about the LR in the wet/dry go for it:)

got the part about the dsb also go for it.


whats up with the subject "plenum filtration" with no question about it?? if you are comparing DSB to plenum, go DSB. plenums are fun but more work to build and dsb's are easier to build :)

[Strandedthinker]

Thanks mate, always got confused between the two. Can you clarify plenum for me?

[salty joe]

Plenum has a space of water below the sand. A couple years ago, I followed Bob Goemen's directions to the letter. I wound up with a SOLID mass of aragonite. Went with DSB 11 months ago with no problems.

IMHO, forget the plenum.

[Strandedthinker]

I thought plenum meant DSB :P
So far I have 40lbs of live sand in my 29g, should I add more?

[salty joe]

Most people with a DSB have sand about 4 inches deep.

[GARFVolunteer]

I have also followed Bob Goeman's directions for constructing and maintaining a plenum and couldn't be happier. The most common reason for aragonite being a solid mass in a plenum system is "dosing too heavily with kalkwasser and buffers". There is a good section in "Live Sand Secrets" that explains the chemistry on how this can happen.

IMO go with the plenum...

[salty joe]

I used absolutely no additives, kalk or buffers. I did use a Ca. reactor. The aragonite became a rock solid mass with a plenum.

I still use a Ca. reactor. I still use absolutely no kalk, additives or buffers. I have no solidification problems with DSB.