Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Hello Mr. Goemans,
I want to begin by thanking you for passing on all of your expertise and knowledge to the aquarium community. I own both Live Sand Secrets and Marine Algae Control Secrets and religiously read your columns. I have a reef aquarium that was established about three years ago and it has had it's ups and downs during that time. For a while, it had a hair algae problem, but due in large part to your information, I have eliminated the worst of the symptoms. The next logical step for my aquariums health is most certainly a plenum system. I am a student and I don't have much money, but I now have all the supplies to construct an auxiliary plenum. My question is this, can I add an auxiliary plenum onto an existing system without major side effects? Live gravel is out of my price range so I will need to buy dry aragonite gravel. I am worried about the effect this dry gravel will have on the aquarium as it cycles.
I will continue to keep my current bio-ball trickle filter in use until the plenum has cycled thoroughly, but will it be enough to keep the aquarium in proper balance? I hope you have time to answer this e-mail, I am sure that you are busy. In your LSS book, under "Auxiliary Systems," I get the feeling that I need to start a new system in order to have an auxiliary system. Unfortunately, I don't have a place to put my beloved fish, corals and live rock while I start a new system and cannot part with them permanently either. I greatly appreciate any advice you can give.
Sincerely,
Tobin Bottman
Hi Tobin,
All four of my booklets are extremely popular and maybe you'd find the other two also quite helpful; they are Protein Skimming and Activated Carbon Secrets; and, Water Quality Guidelines for Marine Aquariums. This last booklet, is published by my own company. This 64 page booklet covers a wide range of topics that will help maintain quality seawater in marine aquariums. It begins with a discussion on the freshwater used for preparing seawater salt mixes and/or evaporation make-up. Processing equipment is explained, as is the use of distilled and well water. Synthetic salt mixes and natural seawater usage is also discussed, as is salinity, specific gravity, conductivity, osmotic balance and applicable testing. Elements and compounds of importance are explained, e.g., Ammonium/ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, phosphorus/phosphate, oxygen, carbon dioxide, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, strontium, silica, iron, fluoride, bromide, iodine (including iodide, iodate and Lugols), boron, molybdenum, copper, and trace elements. The booklet closes with one of the most comprehensive tables of seawater elements ever published. An easy to read booklet that takes the mystery out of maintaining quality seawater in your aquarium.
Also, the CD-Rom book Sam Gamble and I wrote called 'The New Wave' is also ready for shipping. As for 'The New Wave' CD-ROM book, all on a 'business card' sized interactive CD-ROM disc, its the worlds most leading edge book on filtration and how the microbial processes in all types of sandbeds, whether in the aquarium or the wild function. It goes into detail on what's the most efficient form of sandbed filtration and why, and it debunks all those who dislike plenum systems and/or think deep sandbeds are the way to go. It also raises some never before thought of improvements that could benefit aquarium husbandry in the near future. We had all data, which we spent six years researching, reviewed by a biochemist before releasing it so what is read is incontestable. It also contains a photo history of my plenum systems for the past ten years and numerous other image-like sketches. It's going to change the way many hobbyists and professionals think about aquarium husbandry! It's leading edge data on leading edge media! A very neat product if interested, and if so let me know and will have Sam Gamble contact you with further info so you can order.
Here's a comment from a reader of the disc;
I'm into chapter 5 of the book now and very much enjoying the information in there. I've already used some of the more basic information to correct a couple of plenum-related discussions on one online bulletin board! Will take me a while to get to grips with coupling and decoupling of nutrient cycles although I do begin to see how a plenum sandbed is reliant on a completely different set of energy pathways than a non-plenum sandbed system. It also makes sense to me why Dr. Ron Shimek promotes so-called deep sandbeds over plenum systems given his love of benthic invertebrates! Both approaches can work, but the plenum system works quite differently and depends far less on the vagaries of benthic invertebrate population dynamics. I also like the way the plenum pushes equilibrium away from storage and towards export. Deep sand beds without plenums would tend to store more, and therefore are more at risk of 'old-tank' syndrome.
As for your question, an Auxiliary plenum is very feasible. Its physical size would have to be about half that of the main system to adequately handle the main system if all other filtration devices are removed. Since your main system is already up and running, an auxiliary plenum, even started with inert sand, would begin to benefit the main system within a couple of months. Within three months it should be fully colonized. While cycling it will not have any detrimental effect on the main system, even though the surface of its substrate may develop some diatom algae because of the acids produced by the forming microbial colonies. But that's a condition quite normal and occurs in many different aquariums, especially where there is light to encourage their growth. Shade the auxiliary plenum and that may not happen.
Hope this helps,
Bob
