Terry, could you consider using only a large tumbling mat of Chaetomorpha to filter your tank, without using substrate? You could always add the sand later...
I'm working with an experimental tank for Dendros. No substrate, large rapid flow sump with extremely bright 24 hr lighting, no substrate, no skimming, using a diatom filter with carbon once/week. The idea is to prevent Vibrio and all the bacterial nasties that have given the shrimp commercial farmers and larval fish raisers so much trouble. I think as we increase food to our tanks, the bacteria grow faster, either leading to early old tank syndrome or bacterial toxins or perhaps starvation when the bacteria overgrow the food supply. Also, Delbeek and Sprung have a wonderful discussion of advection of plankton in sand.
the shrimp farmers will tell you that shrimp beds decline; sulfur filters clog with bacteria; vodka gives you more bacteria in films than in does in the water colulmn. Bacteria work, but they have to be removed by skimming and vigorous water movement- and I just think for heavy feeding, deep sand beds become competitive with filter feeders. And, invariably, outcompete them through chemical warfare or nutritional outcompetition.
Chaetomorpha mats are wonderful- they need some Kent's iron and molybdenum, and trade elements, and they do best when tumbling. If they get dirty you can soak them in tap water for two minutes and they come out clean of bacterial films. Other than possibly needing a co2 and controller, the setup could be simple to operate.
I am also considering scaling this up for a greenhouse; a large pool of Chaeto that surges into the culture pool, briefly leaving the bed exposed to air/co2 and direct sunlight. Detritus and bacterial floc could be cleaned by tapwater hose and venting out the back. A harpactacoid copepod wold be happy in this medium.
You have to get over the belief that sand beds provide such wonderful amounts of plankton. Compared to a chaeto mat, I just don't think they do- and they are much less likely to advect what polnkton they do produce. Chaeto is not as "sticky" as much of the bacterial films around the aquarium, too.
And feeding causes skimmers to collapse. Not Chaeto mats.
Remember, Terry, you heard it here first- if you want to feed, substrates are obsolete!
Charles Matthews M.D.
disagreements welcomed
I'm working with an experimental tank for Dendros. No substrate, large rapid flow sump with extremely bright 24 hr lighting, no substrate, no skimming, using a diatom filter with carbon once/week. The idea is to prevent Vibrio and all the bacterial nasties that have given the shrimp commercial farmers and larval fish raisers so much trouble. I think as we increase food to our tanks, the bacteria grow faster, either leading to early old tank syndrome or bacterial toxins or perhaps starvation when the bacteria overgrow the food supply. Also, Delbeek and Sprung have a wonderful discussion of advection of plankton in sand.
the shrimp farmers will tell you that shrimp beds decline; sulfur filters clog with bacteria; vodka gives you more bacteria in films than in does in the water colulmn. Bacteria work, but they have to be removed by skimming and vigorous water movement- and I just think for heavy feeding, deep sand beds become competitive with filter feeders. And, invariably, outcompete them through chemical warfare or nutritional outcompetition.
Chaetomorpha mats are wonderful- they need some Kent's iron and molybdenum, and trade elements, and they do best when tumbling. If they get dirty you can soak them in tap water for two minutes and they come out clean of bacterial films. Other than possibly needing a co2 and controller, the setup could be simple to operate.
I am also considering scaling this up for a greenhouse; a large pool of Chaeto that surges into the culture pool, briefly leaving the bed exposed to air/co2 and direct sunlight. Detritus and bacterial floc could be cleaned by tapwater hose and venting out the back. A harpactacoid copepod wold be happy in this medium.
You have to get over the belief that sand beds provide such wonderful amounts of plankton. Compared to a chaeto mat, I just don't think they do- and they are much less likely to advect what polnkton they do produce. Chaeto is not as "sticky" as much of the bacterial films around the aquarium, too.
And feeding causes skimmers to collapse. Not Chaeto mats.
Remember, Terry, you heard it here first- if you want to feed, substrates are obsolete!
Charles Matthews M.D.
disagreements welcomed
