kinda barebottom?

[gmatta]

anyone thought of useing a piece of glass and portioning off the front and sides of a tank with a center "well" filling the outside w/sand and the inside with a reverse underground filter conected to a closed loop with live rock on top? This idea intrigues me you have constant h20 movement under the rock but also the benifit of sand i.e. jawfish, fighting conches, and all thge other criters not to mention the benifit of buffering

[ludnix]

I don't understand the concept no matter how many times I read it. Can you make a picture?

[JustinReef]

Im soooooooo lost!

I read it over and over and over....

[demeyer2]

+1 ^^^

[cdan]

like a reverse moat like around a castle?

[2006]

Yeah I have seen this before. Framework to support live rock a few inches above the bottom of the tank. This is bordered by glass or acrylic to keep sand out. Powerheads or return pumps are directed under live rock keeping detritus from settling.

[JustinReef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13383873#post13383873 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 2006
Yeah I have seen this before. Framework to support live rock a few inches above the bottom of the tank. This is bordered by glass or acrylic to keep sand out. Powerheads or return pumps are directed under live rock keeping detritus from settling.

OK, I kind of get it now I think but it seems like that would look very weird and probably ugly too.

[gmatta]

yes 2006, exactly like a sand moat around the rock you wouldnt see the bottom of the rock or the ugf plate because of the sand. also instead of starboard on a bare bottom you could do this to the whole tank and not have detiris land on the bottom? just wondering I was thinking about this and wanted to know if anyone had done something similar. thanks for the responces

[gmatta]

when refering to the bb tank I meant taking the sand moat out of course:}

[2006]

Trying to remember where I saw it. Might have been a TOM here years ago. Looked real nice. I think he used black acrylic for the sides and support with light diffuser on top. Base rock hung over the edge and the sand was almost to the lip on the front side.

[fish outa wata]

i have gotta see a pic of that. It's starting to make more sense. It just seems kind of a like a lot of work though. If that example that 2006 is talking about can't be found can you do a sketch or something to confirm what I'm picturing.

[gmatta]

dont have a sketch program but think of two boxes one smaller than the other, now put small one inside the other and push to the back you now have a u shape between the two boxes now fill u shape w/sand put ugf inside small box and rock ontop of the ugf so the flow is going straight up from under the rock. I would like to see this in photo 2006. to me it would give all the aspects of sand with a bare bottom benefit to the rock area

[fish outa wata]

okay I get it.

FYI-Google sketch up is a 3d program that is free, just search for the sketch up. I've been having a blast with it redesigning the basement in my new house. Really haven't been getting much done since I downloaded it.

[silverwolf72]

Thats my tank!, I have egg crate lifted of the bottom by 2" that my rocks sit on and a dividing wall in the middle, was originally BB but the wife wanted sand in it so now the front part has a DSB and the back of the tank is BB, I run part of my closed loop so it runs under the rock work in the back and puses every thing twards my corner overflow, I have a dual chamber overflow box that draws water from the bottom of the tank and the surface.

[reeftanktime]

Sounds like an interesting way of setting up a reef

[gmatta]

silverwolf72 would you mind snaping and posting a couple of pics? how does the flow work? does it keep out the detiris? glad to see someone has used this idea, might try it on my next tank if I could find some more info or pics.

[silverwolf72]

http://www.socalireefs.com/photoplog/images/162/1_CIMG1805Small.jpg
I guess it works ok, I use a turkey baster from time to time to blow behind the rocks and never see anything being kicked up.

[Ratpack]

There was a guy on another forum a while back that did this. He actually took starboard and cut two piecs to stack. The LR went on that and then sand surrounded it. So his LR was on BB and still had sand for looks and easy to clean since it was not under the rocks.

[gmatta]

I like the idea of not being able to see the starboard and have the sand block the view. plus it gives you the hideaway spots and bridges when you put the live rock over the wall and onto the sand. Kinda of like the fish are diving into the sand and back out of it in a different spot

[gmatta]

p.s. thanks for the photos silverwolf

[Floyd Lawson]

interesting idea. nice aquascaping silverwolf

[Ratpack]

This guy is doing the acrylic wall to seperate his sand in front from BB in back. He even has a seperator just back from the front glass so no sand can get close to the front and scratch it since it is acrylic.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=13398411#post13398411