Plenum question

cdamiano · 01/25/2006, 12:40 PM

I have a question for anyone who is familiar with setting up a plenum. I have it setup and the tank is filled with water,sand, and rock. I read something that said you should have a pvc pipe running from above the plenum down beneath the plenum with a powerhead on top to help circulate the water from under the plenum back into the tank for a week or two when you first set it up.

The problem I am having is that a some sand must have gotten down underneath the plenum near the pvc pipe and the powerhead is getting clogged when I try to use it to circulate the water. I really don't want to do this over.

Is it a big deal if I don't perform this step of circulating the water from underneath the plenum?

menard · 01/25/2006, 02:05 PM

Dont get this mixed up w/ the undergravel filter, they dont function the same way. Plenum can not be disturb the very bottom void,anearobic, piriod.If you take youre time building your plenum right the first time,you gonna have yrs. and yrs. enjoying reefkeeping w/ minimal maintenance.I been keeping plenums since 1996 until this date, my 300 is the most recent, celebrating 6th. yrs. aniversary next mo. Who said's you can not keep colorful SPS w/ sand, wrong. My tank was dominated SPS only, w/ the exeption of 4 LPS, All colors of the rainbow you could emagine all in there. Allthough I made the extra step and placed the 3rd. screen just for my personal advantage, that,if I ever decide to siphon the top leyer of sand w/o disturbing the bottom. I figure 10yrs. would be the time,siphon everything on top and replace w/ new live sand. Weekly maintenace, change 20 gal. water,clean my ETSS skimmer, check Reactor,sometime I do check the water par. not all the time, I base everthing by the look af the animals in the tank. I spend 15 to30 min a week, the rest I enjoy waching my tank,and drink BEER.

PEACE

cdamiano · 01/25/2006, 02:18 PM

So does that mean that I shouldn't have to worry about trying to circulate the water from beneath the plenum in the beginning when it is first setup?

menard · 01/25/2006, 02:46 PM

No, need to do that. Here is my PLENUM, 300 gal.

Left side

01/25/2006, 12:40 PM	#1
cdamiano I like Fuzzy Sticks Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 1,353	Plenum question I have a question for anyone who is familiar with setting up a plenum. I have it setup and the tank is filled with water,sand, and rock. I read something that said you should have a pvc pipe running from above the plenum down beneath the plenum with a powerhead on top to help circulate the water from under the plenum back into the tank for a week or two when you first set it up. The problem I am having is that a some sand must have gotten down underneath the plenum near the pvc pipe and the powerhead is getting clogged when I try to use it to circulate the water. I really don't want to do this over. Is it a big deal if I don't perform this step of circulating the water from underneath the plenum?

01/25/2006, 02:05 PM	#2
menard TOTM Nov. 2006 Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: illinois Posts: 1,630	Dont get this mixed up w/ the undergravel filter, they dont function the same way. Plenum can not be disturb the very bottom void,anearobic, piriod.If you take youre time building your plenum right the first time,you gonna have yrs. and yrs. enjoying reefkeeping w/ minimal maintenance.I been keeping plenums since 1996 until this date, my 300 is the most recent, celebrating 6th. yrs. aniversary next mo. Who said's you can not keep colorful SPS w/ sand, wrong. My tank was dominated SPS only, w/ the exeption of 4 LPS, All colors of the rainbow you could emagine all in there. Allthough I made the extra step and placed the 3rd. screen just for my personal advantage, that,if I ever decide to siphon the top leyer of sand w/o disturbing the bottom. I figure 10yrs. would be the time,siphon everything on top and replace w/ new live sand. Weekly maintenace, change 20 gal. water,clean my ETSS skimmer, check Reactor,sometime I do check the water par. not all the time, I base everthing by the look af the animals in the tank. I spend 15 to30 min a week, the rest I enjoy waching my tank,and drink BEER. PEACE

01/25/2006, 02:18 PM	#3
cdamiano I like Fuzzy Sticks Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 1,353	So does that mean that I shouldn't have to worry about trying to circulate the water from beneath the plenum in the beginning when it is first setup?

01/25/2006, 02:46 PM	#4
menard TOTM Nov. 2006 Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: illinois Posts: 1,630	No, need to do that. Here is my PLENUM, 300 gal. Left side