Live rock on substrate or supported above.

mg426 · 09/22/2008, 07:29 PM

I am considering raising my LR up off of my sand. I plan on bulding a rack out of PVC tubing, raise the LR off of the substrate
and provide water flow onder the LR. Anyone ever done such a thing???

maynardjames · 09/22/2008, 07:48 PM

i tried for a little while in 60 gal cube. swapped tanks not long after though. didn`t use long enough to notice diff

mg426 · 09/22/2008, 08:31 PM

I have seen a few tanks done this way. I think having flow under the LR would have to help.

pledosophy · 09/22/2008, 10:23 PM

I have done such a thing and didn't notice a benefit. I had the rock suspended from PVC and the PVC attached to the reutrn from my CL. So not only was the PVC keeping the rock up, it also pushed 900 gph or so through each side of the rock work.

One Dumm Hikk · 09/22/2008, 10:34 PM

Use 3 or 4" PVC pipes. Drill 1" holes (4 of them) around the pipe, cut it to length. The holes will allow movement through the pipes and prevent the potential of stagnant water. Then stack the rocks on top. Anytime you can raise the rocks off the SB you are better off.

mg426 · 09/23/2008, 08:32 AM

Anyone else have any thoughts ??

chimmike · 09/23/2008, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by One Dumm Hikk
Use 3 or 4" PVC pipes. Drill 1" holes (4 of them) around the pipe, cut it to length. The holes will allow movement through the pipes and prevent the potential of stagnant water. Then stack the rocks on top. Anytime you can raise the rocks off the SB you are better off.

I can see those PVC pipes being a detritus trap.

I've had no problems with rock on the substrate. Nowhere for detritus to get under the rock and stagnate.

I can't really see why you'd want/need to do this. After all, in the ocean, rocks don't have PVC holding them up above the sand.

mg426 · 09/23/2008, 09:29 AM

I am in the process of doing some major work to my system. I am tearing things down to move my system. I am just considering redoing the circulation system and was going to try this idea out.

Amoore311 · 09/23/2008, 10:52 AM

How about some short acrylic rods for "feet" for all of the rocks that would normally be on the sand bed.

I'm pretty sure someone on here has done it and posted pictures. He actually had the rocks positioned so you couldn't even see the rods when looking from the front of the tank.

mg426 · 09/23/2008, 12:11 PM

That is along the lines that I was thinking.

09/22/2008, 07:29 PM	#1
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	Live rock on substrate or supported above. I am considering raising my LR up off of my sand. I plan on bulding a rack out of PVC tubing, raise the LR off of the substrate and provide water flow onder the LR. Anyone ever done such a thing??? __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt

09/22/2008, 07:48 PM	#2
maynardjames Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: west tennessee Posts: 1,600	i tried for a little while in 60 gal cube. swapped tanks not long after though. didn`t use long enough to notice diff __________________ if your 555 Current Tank Info: 120 rr dual overflows, solarflare t5 fixture,octo extreme 200,vortech mp40w esx2. brs reactor for carbon, brs reactor for gfo, 40 gal breeder sump

09/22/2008, 08:31 PM	#3
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	I have seen a few tanks done this way. I think having flow under the LR would have to help. __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt

09/22/2008, 10:23 PM	#4
pledosophy Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Beaverton Posts: 5,290	I have done such a thing and didn't notice a benefit. I had the rock suspended from PVC and the PVC attached to the reutrn from my CL. So not only was the PVC keeping the rock up, it also pushed 900 gph or so through each side of the rock work. __________________ 120g mixed reef 90g QT

09/23/2008, 08:32 AM	#6
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	Anyone else have any thoughts ?? __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt

09/22/2008, 10:34 PM	#5
One Dumm Hikk Moved On Join Date: May 2008 Location: Phenix City Alabama Posts: 739	Use 3 or 4" PVC pipes. Drill 1" holes (4 of them) around the pipe, cut it to length. The holes will allow movement through the pipes and prevent the potential of stagnant water. Then stack the rocks on top. Anytime you can raise the rocks off the SB you are better off.

09/23/2008, 09:29 AM	#8
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	I am in the process of doing some major work to my system. I am tearing things down to move my system. I am just considering redoing the circulation system and was going to try this idea out. __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt

09/23/2008, 10:52 AM	#9
Amoore311 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Ulster County, NY Posts: 2,521	How about some short acrylic rods for "feet" for all of the rocks that would normally be on the sand bed. I'm pretty sure someone on here has done it and posted pictures. He actually had the rocks positioned so you couldn't even see the rods when looking from the front of the tank. __________________ 30 Gallon FOWLR 2004-2006 90 Gallon LPS Reef 2006-2008 180 Gallon SPS Reef 2008-20012 100 Gallon Custom Rimless Mixed Reef 2012-2014 29 Gallon Biocube Reef! Current Current Tank Info: 29 Gallon Biocube, StevesLED Upgrade, Neptune Apex

09/23/2008, 12:11 PM	#10
mg426 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: maryland Posts: 6,923	That is along the lines that I was thinking. __________________ I found a way to make a small fortune running a reef tank. Start with a large fortune. Unofficial President of the SEACLONE haters club Current Tank Info: 125 mixed reef 110 lbs LR, 1x250watt XM 20K MH 2x175watt XM 20K MH on Magetics 2X96 watt actinic PC, 220 watt VHO actinic, 30 gallon refugium, closed loop system powered by Sequence Dart MSX 200 skimmer 38 gallon sump, Oceansmotions squirt