Maximo
Aquarium Advice Activist
Hello! I am so happy to have found this community!
Soon I will be getting an established 36gal bow front tank. Currently the tank is outfitted with crushed coral substrate, a mechanical HOB filter, 2 power heads and the regular hood light that came with the tank.
I have been reading about the Deep Sand Bed method of filtration which interests me as the tank will be in my room and I would like to eliminate as much noise producing equipment as possible. I would also like to maintain a very clear and clean tank.
My questions:
Do DSB setups tend to be 'dirty' (as in brown and dark) looking when they are functioning at optimal levels? Inquiring about DSBs at one of the LFS the owner indicated that you have to supplement them to keep them alive and it can be expensive, yet I have read here that they are self maintaining. Most of his tanks had clean/clear water but the substrate and rocks all looked like they were covered in brown algae.
I would also like to put an air pump in the garage below my room and run an air line up through the floor in order to eliminate the sound of the pump. Would this put undue strain on the pump?
If I want a clean and pristine tank with white substrate would I be better off staying with crushed coral and a protein skimmer?
Also, if I had some relatives bring back some white powder sand from Florida could I use that in my tank?
Thanks in advance,
-Maximo
Soon I will be getting an established 36gal bow front tank. Currently the tank is outfitted with crushed coral substrate, a mechanical HOB filter, 2 power heads and the regular hood light that came with the tank.
I have been reading about the Deep Sand Bed method of filtration which interests me as the tank will be in my room and I would like to eliminate as much noise producing equipment as possible. I would also like to maintain a very clear and clean tank.
My questions:
Do DSB setups tend to be 'dirty' (as in brown and dark) looking when they are functioning at optimal levels? Inquiring about DSBs at one of the LFS the owner indicated that you have to supplement them to keep them alive and it can be expensive, yet I have read here that they are self maintaining. Most of his tanks had clean/clear water but the substrate and rocks all looked like they were covered in brown algae.
I would also like to put an air pump in the garage below my room and run an air line up through the floor in order to eliminate the sound of the pump. Would this put undue strain on the pump?
If I want a clean and pristine tank with white substrate would I be better off staying with crushed coral and a protein skimmer?
Also, if I had some relatives bring back some white powder sand from Florida could I use that in my tank?
Thanks in advance,
-Maximo