Live Sand Tank?

Hey thanks

The lights on that tank are 175 watt halide (5500 kelvin Venture).

The substrate "breathes" so much I don't have to use CO2. In fact, I HAVE to run air pumps at night when photosynthesis stops and only respiration is going on.

Todd

How old is this tank? Did you say how many watts per gallon (you probably mentioned the tank size somewhere)? Walstad talked about CO2 being released with new substrates but eventually decreasing and slowing the growth of your plants (unless they have the "aerial advantage" or CO2 addition). Your tank looks great by the way. I'm wondering how long the "breathing" is going to last. Do you have lots of carbonates [I think its carbonates]? Vals and possibly others in your tank might be using an alternate form of carbon for growth (something Walstad suggests for Vals in her books) instead of CO2.

A point that I forgot earlier regarding the capping material (fine vs. coarse). I mentioned the anaerobic conditions created by the compactiong of the fine grain material. This may be more of an issue in a tank with few plants or poorly growing plants. Others added that plant roots will help prevent this by leaching o2 into the substrate and others noted the benefit of having some anaerobic conditions for N cycling. Walstad also believes in feeding the plants with extra fish food and mulm. So the large grain size helps that material settle closer to the roots (someone also mentioned this).

Hey thanks

The lights on that tank are 175 watt halide (5500 kelvin Venture).

The substrate "breathes" so much I don't have to use CO2. In fact, I HAVE to run air pumps at night when photosynthesis stops and only respiration is going on.

Todd

Thanks MH that makes sense as it seems like real sun. I use PC on my marine tank but nothing like MH

How old is this tank?

At the time of that picture it was 1.5 years old. It's been moved twice since (bed and all), and has enjoyed success until about 6 months ago once the soil ran out of micronutrients. I replaced that this fall, everything snapped back into action until I chilled it down to 40 degrees. I expect growth to recommence as see in this above photo once I warm it back up.

Did you say how many watts per gallon (you probably mentioned the tank size somewhere)?

It's a 100 gallon 72x18x20. I have two 175 watt lamps over it illuminating two patches at either end. I don't believe in watts per gallon. I believe in watts per footprint per depth. That's a better way to answer the question, I think.

Walstad talked about CO2 being released with new substrates but eventually decreasing and slowing the growth of your plants (unless they have the "aerial advantage" or CO2 addition). I'm wondering how long the "breathing" is going to last.

I've never experienced a noticeable decrease.

Your tank looks great by the way.

Why thank you

Do you have lots of carbonates [I think its carbonates]? Vals and possibly others in your tank might be using an alternate form of carbon for growth (something Walstad suggests for Vals in her books) instead of CO2.

I do, but they grow similarily in a Gulf Drainages tank where I use RO/DI water and reharden it to a desired level.

A point that I forgot earlier regarding the capping material (fine vs. coarse). I mentioned the anaerobic conditions created by the compactiong of the fine grain material. This may be more of an issue in a tank with few plants or poorly growing plants.

I use deep fine grainded sand in my quarantines, collection coolers, everything. There's no plants in those And I have a lot better success with these because the coolers are always "cycled". The only thing is I need either a converter or electricity to run real pumps to account for the extra BOD.

Others added that plant roots will help prevent this by leaching o2 into the substrate and others noted the benefit of having some anaerobic conditions for N cycling.

Sounds like more trouble than it's worth if anaerobic conditions are a NON-problem

Walstad also believes in feeding the plants with extra fish food and mulm.

There's an easy way to this... Just add more and diverse kinds of fish. Sucker are great at mixing substrate, and really cool to watch!

I also use asiatic clams (Corbicula fluminea) as a linkage between the pelagic and deeper benthic regions. They'll filter fine particles but also deposit feed on surface mulm.

I've also recentely begun to think about trying lamprey ammocetes. I may try this next year based on an experience one of the other grad students here had with his work in the USFWS doing lamprey control. He just had a friend who had some silver lamprey just transform that they put in a fish tank 3 years ago and had forgotten about

Todd

I've also recentely begun to think about trying lamprey ammocetes. I may try this next year based on an experience one of the other grad students here had with his work in the USFWS doing lamprey control. He just had a friend who had some silver lamprey just transform that they put in a fish tank 3 years ago and had forgotten about icon_smile.gif

Todd

Todd..that is one of the coolest thing's I've heard in a long time!
I get a kick out of just taking a flashlight to my tank at about 3 am, and looking at what is crawling out of the sand...

I get a kick out of just taking a flashlight to my tank at about 3 am, and looking at what is crawling out of the sand...

Yeah I really miss reefin' for this very reason. You never know what is going to come out at night. It's amazing the stuff that's in those systems. So I'm pushin' these freshwater systems as far that direction as I can

I found a hellgramite two weeks ago that apparently survived the 4x malachite / MarOxy treatment I did in August to rid my stuff of the Tate's Hell Demon protozoa. That REALLY surprised me. I thought for sure all that stuff was toast. It did kill all the corbicula, so far as I know.

Todd