odd question

When I first got my tank it had no over flow so I drilled the glass and put one in. I siliconed a piece of clear acrylic to make the over flow, but I also put a piece of pvc pipe from the bulkhead almost to the top of the overflow. So basically the water drops about 1" from the overflow box then goes down the pvc pipe.

I was thinking about filling the overflow section with sand but the sand would be about 18" deep. Is this a bad idea?

 

I wouldn't. There would be basically no flow through the sandbed. I would be worried about nutrient and chemical buildups.

Not saying that it wouldn't be fine... I have just never heard of anyone doing it before.

 

Never done anything like that, but it does not sound like a good idea IMO

For the same reasons a DSB is considered a poor idea in the DT
in the event of a power cut, all the life forms that will colonise the sand, will use up the oxygen in the tank very quickly, making the effects of the power out much worse

Steve

 

Ok thanks, what about filling it with live rock rubble? Right now I have it half filled with gravel. Here's a couple of pictures.

 

I have to agree with the previous posts... Just seems like too much with not enough water movement through it...

Not a terrible thought though!

 

I left the gravel in there and filled the rest with live rock rubble. I broke the live rock apart to get it in there and there was about 5 red bristle worms in the rock. Biggest was about 1.5", I left them alone and put them in the overflow section.

 

if you drilled a few very small holes near the base of the standpipe (by the bulkhead fitting) it would allow water to pass through the LR rubble and into the sump; matter of fact I kind of like the idea as the vacume from the main supply of water entering in from the top of the standpipe would pull strong from the small holes at the bottom of the standpipe

 

How about a small power head pointing straight down? Would keep the flow moving and that area would be a pod resort lol

 

use crushed coral and a pump like you say and you now have a calc reactor LOL....just make sure you have a filter on the standpipe