stacking LR w/eggcrate

Hello everyone,
My first post here although ive been reading many threads that have been a lot of help. On Sunday i will be setting up a reef aquairun i purchased recently, I have read that its a good idea to put down eggcrate, add LR and then cover with sand.in hopes of haveing water flow around and under the rock and to keep detrius from accumilating, was looking for some imput and to see if that is done often. Thanks for your comments in advance.. I really enjoy this web site!

 

Hello and welcome to 3reef first of all!
As for the eggcrate, yes it is adviseable to place eggcrate on the bottom and set your live rock on that to decrease the amount of diffusion/advection associated with the process of detritus accumulating under your live rock altering your water parameters possibly!

 

Hello Coralreefer.
thanks for the quick reply...im going to take that advice and do it..thanks for the welcome..we are neighbors...i live in Higganum..have some friends in Meriden too!

 

um I think you're leaving out some steps. The purpose of the egg crate is to lift everything off of the bottom of the tank via 1/2" or 3/4"pvc pipes and then nylon screening(window screen) placed on top to prevent the sand from falling through it. Thus making a plenum. I would recommend using some kind of rigid air tubing to make and updraft tube and attach a powerhead to it so it will pull water through the substrate. You cant use just any sand though. It needs to a mediu, rought .7 tp 1.3mm sand. sugar sand will fall right thru the sceen.

 

by the way, that is not a TRUE plenum.

 

I'm with geek here. Unless you're planning on having a true plenum system, I see no benefit to elevating your live rock on eggcrate.

 

Thanks Brian and Annik for expanding on this subject!!!!!

 

thanks all of you for your replys