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I decided on 100% sand because I can condition the water separately with peat moss using canister filters. Anyway, I picked up 300 pounds of Black Diamond 20/40 grit sand blasting media the other day and have been washing the media before using it because others have mentioned it makes an oily film on the surface. The technique for washing is pretty simple. Basically, half a bag (50 lbs) into a 5-gallon bucket and agitating this with a water hose fitted with spray head. Then I decanted the water, and repeated as necessary. Roughly 10-12 rinse/repeat cycles produced satisfactory results.
Turns out 300 pounds was too much for the tank (6' long 150g) because with 5 bags in place (250 lbs), the sand level was even with the bottom return slots in the corners, or about 1-1/2" above the plastic edge. FWIW, I'm reusing a marine set up, which is drilled though the bottom for the overflow/return lines. Anyway, this was easy enough to sort out and we simply removed a bucket of material (50 washed pounds fits nicely in a 5-gallon bucket). With respect to filling, since the sand particles are easily washed out of place by the force of the water, I used the old trick of placing a dinner plate on the substrate and directing the water hose there while filling. This worked nicely and kept particle disturbance to a minimum. By the way, smoothing and sculpting the media was easily performed with a plastic dustbin (yup, the one from the boom closet).
After a few hours of letting the system run the water was fairly clear and I pulled the mechanical filters (foam in the back corners, two socks (one each from the return lines) in the wet/dry, plus another block of foam and rinsed them clean. Next, we dropped the sacrificial lamb, er, the convint cichlid, which is on loan from Charles at Darkwater Aquatics in downtown Orlando (for the purposes of cycling the tank) into the tank. Being a discriminatory eater, he waited all of 2 or 3 nanoseconds before scarfing down the food we offered.
Now I have the boring routine of monitoring ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate (watching for the levels to peak and fall back) as I wait for the tank to cycle. Also, as a sop to PETA, I cut a 6" long piece of 1-1/2" PVC pipe and partially buried it in the sand (as a place for him to hide). Speaking of gender, since he doesn't have a flash of gold along the belly, I'm pretty sure he's a he. Anyway, with no tank mates, he feels no threat whatsoever, and this last was a waste of time because he's basically ignored the hiding place (he's boss in the tank and knows it).
Last thing, in a couple months I'll begin planting (after removing the convict, of course). Since I don't really want the hassle of CO2, and I want to keep algae at bay, I've programmed the lights to begin coming on at 5AM, be full bright by 5:30, begin dimming at 9, and go off at 9:30AM (there are thee colors of LED in each of the two 3' long lighting fixtures to simulate the sun's color temperatures during the day). Anyway, the tank will then receive incidental room-light until 5PM, when the lighting cycle will repeat. Splitting the light cycle should be disruptive to algae while not affect the photosynthesis cycle (plus this way I can observe the tank in the mornings, and once again in the evenings, e.g. when I'm home to watch).
Thoughts?
Turns out 300 pounds was too much for the tank (6' long 150g) because with 5 bags in place (250 lbs), the sand level was even with the bottom return slots in the corners, or about 1-1/2" above the plastic edge. FWIW, I'm reusing a marine set up, which is drilled though the bottom for the overflow/return lines. Anyway, this was easy enough to sort out and we simply removed a bucket of material (50 washed pounds fits nicely in a 5-gallon bucket). With respect to filling, since the sand particles are easily washed out of place by the force of the water, I used the old trick of placing a dinner plate on the substrate and directing the water hose there while filling. This worked nicely and kept particle disturbance to a minimum. By the way, smoothing and sculpting the media was easily performed with a plastic dustbin (yup, the one from the boom closet).
After a few hours of letting the system run the water was fairly clear and I pulled the mechanical filters (foam in the back corners, two socks (one each from the return lines) in the wet/dry, plus another block of foam and rinsed them clean. Next, we dropped the sacrificial lamb, er, the convint cichlid, which is on loan from Charles at Darkwater Aquatics in downtown Orlando (for the purposes of cycling the tank) into the tank. Being a discriminatory eater, he waited all of 2 or 3 nanoseconds before scarfing down the food we offered.
Now I have the boring routine of monitoring ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate (watching for the levels to peak and fall back) as I wait for the tank to cycle. Also, as a sop to PETA, I cut a 6" long piece of 1-1/2" PVC pipe and partially buried it in the sand (as a place for him to hide). Speaking of gender, since he doesn't have a flash of gold along the belly, I'm pretty sure he's a he. Anyway, with no tank mates, he feels no threat whatsoever, and this last was a waste of time because he's basically ignored the hiding place (he's boss in the tank and knows it).
Last thing, in a couple months I'll begin planting (after removing the convict, of course). Since I don't really want the hassle of CO2, and I want to keep algae at bay, I've programmed the lights to begin coming on at 5AM, be full bright by 5:30, begin dimming at 9, and go off at 9:30AM (there are thee colors of LED in each of the two 3' long lighting fixtures to simulate the sun's color temperatures during the day). Anyway, the tank will then receive incidental room-light until 5PM, when the lighting cycle will repeat. Splitting the light cycle should be disruptive to algae while not affect the photosynthesis cycle (plus this way I can observe the tank in the mornings, and once again in the evenings, e.g. when I'm home to watch).
Thoughts?
