Live rock and egg crate/reef flush systems

[kitenski]

There seems to be a few different views on this, so wondered what the panels thoughts were on:

1. Placing LR directly onto glass and then adding sand vs placing LR onto eggcrate

2. There appears to be a trend towards "reef flush" systems, or closed loops pushing water underneath egg crate. I wonder if this is fashion, and wether something like a tunze gives good flow all around the rock without a reef flush.

Cheers,

Greg

[kitenski]

Does the panel have any views on this? I'm setting a new tank up in a week or so, so am particularly interested in views!

regards,

Greg

[jez]

Hi
As with all things marine there are always a lot of opinions on the so called right and wrong ways of doing it. IMHO its rock in on the base of the tank, then sand in job done.

I have always seen reef clean system as the prerogative of tank building companies that are desperate to make 4 pieces of glass sound interesting. “Oh by the way this tank comes with our patented double overflap reef clean system”:D essential for cleaning detritus from behind the pile of live rock that looks like a drystone wall.

It has to be said that over the years I can pretty much shoot holes in the needs for reef clean systems without breaking sweat as they are one of my pet hates.

In a well set-up aquarium critters and the food chain will reduce waste down to a small amount of mulm that is either removed via good protein skimming or the occasional use of mechanical filtration or a bit of siphoning.

Hope that gives you at least one opinion.

Regards Jez

[kitenski]

cheers jez,

I was hoping to do just that, ie rock, no egg crate or reef flush, so at least 1 person agrees with my approach ;)

[ebahn]

For what it's worth, I opted to place my live rock on "reef feet" - 1&1/2 inch diameter sections of pipe - in order to reduce the likelyhood of any dead spots and allow the janitors to better crawl under the live rock and pick up any uneaten food. But probably the most important factor is good flow in some shape or form. Reef flush systems are just one fancy way of achieving that flow.

Jon

[fishflop]

Won't lifting the rock off of the sand bed only inhibit food to get caught underneath it?? If the rock was flush with the sand, you wouln't need your CUC to go under the rock.

[Mike4271]

Won't lifting the rock off of the sand bed only inhibit food to get caught underneath it?? If the rock was flush with the sand, you wouln't need your CUC to go under the rock.


Damn, you beat me to that one :D

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