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To have a Plenum or not to have a Plenum?
- Thread starter Reefer33
- Start date
Perhaps an adequate description of a true Jaubert microcean is in order:
Jaubert's true "microcean" system requires considerable effort to set up initially, but can yield stunning systems. It will not function properly with a protein skimmer or addition of calcium ions through kalkwasser, etc. The Jaubert system eliminates the need for any additives through a budget of carbon and nitrogen. Protein skimmers remove this necessary carbon. When set up correctly (approx 1-2" plenum height, and 4-5" deep sand bed per 100 gallons roughly; Seaflor and crushed coral are the best substrates; strain it through a 2 mil strainer though, to avoid getting too many smaller particles). The organic acids produced in the sediment bed (and diffused underneath) dissolve the aragonite. Its components are diffused (another important reason not to have too much fine sediment) to the surface, and are distributed into the water column by using high energy flow/surge above the sandbed. This works very well even for fast growing SPS. The imperative thing to remember is to have a large surface area of sediment sand and a good volume of plenum water. There are two good ways of doing this. One is to have very little of the sandbed covered by live rock (not often an option), Two; have the live rock elevated off the substrate (getting warmer...) or to have an supplemental Jaubert tank (kinda like a large sump, with a proportionally accurate plenum/sandbed)...be careful not to compact the sandbed down while you are placing the live rock (also, add no potentially precipitating additives; ie kalkwasser), otherwise, you'll create hydrogen sulfide reactors/pockets. The other imperative thing is NEVER to let light into the sandbed or plenum. This would encourage a growth of phtosynthetics to produce O2 in the sandbed; completly defeating the purpose (O2 concentrations in the plenum and lower sediment bed shouldn't exceed .05 mg/L, nor should they become completely anoxic). Don't stir/vacuum the sandbed or have large animals that would provide excessive bioturbation.
Jaubert's true "microcean" system requires considerable effort to set up initially, but can yield stunning systems. It will not function properly with a protein skimmer or addition of calcium ions through kalkwasser, etc. The Jaubert system eliminates the need for any additives through a budget of carbon and nitrogen. Protein skimmers remove this necessary carbon. When set up correctly (approx 1-2" plenum height, and 4-5" deep sand bed per 100 gallons roughly; Seaflor and crushed coral are the best substrates; strain it through a 2 mil strainer though, to avoid getting too many smaller particles). The organic acids produced in the sediment bed (and diffused underneath) dissolve the aragonite. Its components are diffused (another important reason not to have too much fine sediment) to the surface, and are distributed into the water column by using high energy flow/surge above the sandbed. This works very well even for fast growing SPS. The imperative thing to remember is to have a large surface area of sediment sand and a good volume of plenum water. There are two good ways of doing this. One is to have very little of the sandbed covered by live rock (not often an option), Two; have the live rock elevated off the substrate (getting warmer...) or to have an supplemental Jaubert tank (kinda like a large sump, with a proportionally accurate plenum/sandbed)...be careful not to compact the sandbed down while you are placing the live rock (also, add no potentially precipitating additives; ie kalkwasser), otherwise, you'll create hydrogen sulfide reactors/pockets. The other imperative thing is NEVER to let light into the sandbed or plenum. This would encourage a growth of phtosynthetics to produce O2 in the sandbed; completly defeating the purpose (O2 concentrations in the plenum and lower sediment bed shouldn't exceed .05 mg/L, nor should they become completely anoxic). Don't stir/vacuum the sandbed or have large animals that would provide excessive bioturbation.
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