How to Assemble an Aquarium Deep Sand Bed Filtration System

The use of a deep sand bed filtration system has added considerable scope to reef keeping. Aragonite, a type of marine substrate, is typically used because of its solubility and therefore subsequent buffering capacity in sea water. As the aragonite slowly dissolves, it leaches any beneficial minerals and trace elements into the water. The great value of a deep sand filtration system is its potential for reducing nitrates on an ongoing and natural basis. Deep sand beds may incorporate a plenum, which is a void space under the substrate, but the majority do not.

Things You'll Need

  • Seawater aquarium
  • Aragonite sand layer at least 3 inches deep
  • Sand shifting invertebrates
  • 10-gallon plastic bucket
  • 2-quart jug
  • Filters and heater
  • Bacteria culture
  • Brittle stars
  • Bristle worms
  • Amphipods
  • Copepods
  • Sea cucumbers
  • Snails
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove natural body oils and soap residue from your hands by rinsing them under warm running water. Both are detrimental to seawater tanks and you should only handle the aragonite with clean hands.

    • 2

      Place approximately 2 1/2 pounds of aragonite into a 10-gallon plastic bucket and wash it thoroughly. Place the bucket under a running tap and swirl the aragonite around with you hands. Rub the aragonite gently between your palms to ensure that it is free of dirt.

      Repeat this process until you have sufficient aragonite to create a 3-inch sand base across the entire bottom of your aquarium. Wash small quantities of aragonite at a time because it is easier to clean than 20 or 30 pounds in one attempt.

    • 3

      Fill a 2-quart jug with the clean aragonite sand and place it onto the bottom of the aquarium. Continue to place clean sand in the tank and slope it very slightly from the rear to the front. By doing this, any large pieces of detritus will eventually work themselves to the front of the aquarium, where they can be removed.

    • 4

      Fill the aquarium with synthetic seawater that has a specific gravity of 1.025 and a temperature of 76 degrees Fahrenheit.

    • 5

      Attach filters and heaters as required and allow the water to circulate for at least a day.

    • 6

      Add a culture of beneficial bacteria from a bottle to begin the process of biological filtration.

    • 7

      Populate the deep sand bed with sediment dwelling animals such as brittle stars, bristle worms, amphipods and copepods.

    • 8

      Add larger invertebrate animals such a sea cucumbers and snails, after a week.

    • 9

      Feed the sediment dwelling creatures with tiny pieces of grated sea foods until the system has matured and they can survive on the metabolic waste of the fish.